IPL 2020: 5 dark horses who could win the MVP award for the first time
The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is just around the corner, and teams are already preparing for the tournament with training camps in full swing.
The MVP award in the IPL
The MVP award is calculated using a unique points system - fours are 2.5 points; sixes and wickets are 3.5 points each; a dot ball bowled is 1 point; catches and stumpings are 2.5 points each.
In the history of the IPL, three players have managed to win the award twice - Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Shane Watson. Apart from these usual suspects, we take a look at 5 dark horses who could win the MVP award.
#5 KL Rahul
KL Rahul was recently announced as the captain of the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), and has been among the best Indian batsmen in the IPL over the past few years. He could see leadership elevate his game to another level, much like the previous Indians who were given a captaincy role in the tournament such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Rahul seems to have a calm head on his shoulders and will lead a host of young, upcoming talent. The faith that the Indian team has shown him in the recent past, with the management deciding to make him the first-choice wicket-keeper in the limited-overs formats, will also give him confidence ahead of the IPL.
With 1,252 runs in the last two editions of the IPL, the Karnataka man could take KXIP deep into the tournament. Rahul will have to undertake much of the responsibility and the presence of the destructive Chris Gayle at the other end will take some of the pressure off him.