After months of speculations, the dates for IPL 2020 was officially announced yesterday by BCCI. The biggest T20 league will be contested in UAE from September 19- November 10. Now all the franchises will be hoping that their players fine-tune all their skills and get ready to win matches for their side. There is no denying that overseas players are extremely critical for the success of any side.
Teams depend heavily on their overseas star to produce the good when needed during crunch moments. In the 12 year history of the Indian Premier League, we have seen numerous foreign players electrify stadiums with their performances. This year with the league shifting to UAE the teams with bank heavily on the 4 overseas players in any side.
Here are the top 5 overseas players to watch out for in IPL 2020
5. Joshua Philippe
The 23-year-old wicket-keeper opening batsman Joshua Philippe will be featuring in his very first IPL. The talented batsman will be representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020.
Philippe is box office with the bat in hand and can easily give his side a rapid start in the first play. His fast hands and ability to pick the length early makes him a force in T20 cricket. After his heroic in the Big Bash League in Australia, Philippe was picked up in the IPL auction by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 20L.
He played a defining role in helping his side Sydney Sixers win the 2019 Big Bash League last year. In the 32 T20 matches played so far Philippe has a strike rate of nearly 140 and because of that RCB will be looking to play in the squad to go bang-bang from the first ball.
4. Sheldon Cottrell
IPL is incomplete without the glitz and the glamour of the West Indies players. They automatically lift their sides by producing breath-taking performances. Kings XI Punjab bought fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell in the IPL auction for his ability to bowl at any stage of the game.
Cottrell has this habit for producing magical deliveries upfront and is also an asset during the death overs. KXIP skipper KL Rahul will be hoping the Cottrell is in top form during IPL 2020 and performs as he does for his national team. Watch out for his epic salute celebration after he picks a wicket that will instantly make him a crowd favourite.
3. Glenn Maxwell
The ‘Big Show’ Glenn Maxwell played a pivotal role in Kings XI Punjab’s success when last time IPL was played in the gulf of UAE. He was by far the most dominant batsman in IPL 2014 as he dominated every bowling attacks in UAE. There’s just special connection of Maxwell with UAE as he bats like a dream whenever he plays in the country. Last time in UAE Maxwell scored 3 half-centuries and hit 17 sixes in the first phase of IPL 2014.
The Australian is a marquee player for his franchise and he will be looking to emulate his performance in IPL 2020. Overall he has a staggering IPL record and has a strike rate of 161 in the 69 matches he has featured in. If KXIP wants to hold their first-ever IPL title, Maxwell will have to be at his best throughout the tournament.
2. Pat Cummins
The No.1 Test match bowler in the world, Pat Cummins will have to replicate his performance in the IPL this year. After all, the star fast bowler emerged as the most expensive buy in the IPL auction. Cummins was sold to Kolkata Knights Riders for a whopping price of Rs.15.50 crores making him the second-most expensive player in the league behind Virat Kohli.
The pacer will have to prove his worth through his performance for KKR in the UAE. All eyes will be on him and he will have to adapt quickly to the conditions and pick wickets at regular intervals. The 27-year-old has so far only played 16 IPL matches in which he has scalped 17 wickets.
1. AB de Villiers
C’mon this should not come as a surprise the batting genius AB de Villiers has not to be on top of the list. The legendary player has entertained millions of fans over the years in the IPL.
After he announced his retirement a few years ago, IPL remains the only stage we see AB De Villiers showcase his once in a generation talent. RCB needs de Villiers to fire in IPL 2020 as he has the quality to dominate any bowling attack in any condition.
Mr.360 himself will be eager to step on the field in RCB colours and help his side finally win their first IPL indication. In the 154 matches he has played in the league so far ABD has scored 4395 runs at a strike rate of 151 and with an average of 40. RCB fans will be hoping that he continues his glorious partnership with captain Virat Kohli and make history in UAE.