Top 5 West Indies cricketers in IPL history

There's a distinct similarity between the vision of cricket the Indian Premier League (IPL) believes in and the Caribbean approach to the game. That the IPL brings the 'best flavour of the West Indies boys', as acknowledged by Mumbai Indians’ Harbhajan Singh, is a testament to the fact that the much-criticised camaraderie of the IPL resides in perfect harmony with the fun-factor that the likes of Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard seek in their cricket.Among all the craziness, however, those from the land of Sir Vivian Richards continue to establish their expertise in the shortest format of the game with no less swagger. Here we take a look at five West Indies cricketers whose consistency in the IPL has compelled their team to field them regularly in spite of the foreign players’ restrictions they are subjected to.

#5 Dwayne Smith

Another batsman perfectly suited to T20 cricket, Dwayne Smith was rumored to have been recognized as a promising youngster by the legend Viv Richards himself. However, despite possessing powerful technique and a myriad of shots, Smith hasn't been consistent enough to cement his place in the national side.

His IPL stats are far more impressive though. The right-hander averages 30.85 at a strike-rate of more than 135 in 60 IPL matches so far with 11 fifties and a highest of 87. Although strictly not an allrounder, his career tally of 15 wickets in 28 innings encapsulates the amount of versatility he offers.

The eighth edition of the IPL has witnessed Smith opening the innings for Chennai alongside Brendon McCullum with the duo complementing each other well and scoring runs in alternative matches.