Often a stage for the rising stars of cricket to shine, the Indian Premier League is close to the hearts of a myriad of cricket players, whether that be Indian players, or International. 

 

This year especially, fans were shocked as teams unexpectedly bought and switched players during the auctions, eagerly waiting to see how the team dynamics changed, and now that the wait is finally over, it’s time for the new players to shine. 

 

The first of a few particular rising stars is Chetan Sakariya. Sakariya, a medium pacer bought by Rajasthan Royals, is a medium pacer who was involved in a rather heated bidding war between RR and the Royal Challengers. Bought at almost £120,000, Sakariya proved himself in his very first match of the season, also his IPL debut, taking three critical wickets including that of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. 

 

Alongside Sakariya, the Rajasthan Royals also bought Liam Livingstone, an English Batsman. As a player which has played in two ODIs and has a strike rate of over 140, many fans were surprised to see he was bought at under £75,000. Soon to play against his countrymen like Morgan, Stokes, Buttler and Archer, fans are eagerly waiting on Livingstone’s IPL debut this season. 

 

The Punjab Kings, formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, are another team which fans are hoping to see more of this year. After qualifying to the finals in 2014, but losing to KKR, Punjab has consistently failed to perform well enough for the qualifiers, however this year’s new players give fans hope for a break in the pattern this year. Bought at an immense price of £781,448, therefore becoming the most expensive uncapped overseas player to be bought in the IPL, Riley Meredith, an Australian fast bowler, was welcomed to the Punjab Kings this year. Already having shown the teams what he is capable of, Riley has taken wickets which proved to be vital, especially against other rising teams such as RCB. 

 

Last, but not least, is none other than the legend Sachin Tendulkar’s son, Arjun. Signed by the running champions, Mumbai Indians, for the base rate of £20,000, is a fast bowler and left handed batsman. 

 

‘I really think he can follow the footsteps of his father,’ Karan Singh, an IPL superman, says, ‘Arjun has potential. But us fans can only wait and see.’ 

 

With the qualifiers fast approaching, we have no option but to wait and see, both who will take the top four spots on the ranks, and who will take the trophy of this year’s Indian Premier League.