IPL 2019: Top 5 exciting debutants to watch out for
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a tournament that cricket fans all around the world look forward to with eagerness and hope. The previous season of this lucrative T20 tournament saw the Chennai Super Kings returning from a two-year hiatus and setting the records straight by going on to win the tournament. IPL 2019 is just around the corner and the stage is set for another season of power packed performances with both bat and ball.
The twelfth edition of the IPL kicks off at Chepauk, Chennai on March 23. The defending champions CSK will be hosting their neighbors, the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener of IPL 12. The tournament starts slightly earlier this year in order to give the players enough time to gear up for the world cup that starts on May 30 in England.
A whopping ₹106.8 crore was spent on 60 players in the IPL 2019 players auction and all 8 franchises look well balanced on paper. A number of cricketers from all around the world throw their names in the hat for the auction each year and only a small fraction of them get picked by the franchises. 1003 players, including 232 overseas players signed up for the auction this year and only a meager 60 players went under the gavel.
As always, there are a number of fresh faces in the 8 squads this year. Some players might not get a lot of game time in the tournament but gain priceless experience instead, by sharing the dressing room with the biggest names in the game. Here are five exciting players who will be making their debut in IPL 2019, most of whom are also featuring in their first ever IPL.
#1 Shimron Hetmyer (RCB)
Shimron Hetmyer is a 22-year-old left-handed batsman from Guyana who has made a number of heads turn with his swashbuckling batting prowess in the CPL. After a fierce bidding war between four franchises, RCB swooped in in the last minute to secure his contract for ₹4.20 crore in the players' auction.
Hetmyer has represented West Indies in 11 T20 internationals and has a healthy strike rate of 140. The batting friendly wicket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will do his game a world of good. Already featuring the likes of Virat Kohli and AB De Villers in their ranks, the addition of Hetmyer will cause all sorts of problems for the bowlers in the opposition.
The West Indian youngster will be hoping to make a mark for his franchise in IPL 2019. Watch out for him as he could hit the ball into Cubbon Park on his day!