Joe Root, Ben Stokes to Kane Williamson: 3 new players to watch in every IPL team

IPL 2023: With just two days left for the world’s biggest T20 league, the excitement for the upcoming season of the tournament is increasing day by day. The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League will feature many players who will be seen in different roles and also playing for a new team.

Players like Joe Root, Harry Brook, Cameron Green, and Michael Bracewell will play their first IPL season and on the other hand we will see seasoned campaigners like Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Ajinkya Rahane, and Jofra Archer playing for new teams and also in different roles.

Ben Stokes to Jofra Archer: 3 new players to watch out for in each IPL team

1. Gujarat Titans: The reigning champions and Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans look totally balanced ahead of the season but players like Kane Williamson, Joshua Little, and KS Bharat will be appearing for the first time in the season for the franchise. Willamson led in IPL before playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad whereas Ireland left-arm fast bowler, Little showed a lot of promise in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Bharat can be a like-to-like replacement for Matthew Wade or Wriddhiman Saha in case he gets injured.
2. Kane Williamson
3. Joshua Little
4. KS Bharat
5. Mumbai Indians: The five-time Indian Premier League champions under the leadership of Rohit Sharma will be looking to bring things back on track after a poor performance in the last two seasons. Players like Jofra Archer, Cameron Green, and Piyush Chawla will be playing for the first time for the team in the upcoming season of the IPL. Archer was not able to play the last season due to injury but will have the responsibility to lead the pace attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. Green has also shown a lot of promise in the past for Australia and can also perform well for Mumbai. Piyush Chawla can also bring his experience and add value to the team

Jofra Archer
Cameron Green
Piyush Chawla

3. Chennai Super Kings: CSK is one of the most successful teams in the Indian Premier League and most often with the same squad in the previous seasons. Chennai has players like Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, and Sisanda Magala who can feature for the team in the upcoming season. Stokes can provide the much-needed stability in the middle order whereas Rahane can give an extra opening option. Magala who came in as the replacement for injured Kyle Jamieson can also contribute to the team in the bowling department.

Ben Stokes
Ajinkya Rahane
Sisanda Magala

4. Royal Challengers Bangalore: Star-studded RCB have had good previous two seasons but will hunt for their most awaited first IPL title this season. The franchise has some new players like Reece Topley, Michael Bracewell, and Rajan Kumar who can prove to be very helpful for the team this season. Topley has a lot of experience in the shorter format and can help the team in the bowling department. Bracewell who came in as the replacement of injured Will Jacks has performed well for New Zealand in the past whereas Uttrakhand all-rounder Kumar gives the team an option in the bowling department.

Reece Topley
Michael Bracewell
Rajan Kumar

5. Delhi Capitals: DC will be led by David Warner in the absence of Rishabh Pant and the team will also look to end their search for the first title this season. The team has new players like Phil Salt, Rilee Rossouw, and Manish Pandey in the team who can contribute to their performances. Salt can play as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the absence of Pant whereas Russooww has performed well for South Africa in the past batting at number three. Pandey has been out of form in the last few seasons but can also bring key experience to the team’s middle order.

Phil Salt
Rilee Rossouw
Manish Pandey

6. Punjab Kings: Punjab will be led by Shikhar Dhawan this season and once again looking at their squad they can be a contender for the title. PBKS have included players like Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, and Matthew Short in the squad based on their past performances. Curran was the Player of the Tournament in the 2022 T20 World Cup and has also been a part of the franchise in the past. Raza has been performing well for Zimbabwe in all three formats and his performance has earned him an IPL contract. Short has come in as the replacement of injured Jonny Bairstow and was the Player of the Tournament in the recent season of the BBL.

Sam Curran
Sikandar Raza
Matthew Short

7. Lucknow Super Giants: LSG playing their debut season in the IPL 2022 were able to make it to the playoffs under the leadership of KL Rahul. Lucknow has new players like Jaydev Unadkat, Nicholas Pooran, and Naveen Ul Haq. Unadkat can be seen leading the pace attack and can also guide the young pacers in the team. Pooran on the other hand can be a good finisher and shall help Marcus Stoinis to win team matches in the last overs. Naveen playing for Afghanistan has impressed him with his performance and also adds value to the Lucknow franchise.

Jaydev Unadkat
Nicholas Pooran
Naveen Ul Haq

8. Kolkata Knight Riders: Two-time IPL champions will be playing under the leadership of Nitish Rana in absence of Shreyas Iyer. Players like David Wiese, Shakib al Hasan, and Litton Das can add very good value to the team and also help them lift the trophy for the third time. Wiese has played well for Namibia and South Africa in the shorter format and also can add great strength to the team’s batting and bowling department. Shakib was a part of the franchise in the past and will be seen once again performing the same role. Litton Das on the other hand will play his first IPL and also add an extra wicketkeeping option for the team.

David Wiese
Shakib al Hasan
Litton Das

9. Rajasthan Royals: Last year’s finalist and Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals are one of the favourites for the title this season. Players like Joe Root, Adam Zampa, and Jason Holder will be playing for the first time for the franchise and shall add good value to the team. Root will play for the first time in the IPL whereas Holder and Zampa have played in the IPL in previous seasons and can also be one of the front runners to make a place in the team’s playing XI.