A total of 282 overseas players have registered for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the auction to be held on January 27 and 28 in Bangalore. Australia (58) have the most number of registered players and are followed by South Africa (57), West Indies (39) and Sri Lanka (39). Here are the top 5 adorable cricketer.
1. Chris Gayle
The ‘Universe Boss’ is perhaps the only player for whom the franchises won’t go checking for his recent form given his ability to turn games on their head from any point of a clash. With a strike rate of 145.11 in T20s and more than 10,000 runs under his belt, Gayle slammed 485 runs, including two centuries and two half-centuries, to top the charts.
2. Chris Lynn
If one is to witness what accounts for brute display of sheer power-hitting, watching a couple of overs of Lynn slamming bowlers in tandem should perfectly fit the bill. A part of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the last edition, Lynn was highly impressive on top of the order before a shoulder injury curtailed his fireworks. Lynn played four games in the Big Bash League (BBL) this season and notched 127 runs in four matches at a staggering strike rate of 162.82.
3. Ben Stokes
The controversial Englishman can be a good buy for any side owing to his all-round skills. Left out of the England squad before the start of Ashes because of his infamous pub brawl, Stokes is a handy batsman lower down the order and a perfect first change bowler. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player last season while playing for Rising Pune Supergiant when he ended up with 316 runs and 12 wickets against his name.
4. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell in IPL 7, scored 552 runs, including innings of 95 runs. Maxwell finished on top of the list of run-getters in the Sheffield Shield with 590 runs, has already scored 186 runs, including two half-centuries and a strike rate that reads 145.31. His part-time bowling has often earned wickets in the past.
5. AB de Villers
AB de Villiers, a name synonymous with 'Superman' in modern day cricket. An excellent merger of quality, fury and wonder, De Villiers is a player who took the entire cricket fraternity by storm from the moment he became a part of it.