One of the reasons why cricket is such an engaging game is because it is a team sport and it allows participation and heroics of more than one player. Some players are expected to perform with the bat and ball regularly while there are players who can turn the match on its head in just a matter of a few overs.
Players like these are absolute match-winners and each team. As the IPL 2021 is about to begin on April 9, let us take a look at one key player of four franchises of IPL:
Punjab Kings- Chris Gayle:
Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, has been in phenomenal form in IPL since its debut season. He has played match-winning knocks with the ability to change the course of the game on his own. In the last IPL, Gayle scored 288 runs in 7 matches. He is only 228 runs away from completing 5,000 runs in IPL, a feat which only five players have managed to achieve in the cash-rich league.
Sunrisers Hyderabad- Manish Pandey:
Manish Pandey was the second-most leading run-scorer for Sunrisers Hyderabad after David Warner in IPL 2020. He played 15 innings scoring 425 runs for the team. He also smashed three fifties which consisted of an unbeaten knock of 83 runs. Among the domestic players in the team, Manish Pandey is a prominent batsman. SRH team will keep him in every match due to his commendable batting skills.
Royal Challengers Bangalore- Washington Sundar:
A player who’s established himself as a regular in the Indian squad across all three formats, Washington Sundar could contribute in both departments for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2021.
If he’s entrusted with the new ball this year, Sundar could provide early breakthroughs as he has often done in the past. And with RCB being rather top-heavy, we could see the all-rounder given an increased role with the bat at either No. 6 or No. 7.
Devdutt Padikkal testing positive for COVID-19 has even prompted a section of the cricketing fraternity to opine that Sundar can be used as an opener alongside captain Virat Kohli.
Either way, Sundar is set to be one of RCB’s most important players in IPL 2021.
Rajasthan Royals- Ben Stokes:
Ben Stokes has been arguably the best all-rounder in world cricket right now in all three formats and he was bought in the IPL Auction for a huge amount. However, he hasn’t been able to score freely in the middle order for the Rajasthan Royals and his lack of form has been a major concern for them.
He was sent up the order towards the backend of the season and it paid immediate dividends as he scored a magnificent century to take Rajasthan home against the Mumbai Indians. He is a wicket-taker with the ball and is a terrific fielder and covers a lot of basis for the Royals. He will have a lot to offer for the Royals this season too.
