T20s are largely dominated by batsmen and the Indian Premier League is no different. We have seen some breathtaking performances by batsmen over the years and the same can be expected in IPL 2020 as well. So let’s take a look at one batsman to watch out from each of the eight teams in this edition of the tournament.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – David Warner
Reinstated as the skipper of SRH after 2 years, David Warner has been one of the best overseas players to have played the IPL. Warner, who led SRH to their only title in 2016, continues to be the most valuable player for his side. His form in the IPL since 2015 has been one of the major factors why SRH have been so consistent. Having scored more than 500 runs every single season since 2015 (barring 2018 when he was suspended), Warner has been one of the most reliable batsmen in the league.
Warner has been in terrific form in white-ball cricket post his suspension. His phenomenal record in the IPL is something any overseas batsman will find tough to match. With a huge burden of expectations like every season, Warner yet again will be the most important player for SRH.
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Kolkata Knight Riders – Shubman Gill
Touted as one of the brightest talents in domestic cricket at present, Shubman Gill has been on the fringes of the Indian team for quite a while. Snapped by KKR after his impressive show in the U-19 World Cup in 2018, Gill did not get a chance to bat at his regular position because of a crowded top-order. However, in the limited opportunities he got with the bat, his batting impressed one and all. However, Gill got more exposure at the top and displayed some outstanding stroke-play and was clearly ready to take up the position for his franchise on a long term basis.
Cometh the IPL 2020 season, Gill is most likely to bat at the top throughout the season given the absence of Chris Lynn. Having shown his class in the domestic circuit, this might prove to be the season when Gill announces himself on the big stage.
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Virat Kohli
Any batting chart without Virat Kohli in it is incomplete in the current era. One of the best batsmen of the generation, Kohli has the record of scoring most runs (973) in a single season in the IPL in 2016 when he scored 4 hundreds and almost single-handedly dragged his team to the finals. However, the last two seasons have been mediocre by his standards. Also, his form in international cricket has not been great off late. But knowing the type of batsman Kohli is, one big knock and he might well return to his best yet again and the IPL might just be platform for him to get back to his prime.
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Having a decent top order this time, the RCB skipper will be playing more freely as compared to the last couple of years and despite not being in form, cannot be written off. Like every season, Kohli starts as one of the favorites for the Orange Cap despite not being at his very best at the moment.
Delhi Capitals – Shreyas Iyer
Taking over the captaincy from Gambhir in 2018, Iyer has taken giant strides, both in terms of batting as well as leading the side. A more complete batsman now and a regular Indian international, Iyer at number four will hold the middle order together. Staring as an opener for Delhi in the 2015 season, Iyer moved down the order and batted at three for the last couple of years to accommodate regular openers. However, currently holding the number four position for India in limited overs, the skipper is most likely to take up the same role for his franchise too.
Sandwiched between power hitters like Shaw, Hetmeyer and Pant in the batting order, Iyer’s ability to play according to the situation makes him a more valuable asset. One of the best batsman in the lineup, Iyer is a very good player of spin and therefore is the batting mainstay for his side.
Mumbai Indians – Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock, the newly appointed South African captain, has been in terrific form off late, especially after taking over the captaincy. The opener, who was traded in from RCB before the 2019 season, scored 529 runs last season, which has been his best season till date. Apart from scoring as many as four fifties, his cameos including the one in the final helped MI take the attack to the opposition right from the beginning. The home pitch of Mumbai Indians suits the style of de Kock’s batting and there is no reason why he should not make the most of it yet again.
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Going into the tournament, given the form he is in, the Proteas skipper is one of the batsman to watch out for this season.
Kings XI Punjab – KL Rahul
The newly-appointed skipper of KXIP, KL Rahul comes into the tournament after having a terrific year with the bat. KXIP’s top scorer in the last two seasons, Rahul will be the batting mainstay yet again. With a more reliable middle-order this time, the skipper will look to play to his strength, by taking the attack to the opposition right from the start. If Rahul continues his purple patch this season, and if he gets some support unlike last season, then this team can be a strong contender for the playoffs.
Rahul’s performances in the last two editions have been outstanding and he seems to take his game to a new level with every passing season. Moreover, he has been one of the best T20 openers in the world over the past 12 months or so and enters the tournament as one of the biggest contenders to top the batting charts this season.
Chennai Super Kings – MS Dhoni
On a break from international cricket since the World Cup 2019, MS Dhoni’s future in the blues depends a lot on how he performs in the IPL. The CSK skipper unarguably has been the best batsman of his team since the last two years, being at his absolute best and leading from the front. Scoring over 400 runs both seasons, Dhoni almost single-handedly carried his side to the finals in 2019 when he hardly got any support from other batsmen. The over-reliance on the skipper is undoubtedly an issue, but that has not bothered Dhoni as he has so far excelled in this situation.
Entering the 2020 season, Dhoni will want to make the most of the season, which could possibly be his last. If Dhoni continues from where he left in the last season, the CSK juggernaut might yet again be seen as one of the top contenders for the trophy.
Also Read: IPL 2020: 5 Players who have the potential to win the Purple Cap
Rajasthan Royals – Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler, primarily a middle order batsman with good finishing skills, has been a revelation at the top of the order for T20 franchises around the globe. Single-handedly changing the fortunes of the side once he was sent to open the innings in 2018 and helping RR qualify for the playoffs, Buttler will once again be key to RR’s success. The swashbuckling opener makes most of the powerplays and gets off his team to a flier more often than not. Buttler’s blitzkrieg start gives his side the platform to capitalize at the end. Moreover, Buttler has shown the tendency to bat long and when he managed to do that, there is no stopping his team from winning. The glovesman’s form will decide to a large extent where RR finish at the end of the season.
As evident from the last two seasons, an in-form Buttler makes the most of his purple patch and piles up runs at a brisk pace. Cometh the thirteenth edition, Buttler will once again be one of the batsman to watch out for.