IPL 10: Team wise players who are playing IPL for the first time

One of the main purpose of the IPL was to unearth new talent and help them grow with the international platform they provide. While this year’s IPL made headlines for spending big on the foreign players, it is also important to note that the Indian players fulfilled the main aim of the League too. Keeping aside the financial gains, take a minute to realise the life-changing opportunity the IPL is about to provide these new stars. From Natarajan and Siraj, to big guns like Mills and Stokes, the IPL 10 is going to see it all. There are players that IPL has never seen before and also those that most Teams will be meeting for the first time. How they fair in the tournament can be left for later on, but right now, what matters is reflecting upon the potential that earned them the call-ups for their respective teams. Here are the new faces for every team: KXIP: T Natarajan T. Natarajan. (Photo Source: Sportstarlive) Known for his accurate Yorkers, Thangarasu Natarajan has been among those young lads who have made it big in this year’s IPL auction as he went on to be a part of the Kings XI Punjab. He grabbed eyeballs during the Tamil Nadu Premiere League when the left-arm medium pacer bowled 5 yorkers and a full toss in the Super Over against Tuti Patriots. In the Ranji Trophy, he collected 24 wickets in 8 matches. His reputation with the Yorkers resurfaced when he bowled 5 in the death overs on his T20 debut against Karnataka. He never would have imagined earning an IPL contract worth 3 Crores from a base price of 10 lakhs, 30 times his initially-set-price. He would never have imagined someone like Virender Sehwag bidding for him. He never would have imagined that from being called the son of a daily wage worker, he will be called one of the best bowlers in the Indian circuit. But here he is, worth 3 Cr, now famously called ‘Mustafizur Rahman’ of Tamil Nadu. Every year, IPL gives people a story to remember, it was his this time. KXIP needed someone along with Sandeep Sharma to take control in the death overs, making it a fitting scenario for Natarajan to be a regular for the Team. SRH: Mohammad Siraj Mohammad Siraj. (Photo Source: telanganatoday. news) He is the third highest wicket-taker in the 2016-17 Ranji season with 41 wickets at an average of 18.92. He has also been impressive during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has been an asset for Hyderabad since very long and earned a spot the Rest of India and India A sides too. His performances deservingly brought him his first ever call up in the IPL at whopping price tag of Rs. 2.6 crores when he had a base price of Rs. 20 Lakh and will play for SunRisers Hyderabad this year. His story is an inspiring one also because he has had extremely humble beginnings. He wants to make sure that with the success he gains over the years, his father does not have to go back to driving the auto ever again. He has a strong action and a deceptive bouncer under his belt. When Hyderabad resched the knock out of the Ranji for the first time since 2011-12, his nine wicket haul in the quartner finals against Mumbai was one of his memorable performances. Though SunRisers have a steady bowling line-up with Mustafizur, Bhuvi, Nehra and Barinder Sran as their first preferences and Siraj will have to prove his worth in the exclusive opportunities he is provided with, he will earn a name and perhaps an international call-up if he utilizes this platform well. RCB: Tymal Mills Tymal Mills. (Photo Source: Twitter) Tymal Mills is an English express fast bowler known to bowl at 90kmph with ease. Mills is currently among the fastest bowlers on earth, making him the second biggest millionaire in the auction. He has an interesting journey as a player as he was diagnosed with a congenital back condition. Meaning, his spinal cord and vertebrae are unusually close together. And fast-bowling could agitate his condition and result in more complications. So, he decided to streamline his career as a T20 specialist. He featured in the NatWestT20 Blast and the Super Smash Tournament in New Zealand. He plays in the Bangladesh Premiere League for Chittagong Vikings, and is a very recent member of the Brisbane Heat squad in the Big Bash League. He played in the Quetta Gladiators during the Pakistan Super League this year where he picked 7 wickets in 5 matches. In the T20 series against India, he picked merely 3 wickets but his change-ups, fast 150+ kmph deliveries coupled with some brilliant slower balls along with deception were impressive. RCB was in a serious need of a frontline fast bowler, especially one that can be economical at death. With Mitchell Starc’s departure from RCB, Mills became their first priority. RCB has welcomed the T20 specialist bowler, from a base price of 50 lakhs to a whopping 12 crore. GL: Jason Roy England’s Jason Roy.(Photo credit OLLY GREENWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) Gujarat Lions was the only team that did not have a specific requirement as they have specialists and all-rounders for every department. However, they opted for Jason Roy, the only overseas player apart from Chirag Suri to make it into the GL players’ list. Roy has had a good record in India, considering that he performed during the World T20 and three half-centuries in the ODI series against India. He is among the English players who were likely to make it count this IPL and the auction so far has provided him with that. He has a career T20 strike rate of 143.88 and an average of 28.29, with four centuries. It was suprising that he remained unsold in the first round and had no bidding wars happening for him. Though one possible explanation for that is that most teams are sorted with their opening spots. Gujarat Lions themselves have regular, impactful openers with the likes of McCullum, Finch and Dwayne Smith, the Team management would definitely look to give Roy his fair share of games to do something for the Team. DD: Kagiso Rabada South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. (Photo credit ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images) Kagiso Rabada is a potential wicket-taking bowler and South Africa’s best at the moment, considering Steyn’s absence in the International arena. He has a career T20 economy rate of 7.49 from 30 matches and his powerplay economy rate is even better than his overall economy rate. He is most effective in overs 1-6 as he has taken 16 wickets at an average of 28.81. His base price of 1 Cr fetched him 5 Cr in totality as Delhi Daredevils won the bidding war. He has had an exciting year as he picked 15 wickets against Australia and 19 against Sri Lanka in the Tests. His good form continued in the shorter format as well. This is for the very first time the South African will feature in the IPL. With efficient Indian bowlers in the squad, you can expect Kagiso Rabada to lead the pack. MI: Asela Gunaratne Asela Gunaratne Sri Lanka. (Photo Source: Twitter) He had won games for his Team in three consecutive matches and his 84* off 46 one day before the match was perhaps his best performance under pressure. He stole victory out of the second-string. Australian line up so beautifully that it wouldn’t be surprising if he fetched even a Crore. It was unfortunate that only Mumbai Indians were willing to make use of his potential and sealed a cracker of a deal with just 30 lakhs. There is no doubt that he is in great form at the moment but he is also Sri Lanka’s best man at the moment. He has been a consistent player even for the Sri Lanka Army Club and is a handy allrounder for any side he associates himself with. IPL loves its all-rounders and the MI bidders were well aware of Gunaratne’s contribution in the several last over thrillers SL produced recently. Ironically, despite Sri Lanka’s trouble with portraying themselves as a side to be feared, they have won two of their recent series as visitors very convincingly and Gunaratne was a major contributor in both. Though Mumbai Indians have good all rounders, they will definitely give him a chance in the XI. KKR: Chris Woakes Chris Woakes. (Photo Source: Twitter) Chris Woakes added to England’s memorable day at the auction as he sealed a deal of 4.2 Cr with the Kolkata Knight Riders. With Andre Russell’s absence in this year’s IPL and a major void to fill, KKR needed a solid all-rounder. Chris Woakes has got to be their most suitable pick for doing Russell’s job. The player has played just eight T20I matches for England, while claiming just seven wickets. He also has played about 87 T20 matches, and has claimed 86 wickets. He has also went on to represent franchise cricket teams like Sydney thunder in Australia’s Big Bash League. In his three matches against India in the ODI series, Woakes scored 48 runs and took 6 wickets which is decent for an all-rounder. KKR is surely hurt due to the absence of Russell and they will definitely hope for Woakes to contribute, if not necessarily replicate his performances. Woakes has huge pressure upon himself because he now has to prove the trust and responsibility placed on him. RPS: Ben Stokes Ben Stokes of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) The price tag made Stokes the biggest millionaire in the IPL this year and the second most expensive player in the tournament, after Yuvraj Singh. He was expected to be the hottest pick among all players, but nobody saw 14.5 Cr coming, especially from RPS. Stokes has a career T20 strike rate is 134.03, and he has become more destructive in recent years, with his strike rate touching 147.20. He has taken 32 T20 wickets at 36.40 and a world class finisher at No. 6 or 7 in the same Team as Dhoni’s, and a seamer who can be used at any stage of an innings. He had a gala time in the series against India and now has a century, a five-wicket haul, fighting cameos and a man of the match worthy performance in the same ground he was consecutively hit out of the stadium 4 times in the World T20. Aggressive, passionate and extremely useful, he ought to be RPS’ best man. He was needed because he is suitable for many roles: an in-depth batting line-up, a seamer for all occasions and they would not mind someone to provide a verbal duel. Awaiting RPS v RCB already?!

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IPL 10: Team wise players who are playing IPL for the first time

DD: Kagiso Rabada

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