IPL 2019: 3 English players set to take the tournament by storm
English domestic T20 cricket does not compare to the glamour of either the IPL or Big Bash. But despite that, England continue to produce excellent limited overs players; their current ODI ranking (#1) and favorites tag for the World Cup on home soil are a testament to this.
The following 11 English players have been picked up by the IPL franchises for the 2019 edition:
Sam Billings, David Willey (Chennai Super Kings), Sam Curran (Kings XI Punjab), Harry Gurney, Joe Denly (Kolkata Knight Riders), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Liam Livingstone (Rajasthan Royals), Moeen Ali (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Jonny Bairstow (Hyderabad Sunrisers).
Here we pick out three English match-winning players who can make a difference for their teams and turn matches on their heads:
1. Jos Buttler – Rajasthan Royals
Buttler had a stellar IPL last season, especially when promoted to the opening position where he equaled an IPL record of five consecutive fifties and propelled the Royals into the final four.
Buttler's statistics were extremely impressive, and the Royals will hope he can produce a similar performance this time round. Buttler comes into the IPL in a rich vein of form, having recently scored an excellent 150 against the West Indies.
Buttler is likely to open with IPL veteran Ajinkya Rahane, and that opening pair seems to be the right combination of aggression and patience. With Steve Smith and Sanju Samson making up the middle order, Ben Stokes taking up the all-rounder's slot and Jofra Archer leading the bowling attack, Rajasthan Royals look as if they could go far this year - especially if Buttler finds the match-winning form of last season.
IPL 2018 statistics - Matches: 13. Runs: 548. Batting Average: 54.80. Strike Rate: 155.24