Virender Sehwag
The Delhi captain is regarded as one of the most dangerous batsmen in world cricket. He can destroy bowling attacks in the space of few overs and is virtually unstoppable when in full flow. He scored more than 400 runs in last year's tournament and on one occasion came to close to scoring a century, finishing unbeaten on 94. Harbhajan Singh has already tipped the Delhi opener to score a century in this year's IPL.
Gautam Gambhir
The left-hander has emerged as one of the most improved batsmen in modern day cricket. The New Zealand tour saw Gambhir's batting soar heights never seen before as he plundered runs in every format of the game. If you go by the records, Gambhir surely has to be the best batsmen in Twenty20 cricket. He had a ball in the last IPL, finishing the second highest scorer with 534 runs in 14 matches at 41.07. He also emerged the second highest scorer with 227 runs in seven matches in India's triumph in the 2007 ICC Twenty20 World Cup. South Africa watch out for India's latest run machine!
AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers is seeking redemption after a moderate showing last year. He scored just 95 runs in six matches in the IPL last year and struggled to cope with the conditions in India. But, at home things should be different and he will no doubt be looking forward to show off his batting prowess in his front of his own fans. Also the fact that he has been in good form recently should come as good news for his Delhi team.
Glenn McGrath
In his prime, Glenn McGrath was the most difficult bowler to score against. That was the same even during in last year's IPL, when he took 12 wickets with an economy rate of 6.6. Back after a long hiatus from cricket, the 39-year-old fast bowler seems desperate to get back to doing what he does best, bowling a good line and length.
Daniel Vettori
Just like Glenn McGrath, the Kiwi captain is a miserly bowler. His deceptive flight and variety makes him a difficult bowler to score against, especially in the slam-bang Twenty20 format. He is also very handy with the bat, as was proved by his exploits during the just-concluded Test and ODI series against India in New Zealand.
David Warner
This unknown Australian could well take the IPL by storm. David Warner announced himself with a blazing 89 from 43 deliveries, opening the innings in his Twenty20 International debut against South Africa last year. Even in limited-overs cricket for New South Wales, he showed eagerness to take on the bowlers. Imagine what can happen if he and the dangerous Virender Sehwag get going.
|
Advertisement