IPL has made many foreigners feel comfortable while playing on the exciting Indian pitches.
Steve Smith (L), David Warner (R) (Photos: IANS)
Indian Premier League (IPL), which completed ten seasons in May this year, has made many foreigners feel comfortable while playing on the exciting Indian pitches. Australians are among those who have exploited the best of these wickets and emerged as heroes in past seasons of the cash-premier league.
“Most of the boys have played here in the IPL and T20 World Cup. So those experiences will help us,” all-rounder James Faulker was quoted saying on Monday.
Faulker has played for Pune Warriors, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions in the IPL. Having played 60 matches in all, the 27-year-old has scored 527 runs and claimed 59 wickets with his left-arm medium fast bowling.
Advertisement
Australian cricketers like Shane Watson, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell have excelled in the IPL as they were named the Player Of The Tournament in 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2014 respectively.
From the current squad, Steve Smith, David Warner, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell have showed great character on Indian soil during IPL and enjoy huge fan following in India.
Others like Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Adam Zampa and Nathan Coulter-Nile have also exhibited impressive skills in the Indian T20 tournament.
Australian captain Smith, who led 2017 IPL runners-up Rising Pune Supergiants, has 1703 runs in his kiitty from 69 IPL matches with a century-knock.
Warner, under whose captaincy Sunrisers Hyderabad lifted the trophy in 2016, has scored 4014 runs in 114 IPL matches with three centuries. The left-handed batsman was the backbone of Delhi Daredevils as well when he played for him in the previous editions of the IPL.
The 30-year-old Victoria batsman, Finch has donned the jerseys of Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions in various editions of the IPL. He has made 163 runs in 65 matches with an impressive strike rate of 130.43.
Maxwell, the 2013 Player Of The Tournament, has hit 1228 runs at a notable strike rate of 164.39 in 57 matches. He played for teams like Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.
Advertisement
