The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 edition is set to begin in less than a week, and excitement is increasing amongst the fan bases of all teams.
Like every year, we bring you a list of five players who might not be coming into the competition as the most high-profile names but can deliver a knockout punch when the team needs it the most.
Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
First on the list is Sunrisers Hyderabad's star all-rounder Abhishek Sharma. The 24-year-old has become one of the finest white-ball cricketers in the country, at least in the T20 format. Since the start of 2023, he has had the highest strike rate (191.59) in the world in T20s amongst batters who have scored more than 2,000 runs. Those numbers are incredible, but somehow, he has not been able to get the attention he deserves. Last season, Sharma scored 484 runs in 16 innings with a strike rate of 204.21, which shows how good he is, and the Sunrisers franchise will be hoping to see their youngster deliver similar performances in the upcoming season as well.
Ishan Kishan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Second on the list is another Sunrisers Hyderabad player, Ishan Kishan. The wicketkeeper-batter was in line to become India's first-choice wicketkeeper not so long back in T20s but has seen his form dip and is now nowhere near the national side. Last year, Kishan scored 320 runs in 14 innings with an average of 22.85 and with a strike rate of
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 edition is set to begin in less than a week, and excitement is increasing amongst the fan bases of all teams.
Like every year, we bring you a list of five players who might not be coming into the competition as the most high-profile names but can deliver a knockout punch when the team needs it the most.
Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
First on the list is Sunrisers Hyderabad's star all-rounder Abhishek Sharma. The 24-year-old has become one of the finest white-ball cricketers in the country, at least in the T20 format. Since the start of 2023, he has had the highest strike rate (191.59) in the world in T20s amongst batters who have scored more than 2,000 runs. Those numbers are incredible, but somehow, he has not been able to get the attention he deserves. Last season, Sharma scored 484 runs in 16 innings with a strike rate of 204.21, which shows how good he is, and the Sunrisers franchise will be hoping to see their youngster deliver similar performances in the upcoming season as well.
Ishan Kishan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Second on the list is another Sunrisers Hyderabad player, Ishan Kishan. The wicketkeeper-batter was in line to become India's first-choice wicketkeeper not so long back in T20s but has seen his form dip and is now nowhere near the national side. Last year, Kishan scored 320 runs in 14 innings with an average of 22.85 and with a strike rate of 148.83. It was his second-highest strike rate in any IPL season. The 26-year-old will be hoping to improve those numbers further this year to once again remind the selectors of his potential.
Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals)
Third on the list is Rajasthan Royals' pacer Jofra Archer. The England international had a rather below-par outing in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy, where he claimed six wickets in three matches but gave away runs at an economy of nearly seven. Archer will be playing in the IPL for the first time since 2023 and will hope to use the platform to return to his very best.
Moeen Ali (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Fourth on the list features Kolkata Knight Riders' all-rounder Moeen Ali. The former England international will be playing for his third franchise in the IPL. Last year, he had a rather below-par outing for the Chennai Super Kings which is why the franchise did not retain him. He scored 128 runs in eight outings with a strike rate of 130 and claimed just two wickets. Those numbers are not good enough for a seasoned all-rounder, and KKR will be hoping for Ali's improved performances this season.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Last on the list features Royal Challengers Bangalore's Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The right-arm pacer is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the history of IPL, with 181 scalps, but he has found it hard to produce consistent performances in the recent past. Last year, Kumar claimed 11 wickets in 16 outings with an economy of 9.35. That was the most expensive season for the 35-year-old, who will now be hoping for a much better show for his new franchise in the upcoming edition.
