THE OPENERS

1. K.L RAHUL (KINGS XI PUNJAB)

Earmarked as the future of Indian batting, the twenty six year-old was the leading run-scorer for Kings XI Punjab this season as he amassed 659 runs from fourteen games at an average of 54.91 and a strike-rate of 158.41 (fifth best in the entire tournament).

Here is why KL Rahul is the next big thing in Indian Cricket

Balancing caution with aggression in equal measure, Rahul himself admitted to have adopted a more sedate approach to his batting as compared to previous seasons, as he looked to occupy the crease till the very end and hit only the lose deliveries for boundaries, without taking too many risks.

Stats: Matches 14, Runs 659, Average 54.91, S/R 158.41, HS 95*, six 50s.

Most memorable performance: In the second match of IPL-2018 between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab at the PCA Stadium, Mohali, Rahul smashed the fastest fifty in the history of the IPL by bringing up his half-century in just fourteen balls.