IPL 2019: 4 Best Overseas debutants of the season
For an overseas cricketer, getting an opportunity to play in the Indian Premier League is a fascinating experience both on and off the field. More so, for players who are not used to play in front of a packed stadium on the background of deafening noise. This is the kind of experience an overseas player would relish while playing in India and look forward to adding to his profile.
In the 12th edition of Indian Premier League, a total of 15 overseas players have made their debut. Both RR and KXIP topped the list with 3 players each while MI and DC had 2 overseas debutants each.
The regulations of the IPL permit a maximum of 4 overseas players in the playing XI. Hence, an overseas player doesn’t normally get a long run when devoid of impressive performances. As a result, some of these players might not have got enough uninterrupted opportunities even after performing consistently in the limited opportunities that they got.
Hence while analyzing the comparative performances of such players, due weightage has to be given to their performances visa-a-vis the opportunities. For instance, an overseas player might not have topped the run scorers list or the wicket-takers list but still would have contributed to his team’s success whenever given a chance. The analysis should be in tune with the above relevant fact.
In this article, let us have a look at the 4 best debutants of the season.
#4 Mitchell Santner (CSK)
Innings – 2, Runs - 32, SR – 139, Overs – 14, Wickets – 4, Economy – 6.71
Mitchell Santner’s debut in IPL was deferred by one year due to his injury last year. After an ordinary debut against RR in which he conceded 26 runs in 2 overs, Santner got his act together in the return match against the same opponent.
Against RR at Jaipur, Santner first bowled 4 economic overs for 25 runs with the wicket of Sanju Samson to boot. Then when his turn came with the bat, he finished off the match in style with a last-ball six when CSK needed 3 runs for a win.
The Kiwi all-rounder made a telling contribution to CSK’s winning streak with the bat in only his second IPL match. In the final analysis, the last ball six by Santner helped CSK to hold onto the top two positions at the end of the league stage.
In the match against MI at Chepauk, Santner finished with wonderful bowling figures of 4-0-13-2. In that match, he was the second top scorer for CSK. The presence of Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir denied adequate opportunities for Santner but he came good in the 4 matches that he played for CSK this season.