IPL 2020: Top 5 Indian batsmen to watch out for

New Delhi: T-20 leagues are all about big sixes and innovative shoots. IPL is the most famous T-20 league in the world and over the years many a batsman has risen from IPL ranks and progressed to play for India. The pitches in the UAE, IPL’s home this season, are expected to be on the slower side and unlikely to yield the 200-plus scores that are seen in India.

Here’s a look at the top 10 Indian batsmen to watch out for:

Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The RCB captain has rarely had an off season in the IPL and is expected to add to his tally of 5412 runs – the highest in IPL history. Kohli has pushed his strike rate from 122.22 in 2017 to 141.46 in 2019 after enjoying a golden 2016 season where he smashed four centuries and 973 runs scored at 152.03 runs per 100 balls. RCB made the final in 2016 on the back of Kohli’s run juggernaut and his team would count on him to deliver the goods yet again.

IPL Record

Matches: 177

Runs: 5412

Highest: 113

Centuries: 5

Strike rate: 131.61

Average: 37.84

Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals)

The big-hitting Pant had a breakthrough 2017 season and went one up in 2018, averaging 52.61 and striking the ball at 173.60 in 14 matches. A wicket-keeper batsman for Delhi Capitals, Pant bats mostly in the top five and relies on his power game for runs. The left-hander has all the shots in his book and he is equally good against pace and spin.

IPL Record

Matches: 54

Runs: 1736

Highest: 128 not out

Centuries: 1

Strike rate: 162.69

Average: 36.16

Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

Rohit Sharma has won the IPL five times as a player, including four times as captain of Mumbai Indians, and some credit for this feat lies with Rohit himself who has 4898 IPL runs, the third highest in the league. Equally adept at opening the batting as well as playing in the middle order, Rohit’s ability to accelerate towards the death keep him at par with any batsman in the finisher’s role.

IPL Record

Matches: 188

Runs: 4898

Highest: 109 not out

Centuries: 1

Strike rate: 130.82

Average: 31.60

KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab)

The new KXIP captain has enjoyed a purple patch in IPL in the past two seasons. Having missed the 2017 season due to injury, Rahul returned to the league hungry for runs and satiated his cravings by scoring over 1200 runs in the past two seasons, averaging 54.91 in 2018 and 53.90 in 2019. The strike rates of 158.41 and 135.38 in 2018 and 2019 respectively hint at a change of roles for the batsman in the team but returns of 659 and 593 runs respectively show that he has performed his role with some success.

IPL Record

Matches: 67

Runs: 1977

Highest: 100 not out

Centuries: 1

Strike rate: 138.15

Average: 42.06

Shikhar Dhawan (Delhi Capitals)

Dhawan moved to Delhi Capitals from SunRisers Hyderabad before the 2018 season but that hasn’t impacted his returns in the league with the bat. Aggregates of 497 and 521 runs in 2018 and 2019 show that the left-hander from Delhi has enjoyed his home turf. Tasked with opening the batting for Delhi, his returns will be crucial for a team that’s choc-a-bloc with top order batsmen.

IPL Record

Matches: 159

Runs: 4579

Highest: 97 not out

Strike rate: 124.80

Average: 33.42