Top 5 openers in IPL 2014

Be it any format Test, ODI or Twenty-20, getting a good start from your openers is always crucial as it without any doubt gives you an advantage in the game to proceed further towards a win. Particularly when the team is chasing a total, as per the old saying, Well began is half done, it provides an easier target for the rest of the batting order if the openers can get big runs at a quick pace.Staying consistent in the shortest format is not easy and here we havea glance at the openers who have made a huge impact for their respective franchises with their bats that too consistently throught this IPL 2014.Players who nearly made this list: Aaron Finch, Shikar Dhawan, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Karun Nair.The opening pair of Sunrisers has been inconsistent and scores at less than the strike rate of 120 which is average for their standards. Virender Sehwag has been making good starts but lack of big runs and match winning performances pushed him out of this list. Gautam Gambhir started off with 3 ducks and a single which is never going to be enough to compete with this list. David Warmer has just opened in a single match so far.

#5 Lendl Simmons

Making a late entry in top 5 is West Indian Lendl Simmons, who has overtaken the likes of Karun Nair and Aaron Finch for the No. 5 spot with his stupendous form.

The 29-year-old Trinidadian, a late addition for Mumbai Indians in place of Jalaj Saxena who injured his finger, Simmons became the first centurion of IPL 7 when he smashed a 61-ball hundred against Kings XI Punjab. It was in fact, his higest score in T20 cricket.

In 5 matches so far, Simmons has accumulated 280 runs at an average of 70 and a strike rate of over 130, including 2 half-centuries and a century. Mumbai have won 3 out of those 5 matches, and Simmons has played a crucial role.