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Ten Australians to watch out for in IPL 2018

12th February, 2018
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Why haven't Australia done better in T20? (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
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12th February, 2018
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The eleventh edition of Indian Premier League is set to commence on seventh April 2018 from Mumbai.

There will be 187 players representing eight franchises from countries such as India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, England, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Alongside these, there are 19 Australian players who will represent the eight franchises during the tournament.

While players like Billy Stanlake and D’Arcy Short got their big pay day after amazing performances in the KFC Big Bash League, Steven Smith and David Warner were retained by their respective franchises for the upcoming season of IPL.

Australian cricketers enjoy a healthy support in India and these 19 will be looking forward to performing in this premier T-20 tournament.

This article looks to profile ten most anticipated Australian players of IPL 2018.

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1. David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Player Cost- 2.4 Million AUD (retained before the auction)
T20 career stats- M: 241, R: 7584, Avg: 35.27, SR: 143.22, HS: 135*
IPL stats- M: 114, R: 4014, Avg: 40.55, SR: 142.14, HS: 126

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A no-brainer, David Warner has been the best Australian in the history of IPL. Captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2015, Warner was the highest run-getter in two of the last three seasons of the IPL.

He has been extremely consistent for the Sunrisers and their best batsman by a distance. Warner is an asset of any team he plays for and is the current T20 captain of Australia. He has formed a terrific partnership with Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order and they shoulder a lot of fortunes of the team.

Sunrisers Hyderabad seem to have the strongest squad of the tournament and can go all the way under David Warner’s competent leadership.

2. Chris Lynn (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Player cost- 1.86 Million AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 100, R: 2872, Avg: 36.35, SR: 148.42, HS: 101
IPL stats- M: 12, R: 384, Avg: 38.4, SR: 158.02, HS: 93

One of the costliest buys of the auctions, Chris Lynn is an immaculate T-20 batsman. He is a dynamite at the top of the order and can take the game away in overs with his explosive batting. He returns to the Knight Riders, where he owned the opening slot last year. He will certainly hope to replicate the awesome performances of last season.

While he is one of the most accomplished batsmen in Australian domestic circuit, his fitness remains a worry. It will be a big loss for the Knight Riders if he fails to stay fit for the tournament. However, when he will be playing, it is certain that any stadium in India will be treated to a memorable feast.

3. Steven Smith (Rajasthan Royals)
Player cost- 2.4 Million AUD (Retained before the auction)
T20 Career stats- M: 155, Runs: 3124, Avg: 30.03, SR: 125.36, HS: 101
IPL stats- M: 69, Runs: 1701, Avg: 37.02, SR: 131.71 HS: 101

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Part of the ‘Fab 4′ of world cricket, Steven Smith will lead the returning Rajasthan Royals for this IPL. Smith enjoyed a stellar IPL 2017 when he led Rising Pune Supergiants to finals.

He scored 472 runs and finished the tournament with fourth highest runs. National team’s Test and ODI captain Steven Smith will be hoping to get one better this time with winning the tournament for the Royals.

They have acquired Rahul Tripathi, Ajinkya Rahane, Jaydev Unadkat and Ben Stokes- the core of the impressive Pune team. With BBL heroes D’Arcy Short and Jofra Archer alongside those four, Smith will be hoping to emulate the great Shane Warne and lead Rajasthan Royals to their second ever IPL trophy.

4. D’Arcy Short (Rajasthan Royals)
Player Cost- 775,000 AID
T20 Career stats- M: 23, R: 840, Avg: 40.00, RR: 148.14, HS: 122*
IPL stats- Debut season
Man of the series for Big Bash 7, D’Arcy Short is the man of the moment of Australian men’s cricket. Along with Jofra Archer, Short was the breakout star of this Big Bash League. He finished the season with 572 runs and will hope to carry the form while playing for Rajasthan Royals. His consistency led him to Australia’s cap as well.

He was the man on a mission as Hobart Hurricanes cruised to the BBL final but lost to Adelaide Strikers following Jake Weatherald’s heroics. Short will be hoping to go one better in the IPL. Under countryman Steve Smith’s captaincy, D’Arcy Short will look to improve his already impressive T-20 career.

D'Arcy Short

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

5. Glenn Maxwell (Delhi Daredevils)
Player cost- 1.75 Million AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 195, R: 4227, Avg: 26.10, SR: 157.68, HS: 145*
IPL stats: M: 57, R: 1228, Avg: 25.06, SR: 164.39, HS: 95

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Rated for his mercurial talent and slated by many for its lack of fruition, Glenn Maxwell will return to Delhi Daredevils after starting his IPL career with them in 2012. Maxwell has matured a lot since then and Daredevils will be hoping that he replicates his performances of IPL 2014.

While a bit overpriced, Maxwell boasts healthy T20 stats. He can be an asset for the Delhi Daredevils and under the coaching of Ricky Ponting, this may be the season Glenn Maxwell gives justice to his talent.

Maxwell had a good BBL with nearly 299 runs while his team struggled to score. He has proved his mettle since then by anchoring Australia in the triangular T20 tournament featuring New Zealand and England.

6. Andrew Tye (Kings XI Punjab)
Player Cost- 1.4 Million AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 68, W: 97, Avg: 19.64, ER: 7.64, BBI: 5/17
IPL stats- M: 6, W: 12, Avg: 11.75, ER: 6.71, BBI: 5/17

The leading paceman of Australia’s T20 side, Andrew Tye was acquired for big bucks by Kings XI Punjab for this season’s IPL. He can bowl range of different deliveries and has an uncanny knack of wicket taking. Tye took 16 wickets in mere six innings in this Big Bash League and was crucial as Perth Scorchers finished on the top of league table.

Tye also had an impressive IPL 2017 with Gujarat Lions when he took 12 wickets in six matches with a debut hat-trick against Rising Pune Supergiants. Andrew Tye is the only recognised overseas bowler in a top-heavy Punjab side. He will be hoping to replicate his amazing performances of the calendar year 2017 where he took three hat- tricks in T20 cricket.

7. Aaron Finch (Kings XI Punjab)
Player Cost- 1.2 Million AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 208, Runs: 6373, Avg: 34.26, SR: 139.02, HS: 156
IPL stats- M: 65, Runs: 1603, Avg: 27.17, SR: 130.34, HS: 88
A T20 cricket veteran, Aaron Finch will represent his seventh franchise in the IPL. Bringing in a rich vein of form with him, Aaron Finch will be looking to form a terrorising opening partnership with one Chris Henry Gayle for the Punjab based franchise.

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Brad Hogg

(AAP Image/ Hamish Blair)

Kings XI Punjab have built a team to score as many runs as possible and then try and defend those. Aaron Finch is a perfect suit for this. however, there is a daylight between his career T20 stats and the IPL stats. Alongside owner Preity Zinta and the army of KXIP loyalists, Aaron Finch will be hoping to give justice to his reputation in this season’s Indian Premier League.

8. Mitchell Starc (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Player Cost- 1.8 Million AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 85, W: 127, Avg: 17.44, ER: 7.14, BBI: 4/15
IPL stats- M: 27, W: 34. Avg: 20.38, ER: 7.17, BBI: 4/15

Signed for a whopping sum, Mitchell Starc is expected to spearhead the best bowling attack of this tournament that boasts the likes of Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav and youngster Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

While fitness has been a worry for him, Starc will be hoping to have a stellar IPL. He has one of the best numbers among the pace bowlers in the shortest format of the game and possesses a toe crushing Yorker delivery with smart variations in line and length.

Mitchell Starc is one of the best Australians in this edition of the IPL and a good amount of KKR’s fortunes rest on this lanky paceman.

9. Pat Cummins (Mumbai Indians)
Player Cost- 1.05 Million AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 69, W: 81, Avg: 25.32, ER- 7.84, BBI- 4/16
IPL stats- M: 16, W: 17, Avg: 29.35, ER- 21.24, BBI- 2/20

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Highest wicket taker of Ashes 2017, Pat Cummins landed himself a hefty 1.05 Million AUD contract with defending champions Mumbai Indians. While he will face a competition from Mustafizur Rehman for a place in the starting eleven, Cummins will look to form a formidable partnership with Jasprit Bumrah to lead the bowling attack of Mumbai Indians.

There is a vast difference between his T20 cricket career stats and IPL stats, but a fit Pat Cummins, in the form of his life can be pivotal for Mumbai Indians. He may look to add more variety and bowl more Yorker deliveries to be more effective for the defending champions.

10. Shane Watson (Chennai Super Kings)
Player Cost- 775,000 AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 248, R: 6136, Avg: 28.94, SR: 138.63, HS: 124*, W: 198, Avg: 26.77, ER: 7.87, BBI: 4/15
IPL stats- M: 102, R: 2622, Avg: 31.21, SR: 138.66, HS; 2014, W: 86, Avg: 28.27, ER: 7.84, BBI: 4/29

Man of the Series of IPL 1, Shane Watson is a veteran of the game. Now 36, and more mature, Shane Watson will be the only Australian in the returning Chennai Super Kings squad. He is likeliest to open the innings alongside Murali Vijay.

Shane Watson

(AAP Image/Rob Blakers)

Shane Watson finished this BBL with 331 runs and was the fifth highest run scorer of the tournament. Watson will be one of the many wise heads in the Chennai dressing room. Under the influential leadership of M S Dhoni, Shane Watson will be hoping to replicate the performances which have made him one of the most dreaded all-rounders in world cricket.

Honourable mention
Nathan Coulter Nile (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Player Cost- 426,000 AUD
T20 Career stats- M: 86, W: 105, Avg: 22.67, ER: 7.76, BBI: 4/20
IPL stats- M: 26, W: 36, Avg: 19.97, ER: 7.66, BBI: 4/20

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Fetching a decent amount for his services, paceman Coulter- Nile will play his trade for Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 11. An economical bowler who can bat, Nathan Coulter- Nile boasts impressive T-20 statistics.

However, aggrievance of his earlier stress fracture in November 2017 has made him miss the ODI and T20 series against England and England-New Zealand, as well as the Big Bash.

The Bangalore franchise will be hoping to have Coulter-Nile fit for this IPL as he can be an asset in every department of the game. Described by former selector John Inverarity as ‘one of the three or four best fieldsmen in Australia’, Coulter-Nile can be a live-wire in field as well.

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