IPL 2019: Who is the most important player from each team ?

The 12th edition of Indian Premier League will kick off on March 23 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore. With a lot of prolific foreign players featuring and some of the finest domestic talents on show, IPL 2019 promises to be another thrilling season.

Though Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Sunrisers Hyderabad are strong favorites, the tournament will be a closely contested one as all other teams are also well- balanced.

In this article, we will shed a light on who is the most important player for each team in their bid to lift the trophy

#8 Kings XI Punjab - Chris Gayle

Many wrote off Chris Gayle after his underwhelming performance in 2017. RCB dropped him and he remained unsold in the first and second round of the auction in 2018, however, Kings XI Punjab purchased him at a base price of ₹2 crores in the last round. Playing for KXIP last year, Gayle was back to his best and even scored a century and a couple of half-centuries.

This year making a comeback in West Indies outfit, the 39-year-old veteran smashed 2 hundred and 2 fifties to claim the man of the series award in ODI series vs world number one side England. Considering his current form, Gayle is one of the favorites to finish in the list of top five run-scorers list.

#7 Mumbai Indians - Krunal Pandya

Mumbai Indians have retained Krunal Pandya after buying him for ₹8.8 crores using Right to Match card last auction. he is an economical bowler plus one the best strikers of the ball.

On the back of successful IPL performances, the elder Pandya brother made his T20I debut against West Indies. In 11 matches so far, he has bagged 11 wickets with a best of 4/36. He is likely to continue his form this season and could also be a potential candidate for the Most Valuable Player of the tournament award.