IPL 2019: 5 debutants to watch out for this season
With IPL 2019 just around the corner, all the franchises are gearing up to make a claim on the coveted trophy. Even though the core of each franchise is roughly the same as last year, the teams have made some exciting additions to their squad.
All the franchises would be looking to get their combinations right in the early part of the tournament as that would give them the momentum to capitalize and look for a finish in the top four. And as in the case of every IPL season, some players are making their debuts on the back of strong domestic and international performances.
Here, we take a look at five players to watch out for who are making their IPL debut this year.
1. Shimron Hetmyer
Shimron Hetmyer was bought by RCB for a price of Rs. 4.2 crore in the IPL auction on the basis of his performances in the Carribean Premier League and the series against India. He has scored 549 runs in 22 innings in T20s at a strike rate of 140.05. with a century and two half centuries against his name.
Hetmyer is one of the cleanest hitters of the ball, and on his day can smash any bowling attack. His recent century against England in the ODI series gave us an indication of his potential; he will certainly be a big part of RCB's plans this year.
RCB would look for Hetmyer to up the scoring ante in the company of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. The team missed the hitting abilities of someone like Chris Gayle in the last season, and would certainly hope Hetmyer can fill in the giant shoes of the 'Universe Boss'.
2. Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube is a young and exciting Indian all-rounder who recently made a name for himself with his performances in the domestic circuit. He has been described as the cleanest hitter for India since Yuvraj Singh.
His performance was recognized by RCB who bought him at a whopping price of Rs 5 crores.
Dube has a strike rate of 147.44 in T20s. Besides his hitting skills, he also can roll over his arm and bowl medium pace, which would certainly help his team as bowling is not RCB's strong suit.