In certain parts of the world, cricket is not merely a sport, it is an emotion. The mood of fans depends on the outcomes of their favorite team’s matches and their performance in major tournaments.
Multiple cricket tournaments and leagues are held throughout the year to cater to the needs of fans, most of which offer hardcore fans the opportunity to indulge in fantasy cricket matches using a solid fantasy cricket app. One such tournament is the Indian Premier League or IPL.
The IPL is the world’s most popular domestic cricket league. One of the main factors that contribute to the global popularity that IPL enjoys is the inclusion of world-class players in all teams. They add to the tournament’s appeal by vowing the masses with their stellar performances every year.
Here are some of the key players that every fan should look out for in the upcoming 2023 IPL season:
- Sam Curran
England’s star all-rounder Sam Curran became the most expensive player in the history of IPL when Punjab Kings acquired him during the IPL Auction for a whopping 18.25 crores. Although he missed the last season of IPL due to a serious injury, he is set to set the field ablaze in the upcoming IPL season with his skills.
What makes him a player to look out for is his top-tier form. In the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, the English all-rounder put on excellent performances consistently for the masses. With a top-notch economy of 11.38, he picked up 13 wickets in the International tournament.
Previously a part of Chennai Super Kings along with Punjab Kings, the star performer is known for performing exceptionally well in IPL matches. By playing only 32 IPL matches, Curran has amassed 337 runs and 32 wickets.
- Ben Stokes
Similar to fellow England teammate Sam Curran, Ben Stokes missed out on the previous IPL season since he was taking a break from the sport for a while. However, he is back for the upcoming IPL season and will don the Chennai Super Kings jersey. Acquired for a whopping amount of Rs. 16.25 crores, he is expected to put maximum runs on the board for his team. \
In the last T20 World Cup, he carried his team throughout the tournament and successfully managed to clinch the second T20 World Cup trophy for his side. Although he is not known for his T20 stats, his current form in the format indicates that he is a force to reckon with.
Before joining CSK, Stokes was a menace on the field from the side of the Rajasthan Royals. By being a part of 43 IPL matches, the England all-rounder has scored 920 runs, out of which two are centuries and two fifties. Moreover, he has clinched 28 wickets in total. Given his impressive stats and great form, fans and players of other teams should keep an eye out for the guy.
- Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal, the young Indian batsman, is expected to make waves in the upcoming IPL season. Last season, he was appointed as the captain of Punjab Kings and expected to lead his side besides scoring ample runs. Sadly, the season did not turn out to be great for him.
However, one bad season cannot take away Agarwal’s credibility as a top-performing batsman. In the 2020 and 2021 IPL seasons, he scored over 400 runs in each variant with a stunning strike rate of 140+.
Although Punjab Kings did not renew him, he was clinched by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a massive amount of Rs. 8.25 crores. He is expected to prove himself by scoring tons of runs in the upcoming season of IPL for the Hyderabad side. Thus, fans should keep an eye out for the young talented batsman from India.
- Cameron Green
Australia’s S-tier all-rounder Cameron Green was picked up by Mumbai Indians for a massive amount of Rs. 17.5 crores. On the international stage, Green has proven himself across all three formats by delivering exceptional performances.
Just before the T20 World Cup, Green played two exceptional knocks (61 runs and 52 runs) against India. He is all set to carry his IPL team to glory by delivering exceptional performances in matches.
Although his bowling requires some work, his batting prowess is highly feared by opponents. Due to this, he is expected to be an explosive asset for the Mumbai Indians. Hence, fans should keep an eye out for the youngster in IPL 2023.
- Nicholas Pooran
In the recent IPL auction, Nicholas Pooran was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants for a significant amount of Rs. 16 crores. He has proven himself in the IPL by playing exceptional innings from the side of Punjab Kings in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
In 2021, he had a not-so-good season, but in 2022, he bounced back by scoring 306 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The middle-order batsman is all set to show what he is capable of in the 2023 IPL season.
The West Indian batsman is deemed an explosive batsman in the limited overs format, and thus, he is expected to put up big scores for the Lucknow Super Giants. Given his current form, fans are also eager to see him perform well on the field.
With the upcoming IPL season over a month away, the excitement quotient of fans is rising steadily as they are ready to witness their favorite cricket stars create magic on the field with their exceptional skills.
