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For those not entirely familiar with the IPL, we have no doubt that this is something that will quickly become a firm favourite. The Indian Premier League was formed back in 2007 and by opting for the Twenty20 version of the sport, it quickly grew in popularity. The speed of the game gave it a whole new thrill and made it an ideal sport for betting. In fact, Sportsadda and IPL became, and remains, the perfect combination.
With the Mumbai Indians the current champs after winning the league in 2020, there was a whole lot of spending going on as teams tried to bolster their chances of success in 2021. Here are 5 of the top players to keep an eye on this season:
Kyle Jamieson
As the fourth most expensive player in the history of the IPL, Jamieson is someone from whom you’d expect something a little special. Costing the Royal Challenges Bangalore £1.48 million, he became the second most expensive player of 2021. So is he worth his fee and why should we be watching him?
The 26-year-old is fresh from New Zealand who are cricketing greats in their own right. What Jamieson brings to the IPL is pace bowling. This is the perfect fit for this style of play. The one thing he needs to learn to adapt to is the conditions in India.
Virat Singh
In stark contrast to the sum paid for Jamieson, Singh was snapped up at auction in 2020 for less than £200,000. He then spent the whole season with Sunrises Hyderabad doing not a great deal. With not a single appearance, Singh was no doubt looking for a chance to impress. He certainly found it.
With the 7th highest run score at the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, at 23 Singh racked up an impressive 250. What’s even more impressive is his 103 not out from just 53 balls. This shows that Singh is one to keep an eye on as he tries to prove his worth.
Shahrukh Khan
The IPL may still be relatively young, but it has already produced some greats. No more so than Kieron Pollard. Ranked at the top of the IPL player index, he has racked up an impressive 10,600 runs. When the Punjab Kings coach mentioned Khan in the same sentence as Pollard, everyone started to pay a little more attention.
In truth, as things stand, Khan hasn’t quite lived up to the hype. With no centuries and not even any 50s, there is still work to be done, but we shouldn’t be taking our eyes off him just yet.
Marco Jansen
At the tender age of 20, Jansen has been snapped up by the current champions, Mumbai Indians. Jansen had been on their radar for the last two years and the team was a little surprised to pick the youngster up at a bargain-basement price.
When you’re headhunted by the champs then there must be something special. It won’t be easy for Jansen to break into the squad which is already filled with greats, but it is certainly a case of wait and see.
Sheldon Jackson
Not quite the youngster that Jansen is, 34-year-old Jackson was brought into the Kolkata Knight Rider team for a specific reason. He was there to sure up the middle as a reliable batsman. Previous performances had suggested he could well be the man for the job.
So far the stats aren’t overly attractive. With 59 T20s played, he has achieved a rather disappointing 1,240 runs. Jackson is ageing and how many seasons he has left is anyone's guess. That is why he is worthy of a watch as he pushes to finish his career on top form.
