The Indian Premier League is known for top gear batting, with the highest individual t20 score (Chris Gayle’s 175*) coming from this league. The franchises will surely eye some skillful batters to help them win matches on flat tracks.
Kings IX Punjab will enter with the heaviest purse -Rs. 42.70 crore whereas Mumbai Indians walk in with just Rs.13.05 crores in their kitty but every team would want to spend efficiently in order to fill most of the lacunae.
If the 5 best batting options are to be listed, they’ll be-
1) Chris Lynn–
This attacking Queensland opener starred in the news headlines owing to a fierce 91 run knock for the Maratha Arabians just after the retention list was public and when his teammate Yuvraj Singh took an opportunity reminding the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders – Mr.Shahrukh Khan on what he was set to miss this season.
The Aussie has been one of the few batsmen who can provide flying starts at multiple occasions and win matches single-handedly. His heroics at KKR begun with a spectacular catch in 2014, dismissing AB de Villiers and winning the Man of the match for a quickfire 45. His series of match-winning performances didn’t stop as he continued to slam bowlers in consecutive seasons.
IPL stats:
Innings-41
Runs-1280
Average-33.68
Strike rate- 140.66
2) Robin Uthappa–
Another consistent KKR batsman with a technique- based play and excellent wicketkeeping skills. The 34-year-old has been an integral part of the Knight Riders since 2014 and has played many match-winning innings at the top by countering the best bowling attacks of the tournaments. Robin also won the orange cap by amassing 660 runs with a sequence of 11 forty plus scores in 2014. Teams might be looking for consistency and experience in their lineups and Uthappa makes a clever choice.
IPL stats:
Innings-170
Runs-4411
Average-28.23
Strike rate- 130.5
3) David Miller–
Signed by Kings IX Punjab as a replacement in 2011, the South African hard hitter had to wait for two seasons to get his first break in the big league. His 38 ball 100* knock against Bangalore was the highlights of a stupendous 2013 season where he top-scored for Punjab with 418 runs at an average of 59.71. Since then Miller has had mediocre seasons but his contributions in the middle cannot be ignored. The hard-hitting batsman can be counted as a hot property this season when franchises lookout for dependability in their middle order.
IPL stats:
Innings-77
Runs-1850
Average-34.26
Strike rate- 138.78
4) Martin Guptill–
The New Zealand opener has been a mainstay for his country in limited over formats. His ability to clear the boundaries with minimal risks has been the summation of his career. However in the two IPL seasons, he has been a part of, the Kiwi batsman has had disappointing outings with only one fifty-plus score in 13 innings. Sunrisers have let Martin leave but aware of his abilities, all franchisees will be tempted to have him in their squads.
IPL stats:
Innings-13
Runs-270
Average-22.5
Strike rate- 137.76
5) Shimron Hetmyer–
Shimron has been a part of the Windies limited-overs squad for some time now. His excellent outings versus India earned him a place in the Royal Challengers Bangalore last season but this move was surely an unworthy one after the 22-year-old failed to live up to their expectations. He tried hitting the ball desperately on the wrong occasions which eventually created trouble for the team. This is a new season and Shimron would want to prove a point. If the franchises look for a quick run-getter, Hetmyer is the man.
IPL stats:Innings-5
Runs-90
Average-18.00
Strike rate- 123.29
