With the Indian Premier League (IPL) reaching its half-way mark, the 2018 points table gives us a fair idea about in which direction the tournament is heading on.
Teams such as Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kings XI Punjab are favourites to reach the next stage of the tournament.
While Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals are fighting for the fourth spot in the table.
Meanwhile, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians have made it difficult for themselves. Both teams are struggling to qualify for the next round, with their string of defeats.
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However, the tournament has had the tendency of players redeeming their franchises with performance after minimal price spent on them.
Here we look at some of the players featuring in this edition of IPL:
Chris Gayle:
Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, has been a phenomenon in the tournament so far. He is on the leaderboard for the Orange Cap even after missing out three matches of the tournament.
Interestingly, Gayle was released by old-franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore this year and left unsold on day one of the mega-auction. Many would have thought his IPL career came to an end.
However, it was not to be as Virender Sehwag played a masterstroke by bringing in Chris Gayle at his base price of INR 2 crore.
The move paid rich dividends to Sehwag and co. as he notched up the first ton of IPL this season. Moreover, Gayle registered two half-centuries in the ongoing edition.
Mitchell McClenaghan:
Much like Gayle, Mitchell McClenaghan was an integral part of Mumbai Indians’ set up in the last two seasons.
However, the Ambanis preferred the services of Jason Behrendorff and Pat Cummins over the left arm seamer. There had been growing talks about the Kiwi not being the same bowler he was, with his performances in leagues such as Carribean Premier League (CPL), and Pakistan Super League (PSL).
It all seemed over for McClenaghan after he posted a thankful tweet to his former franchise for his stint at Wankhede.
Moreover, the tables turned quickly for the Black Cap, as he was retained in the MI side after Behrendorff pulled out of the tournament.
After being on the expensive side in the initial games, the Big Mitch proved his value in the recent games by picking up a couple of wickets every match.
Shreyas Gopal:
Shreyas Gopal coming in at a base price of INR 20 lakh, proved to be a bumper buy for the Rajasthan Royals, who purchased the misfiring Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat at exorbitant prices.
Gopal, along with his economical spells, has chipped in with the big wickets of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers.
The Karnataka-based leg-spinner proved to be an asset for the Royals in the ongoing season.
Gopal warmed the bench previously for the defending champions Mumbai Indians.
Mayank Markande:
Carrying on from their trend, Mumbai Indians continued to unearth exciting talent at the biggest stage. But this time it came in the form of 20-year-old Mayank Markande.
In six matches, the multi-time Purple Cap holder already has 10 wickets to his name at an exceptional economy of 7.15. Also, the Punjab leggie has had the reputation of being the giant killer in the season.
Markande was bought at his nominal base price of INR 20 lakh. The young sensation has provided a value for his team 20 times more than his salary.
Liam Plunkett:
Although Plunkett has only played a single match in the IPL, the Englishman is carrying high hopes of Daredevils, for the resurrection of their campaign, ending their bowling woes.
Especially, after the sensational debut, he made in the last game against Kings XI Punjab where he picked up three wickets, conceding only 17 in his spell.
Plunkett comes in as a replacement for speedster Kagiso Rabada. The experienced bowler is set to take up more responsibility with both ball and bat in the forthcoming matches.
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