Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh rules princely when it comes to Twenty20 cricket. Not long ago he smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in the Twenty20 World Cup, in 2007. The IPL's second season is being held in South Africa, where the left-hander relishes batting on the fast bouncy wickets. If he gets going, spectators will surely have a field day.
Shaun Marsh
Little-known Aussie Shaun Marsh was definitely the find of the IPL last year. The left-hander left a telling impression with his tally of 616 runs from 11 matches in last year's tournament that fast tracked him into the Australian team. He will not be available for the first few weeks of the tournament as Australia will be playing Pakistan in the UAE. But one is sure when he does turn up he will be one of the players to watch out for.
Kumar Sangakkara
Much of the interest around the Sri Lankan players will be to see whether they have recovered from the Lahore terror attack. Regarded as one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen of the modern era, Kumar Sangakkara made a vital contribution of 320 runs in 10 matches at 35.55 in the last IPL. His wicketkeeping too was top-notch and he is expected to play a major role for the Punjab team this year.
Luke Pomersbach
Just like Shaun Marsh, this left-hander was unknown when he came into the IPL. But by the end of it, he had made many sit up and take notice of his class. The 24-year-old Australian played just five matches last year during which he scored 152 runs and was dismissed just once. His record in Twenty20 cricket is also excellent, with 443 runs in 18 games. He will be a crucial member in Preity Zinta's team, especially considering the fact that he could be available for the full tournament.
James Hopes
A lot of hopes rest on James Hopes after recent impressive performances for Australia in limited-overs cricket. Last year too he played a key role in helping Punjab reach the last four as he shone both with bat and ball. He scored 221 runs in 11 matches and claimed seven wickets in 11 games.
Brett Lee
The fast bowler could end up missing most of the tournament after being ruled out of the series against Pakistan in the UAE. It remains to be seen whether he can make a speedy recovery and play a part in the latter stages of the IPL. Without him Kings Punjab, with a depleted bowling attack at their disposal, has a tough task ahead. He played just four matches last year with a return of four wickets and rarely threatened on the dead Indian wickets, but it could be another story on the fast bouncy wickets in South Africa.
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