IPL History: Most Valuable Players of all the seasons
With just nine days to go, the countdown for the grandest T20 league in the world has begun. The Indian Premier League caravan is set to take off from 23rd March when Chennai Super Kings will host the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chepauk Stadium.
Since its inception in 2008, IPL has set the highest standards for the domestic T20 leagues all over the world. After more than a decade of engrossing and intriguing cricket, IPL has been a torchbearer in the era of T20 cricket.
BCCI started the Indian Premier League back in 2008. Since then, many players have proved themselves on the biggest stage and went onto represent their countries in the international arena.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer and Mohit Sharma are one of those Indian emerging talents who played for India after coming into the limelight on the back of some sensational performances in the IPL.
Most Valuable Player is the decoration given by the IPL committee to the player of the tournament at the end of every season. The honour is bestowed to a potential match winner from his performance throughout the tournament.
Various impactful players made their presence felt in the best T20 league and often led their team to the IPL glory. From world-class bowlers to explosive batsmen to enigmatic all-rounders, each season has seen a hero rising to the occasion and making his presence felt in the IPL. Hence, we will be looking at the Most Valuable Players in IPL from all the seasons.
#1. Shane Watson- 2008
One of the most underrated cricketers of his generation, Shane Watson made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season. The Rajasthan based franchise bought him for his all-round abilities, and he certainly did not disappoint his team as Royals lifted the IPL trophy in the very first season.
The Aussie also made an international comeback post his successful season in the IPL. Watson is an impactful player who can win matches singlehandedly for his team both with the bat and ball. He scored a century in last year’s finals to help Chennai Super Kings lift their third IPL trophy.
In the inaugural edition of the IPL, Watson was declared the player of the tournament on the back of some consistent performances. He scored 472 runs in 15 matches during that season at an average of 47.20. His season strike rate of 151.76 shows his tremendous hitting power.
The all-rounder also had 17 dismissals to his name in that season at an astonishing average of 19.11.