Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 edition is set to begin in less than a month and the fans are counting days before they can watch their favorite stars competing in the cash-rich T20 competition.
Just like every year, there is some player who might not be the most famous names on the team sheet but has the ability to turn the game upside down in a matter of a few overs.
Here are our top-five sleepers for this year's IPL who are likely to be amongst the best players in the competition.
Tom Curran (Delhi capital)
First in the list of sleepers feature all-rounder Tom Curran, who joined Delhi Capitals for a whopping fee of INR 5.25 crore. The England international is being termed as a T20 specialist and, he has time and again, proved his worth for the national team. The 26-year-old has already played 135 T20s in his career where he has managed to claim 157 wickets and has 972 runs to his name, which include three half-centuries as well.
Prithvi Shaw (Delhi Capitals)
Prithvi Shaw is the second on the list of sleepers, largely because of his impressive form in the recent past. The top-order batsman had a hard time at the international level recently after which he was dropped from the playing XI. Shaw went back to the domestic cricket and had an outstanding outing during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 for champions Mumbai where he finished the competition with the most runs (827) at
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 edition is set to begin in less than a month and the fans are counting days before they can watch their favorite stars competing in the cash-rich T20 competition.
Just like every year, there is some player who might not be the most famous names on the team sheet but has the ability to turn the game upside down in a matter of a few overs.
Here are our top-five sleepers for this year's IPL who are likely to be amongst the best players in the competition.
Tom Curran (Delhi capital)
First in the list of sleepers feature all-rounder Tom Curran, who joined Delhi Capitals for a whopping fee of INR 5.25 crore. The England international is being termed as a T20 specialist and, he has time and again, proved his worth for the national team. The 26-year-old has already played 135 T20s in his career where he has managed to claim 157 wickets and has 972 runs to his name, which include three half-centuries as well.
Prithvi Shaw (Delhi Capitals)
Prithvi Shaw is the second on the list of sleepers, largely because of his impressive form in the recent past. The top-order batsman had a hard time at the international level recently after which he was dropped from the playing XI. Shaw went back to the domestic cricket and had an outstanding outing during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 for champions Mumbai where he finished the competition with the most runs (827) at an incredible average of 165.40, which included four centuries and a half-century in eight innings. The Delhi Capitals team management will be hoping that the 21-year-old will continue producing the kind of performances he did in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Nicholas Pooran (Punjab Kings)
Nicholas Pooran is now a renowned name in the world of T20 cricket as he has produced the goods with the bat in hand in different leagues all over the world. The left-hander was retained by the Punjab Kings franchise and he will be eager to produce the goods this time around. Pooran has already played 164 T20s in his career where he has managed to score 3,145 runs at an average of 24.96 along with the strike-rate of 144.46, which included one century and 16 half-centuries.
Kyle Jamieson (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Kyle Jamieson is one of the hottest young properties in the world of cricket when it comes to fast-bowling. The New Zealand international became the second-most expensive player in the IPL 2021 auction when he was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a whopping fee of INR 15 crore. The right-arm pacer is not only express when it comes to pace but also has an awkward bounce because of his height which might prove to be a decisive factor in a competition like the IPL where the pitches are true. Jamieson has played 42 T20s in his short career where he has managed to claim 55 wickets at an impressive strike-rate of 16.80.
Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Devdutt Padikkal is the last on the list of sleepers for this year's IPL. The 20-year-old had a breakthrough season last year where he ended the competition as the highest scorer from the RCB with 473 runs in 15 innings, more than the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Padikkal will be hoping that this year will be even better for him as he is coming into the competition on the back of an outstanding domestic season. In the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021, the left-hander finished the competition as the leading run-getter from Karnataka and second-highest behind Prithvi Shaw with 737 runs in just seven innings at an outstanding average of 147.40, which included four centuries and three half-centuries.
