Top 5 South Africans to have played in the IPL

The Indian Premier League, since its inception in 2008, has played host to a galaxy of stars who have set the stage on fire with their explosive batting or crafty bowling. While young Indian players have emerged with each passing year, international players have added more flavor to the cash-rich league.

South Africa is one such country from which quality players have participated in the IPL, plying their trade for various franchises and adding quality to the line-ups. Players such as AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis amongst others have played an integral role in their franchises and stood out as some of the best players in the IPL.

Here are five players from South Africa who have had a massive impact on the cash-rich league.

#5 Albie Morkel

The younger of the Morkel brothers, Albie Morkel's big-hitting ability mixed with his pace bowling earned him a spot in the Chennai Super Kings set-up during the first few seasons of the Indian Premier League.

In the first two seasons, the all-rounder's bowling came to the fore as he picked up 17 and 13 wickets in 2008 and 2009 respectively. In 2010, his bowling came under fire, but 2011 saw him making a comeback as he picked 15 wickets and also chipped in with crucial knocks at the death.

Morkel's 28-run carnage in the final over of the final against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012 highlighted his importance in the team, but injuries hampered his 2013 season.

Following a moderate season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he featured in just seven games, Albie went out of favor in the IPL but his overall stats - 974 runs and 85 wickets from 91 matches - make him one of the biggest names from South Africa to have participated in the IPL.