The Awesome Eight: One Superstar From Each IPL 2020 Team Who Could Shine

Most people might say that the difference between a good player and a great player might be the tendency to perform under pressure, but many greats have had nothing but whiffs throughout entire tournaments, while other relative unknowns have shined in one single tournament but never as much before or after. One thing’s for sure, though; every great player has had at least one amazing major tournament. There are many greats in Dream 11 IPL 2020, but chances are, only a few of them will have an amazing tournament - if not overall, but at least for their respective teams. Here’s our list of one superstar from each team that we predict will have a fantastic IPL!

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - Dwayne Bravo

Role: All-Rounder

Batting: Right-hand bat

Bowling: Right-arm medium

Chants of ‘Champion, champion’ to a cheesy beat are played in the minds of every IPL fan whenever Dwayne Bravo is mentioned. A legend by every metric, he has recently crossed the incredible milestone of being the first bowler to take 506 T20 wickets. Even now, in the twilight of his playing career, he’s putting up amazing performances - most recently at the CPL where he helped his team Trinbago Knight Riders (for those unfamiliar with the CPL, yes you read that right) win the crown with a flawless rampage. While not a clinical batsman, and sometimes expensive as a bowler, Bravo is the very definition of a utility player. He is an old hand whose invaluable experience, indomitable spirit, and near-peerless athleticism have made him a much-sought-after property, and the fact that CSK got him for only Rs. 6.4 crore was extremely lucky. Potentially explosive with the bat, and very smart and often destructive with the ball, Dwaye Bravo will very likely be lighting CSK fans’ hearts alight this season.

Delhi Capitals (DC) - Rishabh Pant

Role: Batsman/Wicket Keeper

Batting: Left-hand bat

A youngster with prolific talent, the soon-to-be-23-year-old is a powerhouse at the crease. While not boasting a stellar average, he is nevertheless extremely potent. That strike rate is among the highest in the world, and with time and maturity he has grown into a force to be feared. With some improvements to his temperament, he can very easily become the next Kohli or beyond. His performances have not gone unnoticed, and he now plays regularly with the national side in all three formats of the game. Costing CSK a whopping Rs. 15 crore, he has been prolific for the side and promises fireworks this season. The only possible caveat is that he will be out of his comfort zone at this year’s location.

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) - Glenn Maxwell

Role: All-Rounder

Batting: Right-hand bat

Bowling: Right-arm offbreak

They say that when Glenn Maxwell gets going, he can carry an entire team by himself. Looking at his performance over the years, one would be hard-pressed to deny the claim. With a plethora of match-winning performances, Maxwell has been a staple of the IPL for the last 5 seasons. Able to score in all directions with a repertoire of shots ranging from orthodox to outright crazy, he is one of the fastest-scoring batsmen in the world with a formidable strike rate. Although batting is definitely his stronger suit, Maxwell is also a part-time bowler who has time and again chipped in with a wicket or two, as well as a respectable economy rate for a part-timer. Given his sheer utility, it’s no wonder that he cost Punjab a whopping Rs. 10.75 crore.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) - Andre Russell

Role: All-Rounder

Batting: Right-hand bat

Bowling: Right-arm fast

One of the hottest properties in the IPL, Andre Russell is whose picture you’ll see if you look up ‘powerhouse’ in a dictionary. Although he started his IPL career for the Delhi Daredevils in 2012, ‘Dre Russ’ has been a Kolkata Knight Riders mainstay since 2014, and it is here that he really came into his own as a player. With a ridiculous IPL strike rate of 186.41, he dwarfs the next highest, and this immense power has seen him get his team out of innumerable seemingly unwinnable situations. As one of those rare all-rounders who are as potent with the ball as with the bat, Russell has a great knack for picking up wickets with a strike rate and average rivaling some of the best full-time bowlers in the world. An invaluable asset, he makes the Rs. 8.5 crore KKR paid for him one of the best deals ever made.

Mumbai Indians (MI) - Kieron Pollard

Role: All-Rounder

Batting: Right-hand bat

Bowling: Right-arm medium-fast

With Rohit Sharma in the lineup, this one was a tough call, but Kieron Pollard’s recent performance in the CPL clearly shows how in-form he is, and Sharma hasn’t played a match since before lockdown. The third West-Indian all-rounder on our list, Pollard is equally effective with the bat and ball - though in recent years, he shows a great reluctance towards picking up the latter. Also a terrific fielder who has taken some of the most stunning catches in IPL history, Pollard is just about as close to the perfect T20 package as a player can get. A Mumbai man through and through, he has been playing for the side since 2010, and took part in all of their quadruple glory. This makes him especially valuable to them, and makes the Rs 5.4 crore price tag look like a joke. 

Rajasthan Royals (RR) - Ben Stokes

Role: Bowler

Batting: Right-hand bat

Bowling: Right-arm fast

The young blood from Barbados gets the top spot for the Rajasthan squad, beating stalwart Steven Smith and the amazing Ben Stokes. Death bowling is an essential art in cricket, and after literally winning the biggest prize in cricket with his own, Jofra Archer has certainly carved a niche for himself. Sure, he’s not the most obvious option when you’re expecting a sure-shot performance, but we strongly believe that this is the season he’ll truly shine, especially after the events of last year. Moreover, he’s also somewhat handy as a lower order batsman, boasting a reasonable batsman average for a pure bowler. A bargain for Rs. 7.2 crore. Frighteningly fast and formidably fresh, this Archer is going to hit his target this season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) - Virat Kohli

Role: Batsman

Batting: Right-hand bat

Bowling: Right-arm medium

You all knew this was coming. The only batsman in the world who can take precedence in a lineup with the legendary AB de Villiers is arguably the best batsman to currently be playing. A high average, excellent strike rate for a top-order batsman, and a player who takes pride in his skill, Virat Kohli is a force of nature. With statistics that will very likely go into the record books before he retires, as long as he’s at the crease, his team has a strong chance of coming out victorious. The most expensive player in the IPL at Rs. 17 crore, Virat Kohli has time and again shown his abilities in the tournament. The only regret being the lack of an IPL title. Perhaps this is RCB’s year? 

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) - Rashid Khan

Role: Bowler

Batting: Right-hand bat

Bowling: Right-arm Legbreak googly

The number №1 T20 bowler in the world gets the number №1 spot for the Sunrisers courtesy of his devilish deliveries. A passionate sportsman, Rashid Khan has a ridiculously low economy rate for a T20 bowler, and his other metrics are almost as ridiculous. As smart as he is skilled, he is known to dupe batsmen with his flight, turn, and massive arsenal of variations. In a format where spinners are often targets for unforgiving slogging, he turns the status quo on its head. After a disappointing turn in the CPL where his teammates just seemed to fall asleep in pursuit of a title defense, he strove on nevertheless. Now alongside a solid, responsible group of players, his true potential should be unleashed in all its glory. 

Wrapping up

While a lot of people will disagree with many of the choices on this list, we urge you to keep in mind that this is merely educated conjecture, and not cocksure prediction. Alongside our speculations, we wish the very best of luck to all the players, coaches, and of course, any bettors looking at IPL with hopeful eyes.