Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly may be the most affected by coach John Buchanan's multiple-captain strategy (or shall we say 'one captain, many strategists' theory) in the second season of the IPL, but things were certainly bright for Dada in the inaugural season. An aggregate of 349 from 13 matches was better than any of his Kolkata Knight Riders' colleagues. Besides, there weren't too many flaws in his captaincy. Only his luck ran out after the first few matches.
Brendon McCullum
His 158 not out in the opening match of the inaugural tournament -- against Bangalore Royal Challengers -- remains the highest individual score in the IPL. And in each of his last three innings in the Twenty20 format, McCullum has scored half centuries, including back-to-back match winning knocks against India. Need we say more?
Chris Gayle
Injuries meant he couldn't take the field in the IPL last year. But everyone knows how dangerous Chris Gayle can be. His 117 against South Africa in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup makes him the only batsman to have hit a century in a T20 international. And his partnership with McCullum is potentially lethal.
Ishant Sharma
Shah Rukh Khan had to dish out a whopping US $950,000 to acquire Ishant for the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, in the inaugural season the lanky paceman wasn't as effective. Just seven wickets from 13 matches and an economy rate of 7.80 are figures that didn't do justice to his immense potential. Hopefully, the second season will work out well.
David Hussey
Kolkata Knight Riders offered David Hussey a contract of $625,000. He repaid them by scoring 319 runs, an aggregate second only to captain Sourav Ganguly's (349). More importantly, he was one of the few consistent performers in the KKR side. The Kolkata outfit will need Hussey to be as consistent in the second season if they are to go far in the tournament.
Ajantha Mendis
The Sri Lankan mystery spinner was an unknown entity during the inaugural edition. Not surprisingly, he featured in only a single game, taking one for 24. Things have changed a lot since and Mendis goes into the second edition of the IPL with his shoulders weighed down by the ever-increasing burden of expectations. It's up to him to fulfill those expectations.
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