IPL 2020: One best spinner from each team
The biggest cricketing extravaganza, Indian Premier League will soon be returning to our TV screens for its 13th edition and we can't wait for the fun to begin. There is so much to look at, so much to talk about, and so much to analyse.
As we have often seen, spinners play a very important role in T20 cricket as they are the ones who more often than not strangle the opposition during the mid-stage of an innings.
Over the IPL's 12-year history, we have seen teams like Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, intentionally, make pitches into dustbowls in order to give a clear advantage to their spinners as these kinds of pitches turn square and batsmen really don't like these kinds of wickets.
Also, the recent rise of mystery spinners and leg spinners in limited-overs cricket has been there for all to witness and that's because these kinds of spinners are difficult to pick from the get-go. That's the reason why one might see more leg-spinners or mystery spinners on this list than traditional off-spinners.
Moreover, pitches usually break down in the IPL during the latter stages of the tournament and become more suitable for spin bowling. Hence, having a top-quality spinner in their ranks is an absolute must for every team and here, we are going to take a look at one best spinner from each team.
#8 Rajasthan Royals - Shreyas Gopal
The man who outperformed everyone in the Rajasthan Royals squad last season was Shreyas Gopal as he had a season of his dreams. The Karnataka bowler was at his absolute best and he will be looking to continue that form this season.
Gopal is one of the very few traditional leg-spinners who bowls fewer googlies and top spinners and focuses on his stock delivery.
The 26-year-old has set some standards last year and in IPL 2020, he will be under a lot of pressure to deliver, especially after Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the IPL this year.
IPL 2019: Matches - 14 | Wickets - 20 | ER - 7.22
#7 Royal Challengers Banglore - Yuzvendra Chahal
Royal Challengers Bangalore's best bowler for quite some time now has been Yuzvendra Chahal as the leg-spinner has been Virat Kohli's go-to man in any situation.
Chahal is what one calls a game-changer for RCB and he not only keeps the opposition batsmen in check but also picks up regular wickets.
In the 13th edition of the IPL, Chahal will be expected to deliver again as RCB haven't really added many top-quality spinners to their squad from last year.
IPL 2019: Matches - 14 | Wickets - 18 | ER - 7.82
#6 Kolkata Knight Riders - Sunil Narine
There was a choice to be made between Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine and when one considers how both of them fared in the IPL last season, one can see why Sunil Narine should be considered Kolkata Knight Riders' best spinner before IPL 2020.
Narine is someone who does almost everything for KKR, from batting as an opener to bowling at the death. He is a mystery spinner, who can turn the ball both ways and last season, he was absolutely brilliant. This year, again, Dinesh Karthik will rely heavily on Narine.
IPL 2019: Matches - 12 | Wickets - 10 | ER - 7.8
#5 Sunrisers Hyderabad - Rashid Khan
Afghanistan's Rashid Khan is one of the best if not the best leg spinner in the world at the moment and he has been the best bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad for three consecutive years. Again, Rashid is someone who bowls in the powerplay, middle overs, and the death, and along with that, the 21-year-old can also bat a bit.
Rashid Khan usually prefers to bowl googlies than traditional leg-spinners and it's the pace at which he bowls that deceives the batsmen. The 21-year-old is already a huge star and he will be SRH's trump card again.
IPL 2019: Matches - 15 | Wickets - 17 | ER - 6.28