IPL 2021: 5 new buys who impressed in Week 1
The usual suspects like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson and Shikhar Dhawan played glorious innings in the first week of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). There were also several new buys who made their mark and showcased the treasure trove of talent present in the tournament.
While some of these players moved around from franchise to franchise before finally impressing in this edition, some were IPL debutants who made match-winning contributions.
With all sides having played two games each, there is still a long way to go in the tournament. Although certain sides like the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders seem to have settled on an XI they can play every game of the season with, the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals can be expected continuously rotate players based on form and conditions.
Here are the top 5 new buys who impressed during Week 1 of IPL 2021.
#5 Shahrukh Khan (IPL 2021: PBKS)
Shahrukh Khan's first game of the IPL hardly saw him get game time, with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) top order doing the damage against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the highest-scoring contest of the first week so far. It was in the second game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), amid a woeful batting collapse, that he got an opportunity to prove himself.
Shahrukh's 47 off 36 balls, when the next highest was a paltry 15 off 22 balls by Jhye Richardson, showcased that PBKS might be one step closer to resolving one of their biggest issues this auction cycle - a fragile middle order. On better days where one or more of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle get going, Shahrukh's proven ability could hold PBKS in good stead.
#4 Chetan Sakariya (IPL 2021: RR)
RR's first outing with the ball, the aforementioned high-scoring encounter against PBKS, was largely forgettable as most of their bowlers were taken to the cleaners in the absence of an enforcer like Jofra Archer. However, one player stood out despite the otherwise runious display.
Playing ahead of RR's long-term investment Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya showed his skillset with the ball, picking up a very handy 3/31 to bring his team back into the contest. The left-arm pace bowler also plucked a stunner of a catch to prove his worth to the team as a young cricketer.