IPL Auction 2020: List of Sold Players and Highest Bids from Thursday
Dec 19, 2019
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 15: Pat Cummins of Australia celebrates after taking the wicket of Mitchell Santner of New Zealand during day four of the First Test match in the series between Australia and New Zealand at Optus Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Pat Cummins became the most expensive overseas player in Indian Premier League history on Thursday when the Australian was bought at auction by the Kolkata Knight Riders for 15.5 crore ($2.1 million).
After a relatively frugal auction last year—because many top players were unavailable as a result of international commitments—the money was flowing ahead of the 2020 IPL season.
Like Cummins, Glenn Maxwell and Chris Morris also hit the 10 crore-mark.
Here's a look at some of the highest winning bids:
Pat Cummins, Kolkata Knight Riders, 15.5 crore
Glenn Maxwell, Kings XI Punjab, 10.75 crore
Chris Morris, Royal Challengers Bangalore, 10 crore
Reigning champions Mumbai Indians kicked off proceedings by securing the first purchase of the day, signing Chris Lynn for the power-hitting Australian's base price of 2 crore.
Soon after, England's ODI World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan—who hasn't competed in the IPL since 2017, when he played for Kings XI Punjab—was snapped up by Kolkata, where the left-hander played between 2011 and 2013.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle thought it was a shrewd move from KKR:
#KKR have got the player they wanted at a good price #EoinMorgan
Maxwell became the first millionaire of the 2020 auction when he went back to Kings XI Punjab for more than double Morgan's price, after they won a bidding war with the Delhi Capitals.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata had similar reactions to the purchase:
According to cricket statistician Sampath Bandarupalli, over the course of his IPL career, Maxwell has earned around 31 crores at auction, the biggest cumulative total of any overseas player.
The Australian most recently turned out for Delhi in 2018, but he played for Punjab from 2014-17. In 69 matches in the IPL, the all-rounder has produced 1,397 runs and 16 wickets.
"Maxwell was someone who was very much on our radar. We needed that X-factor player in our line up.
"He has been with us in the past so he knows our exact layout. We've done a lot of tracking on him.
"We certainly wanted him and that slot had to be filled at any cost. He has the capacity to really blast on a good day."
Maxwell's price exceeded the top bids from last year—8.4 crore was spent on both Varun Chakravarthy and Jaydev Unadkat—but he was soon overtaken by compatriot Cummins.
Bangalore and Delhi had been bidding back-and-forth on the 26-year-old before Kolkata made a late swoop to snatch him up.
One of the world's top-ranked fast bowlers, Cummins played for KKR in 2014. In 2017 he turned out for Delhi, while the following year he was bought at auction by Mumbai but missed the entire season with a back injury.
His price saw him come close to matching Yuvraj Singh's all-time record of 16 crore, which was set in 2015 by Delhi.
Sports writer Chetan Narula felt it unwise to bid so heavily for him:
Franchises should save money and not bid on Pat Cummins. Given his international workload, he is more likely to pull out of IPL like other Australian pacers. #IPLAuction2020
Morris became the third millionaire of the day when he went to the Royal Challengers for 10 crore.
ESPNcricinfo's Sreshth Shah offered some insight into his move:
Chris Morris reaping the benefits of a promising T20 season ahead of the #IPL2020Auction. He was off colour in the IPL last season, but his stocks have risen since. RCB get him for 10crore, more than 5x from his base price of 1.5cr.
The South African has taken 69 wickets and 517 runs from 61 Indian Premier League matches.
Unadkat, who was the joint-most expensive player in 2019 and went for 11.5 crore in 2018, saw his value fall again as the left-handed quick went for just 3 crore. Chakravarthy fared a little better, moving to KKR for 4 crore.
The 2020 IPL season, which will be the 13th edition of the competition, will begin in April.
IPL Auction 2020: Start Time, Players List and Remaining Budgets
Dec 18, 2019
The trophy for the VIVO Indian Premier League 2018 edition is displayed after its unveiling at a function in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 5, 2018. The VIVO IPL T20 format cricket tournament is scheduled to start on April 7 and continue till May 27. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Excitement for the 2020 Indian Premier League will be ramped up a notch on Thursday, as the teams involved complete their respective squads at the competition auction.
After recently confirming their retained lists and the subsequent destination of a number of huge names ahead of next season, the players unassigned for the next campaign will be available to purchase at the event in Kolkata.
There are 332 players to go under the hammer, with 73 places to be filled across the eight teams competing for the title next year.
Date: Thursday, December 19
Time: 3:30 p.m. (IST), 10 a.m. (GMT)
Budgets
Chennai Super Kings: 14.60 crore rupees (£1,540,000)
The IPL website listed the players to be auctioned and their respective base prices. Its Twitter feed provided a rundown of some of the players expected to fetch the biggest bids:
Chris Lynn was released by Kolkata recently but has established a reputation as one of the most dependable batsmen in the competition. He's notched 10 half-centuries in his IPL career, four of which came in 2019, and has an impressive overall strike rate of 140.65.
Another man likely to be in demand is Jason Roy, who was crucial to England's success at the ICC World Cup in the summer, dominating opposition bowlers with his bullish style. Here are some of his best moments from the tournament:
After missing the 2019 IPL, Roy will be desperate to make an impression this year and can be a huge asset to whoever does pick him up. England captain Eoin Morgan is also available to purchase.
Those sides looking for high-class bowlers will have a plethora of options to choose from, with the Australian duo of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood currently free agents.
In the summer, the pair tormented England in the Ashes and have carried that form into recent Test matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. Per sports statistician Mohandas Menon, Cummins has been especially productive in 2019:
50-plus Test wickets by Aussies in a calendar year since... 2015: 51 - Josh Hazlewood 2016: 50 - Mitchell Starc 2017: 63 - Nathan Lyon 2018: - 2019: 50* - Pat Cummins They are all playing in the ongoing Adelaide Test match.#AUSvsPAK
Dale Steyn is another high-class bowler, who boasts incredible experience at the highest level. Earlier this year, the 36-year-old confirmed his retirement from Test cricket, and he'll be hoping that call keeps him fresh for the 2020 IPL.
He has 96 wickets in his career in the competition and will hope to get to three figures over the course of the next edition.
Other players with the highest base price include Australian all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh. The former can be devastating on his day, and he memorably scored 552 runs in the 2014 season.
Sri Lanka star Angelo Mathews is another man who could trigger a bidding war. His experience, leadership and ability to make contributions with bat and ball could see widespread interest in the 32-year-old.
IPL Auction 2020: Date, Format, Rules and Team Budgets
Dec 17, 2019
Bollywood actress and owner of Kings XI Punjab Team, Preity Zinta (L) looks on as Chairman & CEO, Rajasthan Royals, Ranjit Barthakur addresses a press conference during the 2nd day of IPL 2018 Player Auction in Bangalore on January 28, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / MANJUNATH KIRAN (Photo credit should read MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The 2020 Indian Premier League auction takes place on Thursday with a total of 332 cricketers going under the hammer in Kolkata.
There are seven overseas players available at the highest reserve price of INR 2 crore (£211,532), including the Australian quintet of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell.
South Africa's Dale Steyn and Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews are also in the highest price bracket, while Robin Uthappa is the most expensive Indian player in the auction with a base price of INR 1.5 crore (£158,690).
The Indian Premier League has shared some of the top picks ahead of Thursday's auction:
Top players such as England's Tom Banton, Australia's Aaron Finch and New Zealand's Jimmy Neesham are also likely to be in demand as are West Indies pair Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis.
The complete list of all 332 players available for the 2020 IPL auction is available here. Thursday's auction takes place at 3:30 p.m. local time/10 a.m. GMT/5 a.m. ET.
Mumbai Indians are the reigning champions and are expected to have a quiet auction as a result. They may only buy back-up options to complement their strong squad.
They have seven slots available but only two are for overseas players, and they also have the smallest budget of all eight teams after retaining the core of their squad in the offseason:
Kings XI Punjab are the team with the biggest budget and will likely look to splash the clash. KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are the team's stars and may be joined by some of the auction's big names such as Cummins, Neesham or even England's Jason Roy or Eoin Morgan.
The England skipper played for the team previously in 2017 and being a World-Cup winning captain is likely to attract plenty of interest from franchises in need of a solid middle-order batsman.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Eoin Morgan of England celebrates with his team as he lifts the Cricket World Cup trophy after the Final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 between New Zealand and England at Lord's Cricket Ground on July 14, 2019 in London, Eng
Royal Challengers Bangalore are also likely to be busy bringing in players. They have the smallest squad of the eight franchises and a total of 12 slots available, including six overseas places.
The team put a new coaching staff in place in August, which suggests they could take a fresh approach in their bid to win a maiden IPL title:
We are happy to announce Simon Katich as the new Head Coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Simon will be in charge of inculcating a high-performance culture within the team. #PlayBoldpic.twitter.com/L833g72fyP
Thurday's auction gives all eight teams the chance to build and strengthen their squads ahead of the 13th season of the IPL. The tournament gets under way in 2020 with the first match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians on March 23.
IPL Player Retention 2020 Results: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Retained
Nov 15, 2019
TOPSHOT - India's captain Virat Kohli (L) congratulates India's Rohit Sharma (R) as he passes him on his way back to the pavilion after losing his wicket for 103 during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Sri Lanka and India at Headingley in Leeds, northern England, on July 6, 2019. (Photo by Dibyangshu Sarkar / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Excitement for the 2020 Indian Premier League season was ramped up on Friday after the eight teams confirmed their retained players for next year's event.
There were minimal surprises for defending champions Mumbai Indians, with their star batsman and captain Rohit Sharma in the squad again for next season. He will be joined by the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who were key to the team's success last term.
Here are the players released by their respective sides ahead of the IPL 2020 auction on December 19, per ESPNcricinfo:
Chennai Super Kings: Chaitanya Bishnoi, David Willey, Dhruv Shorey, Mohit Sharma, Sam Billings, Scott Kuggeleijn
Delhi Capitals: Ankush Bains, B Ayyappa, Chris Morris, Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Hanuma Vihari, Jalaj Saxena, Manjot Kalra, Nathu Singh
Kings XI Punjab: Agnivesh Ayachi, Andrew Tye, David Miller, Moises Henriques, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran, Varun Chakravarthy
Kolkata Knight Riders: Anrich Nortje, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Lynn, Joe Denly, KC Cariappa, Matt Kelly, Nikhil Naik, Piyush Chawla, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Robin Uthappa, Shrikant Mundhe
Mumbai Indians: Adam Milne, Alzarri Joseph, Barinder Sran, Ben Cutting, Beuran Hendricks, Evin Lewis, Jason Behrendorff, Pankaj Jaswal, Rasikh Dar, Yuvraj Singh
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Akshdeep Nath, Colin de Grandhomme, Dale Steyn, Heinrich Klassen, Himmat Singh, Kulwant Khejroliya, Marcus Stoinis, Milind Kumar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Prayas Ray Barman, Shimron Hetmyer, Tim Southee
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Deepak Hooda, Martin Guptill, Ricky Bhui, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan
The list of retained players in full is available via the IPL website.
The CrickTracker account shared the respective budgets of each team following the announcements on Friday:
Virat Kohli is set to be the highest-paid player in the competition again, and he will skipper Royal Challengers Bangalore. The India captain will be hoping his team can have better fortunes this term after finishing bottom of the table in 2019.
The team will have something of a facelift next year, though, with Stoinis, Coulter-Nile, De Grandhomme and Southee all let go, as well as young West Indies batsman Hetmyer.
Elsewhere, the Rajasthan Royals will also be seeking to make a return to the play-offs and appear in strong shape to do so after confirming the retention of some big names.
Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer all played starring roles in England's ICC World Cup win in the summer. All three were crucial in the team eventually beating New Zealand in the final of the competition in a super over:
Australian Steve Smith is a phenomenal batsman in all forms of the game, and he will take over from Ajinkya Rahane as captain on a full-time basis this year.
The Royals posted the following clip confirming some of their team members for next season's event:
MS Dhoni will be seeking to lead the Chennai Super Kings to victory after coming up short in last year's final. Last year's top run-scorer in the competition, David Warner, is also back for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will once again be led by Kane Williamson.
Wisden summed up just how prolific the Australian opener was in the event a year ago:
Meanwhile, it's Kings XI Punjab who look likely to be the most active side in the auction, as they have the most salary cap available. The trade of former captain Ravichandran Ashwin to Delhi Capitals, and the release of some high-profile overseas stars, are the reasons behind them having plenty of money to spend in the player auction on December 19.
Two of the biggest names released by the Kolkata Knight Riders were Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa.
IPL Player Retention 2020: Updated Player Trades Ahead of November 14 Deadline
Nov 13, 2019
Mumbai Indians cricket player Hardik Pandya (C) holds the winning cup as the team travels in a open bus during a celebration procession after arriving in Mumbai on May 13, 2019. - Mumbai Indians team won the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament title. (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE / AFP) (Photo credit should read PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)
Ravichandran Ashwin's trade to Delhi Capitals from Kings XI Punjab highlights the Indian Premier League's player movement ahead of Thursday's deadline and Friday's release of the retention list.
Just four transfers have gone through so far. The IPL auction will take place on December 19, and that too is expected to be a quiet affair ahead of major changes in 2021.
Here's a look at all player trades so far. Salary figures are courtesy of the Indian Express:
Ravichandran Ashwin, Kings XI Punjab to Delhi Capitals: Rs 7.1 crore (£770,500)
Jagadeesha Suchith, Delhi Capitals to Kings XI Punjab: Rs 20 lakh
Sherfane Rutherford, Delhi Capitals to Mumbai Indians: Rs 6.2 crore
Mayank Markande, Mumbai Indians to Delhi Capitals: Rs 1.4 crore
The trade deadline is scheduled for November 14. Per Royal Challengers Bangalore director of cricket operations Mike Hesson, teams will finalise their retention lists a day later.
For all those @RCBTweets fans who are asking about updates on released/retained players, they will be finalised on the 15th November ........ #RCB#ipl#iplauction#ipl2020
The auction will take place on December 19, and teams have been granted an additional balance of Rs 3 crore. The auction is expected to be a small one, with the 2021 season presenting a major shake-up to the squads:
The players' auction for the next #IPL will be held at Kolkata on 19 December, according to a report.
This year's auction will be the last one before franchises disband to assemble fresh squads from 2021 at a mega auction.https://t.co/P2ZokqWknv
The biggest trade is undoubtedly that of Ashwin, an IPL veteran with 125 wickets in the competition. The 33-year-old all-rounder has previously played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant, before his stint with Kings XI.
An expert wicket-taker during Chennai's title wins in 2010 and 2011, he played two solid seasons with Kings XI but failed to lead the team to the play-offs. Delhi were among last year's top contenders and should provide him with a better chance of adding another title.
Moving the other way is Suchith, who was bought by Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2015 IPL. He has done most of his damage in the Vijay Hazare Trophy so far, as a standout for Karnataka.
West Indies rising star Rutherford and Indian prospect Markande swapped teams in an exchange of potential stars of the future. Defending champions Mumbai Indians welcomed the big-hitting 21-year-old:
🗣 "I am happy to be a part of the most successful IPL team and also to have some of the best players in the world around." - Sherfane Rutherford
Rutherford was bought by Delhi in last year's auction and has impressed in the Caribbean Premier League. In last year's IPL, his top performance came against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored 28 from 13 balls and took the wicket of South African star AB de Villiers.
Markande's IPL debut came in 2018, when he took a remarkable 15 wickets for Mumbai. He wasn't much of a factor in the 2019 campaign, however, and the emergence of Rahul Chahar meant the Indians could afford to part with him.
IPL 2019: Top Run-Scorers, Wicket-Takers, Averages and More After T20 Final
May 12, 2019
Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by one run on Sunday to lift the 2019 Indian Premier League title and win a fourth championship in seven years.
Chennai failed to chase down Mumbai's lead of 149 despite Shane Watson's 80, which included eightfours and foursixes. Kieron Pollard remained unbeaten and contributed a vital 41 runs for Mumbai, while Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan scored 29 runs and 23 runs, respectively.
The two teams collided at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, and Mumbai beat Chennai for the second time in five days to underline their place as the top team in India.
Sunrisers Hyderabad David Warner played no part in his side's play-off run—which ended in the first eliminator—but his 2019 total of 692 runs was sufficient to win this season's Orange Cap.
Delhi Capitals fast bowler Kagiso Rabada also played no part in the finals following injury and led the IPL on wickets taken coming into Sunday's final (25). However, Imran Tahir got two outs against Mumbai to leapfrog his rival into first place and clinch this season's Purple Cap with 26 wickets.
Mumbai Indians (149/8) beat Chennai Super Kings (148/7) by one run
Chennai were held off in their attempt to topple Mumbai at the last hurdle, with Watson and Shardul Thakar the last among their order to fall as the Indians were confirmed as champions for a fourth time.
One figure who has been with the franchise throughout its illustrious IPL history is Rohit Sharma, who hit 15 off 14. The 32-year-old earned praise from The Field after becoming the most successful captain in its history:
He has led @mipaltan to four @IPL titles. @ImRo45 is the most successful captain in the history of the T20 tournament. A special moment for the Hitman.
One end-of-season award that's long looked settled was the Orange Cap, and Warner saw his total run lead stay intact as he clinched the accolade for a third time.
Warner recently joined up with Australia's training camp ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup, and Hyderabad succumbed to an eliminator defeat against Delhi in his absence. The team sorely missed their batting star and posted a tribute video following his departure before the play-offs:
But there was some last-minute drama in the Purple Cap chase, and Tahir timed his bowls to perfection in finishing this season as the most prolific wicket-taker.
He took his tally for the season up to 26 after removing Suryakumar Yadav and Kishan from play, per CricTracker:
The 40-year-old South Africa international has enjoyed some of his best cricket toward what is typically seen as a player's twilight years, and Tahir doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
Warner's Orange Cap victory ensures the award also remains with Sunrisers and has been won by a player from that team for the last three years in succession.
IPL Final 2019 Results: Mumbai Indians Beat Chennai Super Kings on Last Ball
May 12, 2019
HYDERABAD, INDIA - MAY 12: Krunal Pandya of the Mumbai Indians celebrates taking the wicket of Faf Du Plessis of the Chennai Super Kings during the Indian Premier League Final match between the the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on May 12, 2019 in Hyderabad, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Mumbai Indians (149/8) beat Chennai Super Kings (148/7) by a single run in a thriller to win the 2019 Indian Premier League on Sunday. The final came down to the last ball, with Lasith Malinga taking the wicket of Shardul Thakur.
The four-time champions did excellent work with the ball, limiting Chennai's vaunted attack throughout the middle overs. Super Kings pushed the pace in the last five overs, however, and a key mistake from Quinton de Kock had them on the verge of winning. With two needed from the last ball, Malinga came up with a massive wicket to win.
Mumbai continued their run of dominance in odd-numbered years, previously winning the title in 2013, 2015 and 2017. They're now the most successful team in IPL history, winning one more championship than Chennai.
Indians won the toss and opted to bat, in keeping with tradition between these teams, per Broken Cricket:
Mumbai started off hot, scoring 37 runs in the first four innings, but Chennai's bowlers soon took over. De Kock (29 from 17) was the first to lose his wicket in the fifth over, and the sixth was a wicket maiden, putting Super Kings in control.
Chennai continued their fine work with the ball through the middle overs, and Imran Tahir secured the 2019 purple cap by taking two wickets, even though he only bowled three overs.
MS Dhoni also made history as the IPL's best wicket-keeper:
Milestones piling up for CSK: - Dhoni becomes most successful wicketkeeper in #IPL history - Tahir takes over Purple Cap, most wickets by a spinner in single IPL seasonhttps://t.co/OiMvUMIWlb
Kieron Pollard found some success with his bat, scoring an unbeaten 41 from 25 balls to boost the total to 149.
After three tentative overs to start the chase, things got going in the fourth. Faf du Plessis teed off on Krunal Pandya for three straight boundaries, but he was stumped on the final ball:
BIG WICKET! After being smacked for two boundaries and a six, Krunal Pandya bounces back, Faf du Plessis has been given his marching orders, gone for 26, #CSK 33/1 in 4 overs
Mumbai's bowlers took over from that point, limiting the big boundaries and steadily working the required run rate into the double digits. Rahul Chahar in particular was masterful, giving up just 14 runs in four overs and taking one wicket.
ESPN Cricinfo's Sreshth Shah believes he and Shreyas Gopal will be major weapons in future ODI series:
Rahul Chahar and Shreyas Gopal - the two people who will give Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzi Chahal sleepless nights for future ODI series after the World Cup. #IPL2019#MIvCSK
Big hitters Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu all failed to score double-digit runs, and entering the last five overs, the required run rate sat at 12.4.
Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo combined for 20 runs in the 16th over, but the 17th was brutal for Chennai's chances, as Jasprit Bumrah shut them down for just four runs. Watson then hit three sixes to put Chennai in pole position, with 18 needed from 12.
Bumrah took Bravo's wicket in the 19th, but a mistake from De Kock gave Chennai four byes from the final ball of the over, with nine needed for the win in the 20th.
It all came down to Malinga, who bowled a great over to keep Mumbai's chances alive. Two runs were needed from the final ball, and Thakur missed his swipe, ending the match.
IPL 2019: Top Run-Scorers, Wicket-Takers, More in Indian Premier League T20
May 11, 2019
VISAKHAPATNAM, INDIA - MAY 10: Imran Tahir of the Chennai Super Kings celebrates taking the wicket of Shreyas Iyer of the Delhi Capitals during the Indian Premier League IPL Qualifier Final match between the Delhi Capitals and the Chennai Super Kings at ACA-VDCA Stadium on May 10, 2019 in Visakhapatnam, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
With only the final left to play in the Indian Premier League, Hyderabad Sunrisers batsman David Warner is set to win the Orange Cap again, while the Purple Cap remains up for grabs for Chennai Super Kings' Imran Tahir.
Warner has accumulated a massive 692 runs in the competition so far, 99 runs ahead of Kings XI Punjab's KL Rahul. The batsman still in the tournament with the most runs is Mumbai Indians' Quinton de Kock on 500 runs.
In the top wicket-taking stakes, Kagiso Rabada has 25 wickets, although Tahir is just one behind. The veteran will be hoping a stellar performance in the final can propel him to the individual accolade.
Here is a look at the top players in each individual categories and a preview of what's still to come in Sunday's final between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings.
Barring something extraordinary in Sunday's final, Warner will once again finish as the top run-scorer in the IPL, a feat he has already achieved on two separate occasions.
The Australian opener has developed into such a force in this format, able to quickly get his eye in at the top of the order and settle into an aggressive groove. For opposition bowlers, his technical ability and raw power make him a difficult man to get the better of.
His team Twitter account provided the numbers behind what has been an exceptional year once again for Warner:
As statistician Mohandas Menon relayed, not only is the Australian an excellent striker of the ball, he also showcased tremendous intensity between the wickets:
Running most (1s+2s+3s) in #IPL2019 262 - David Warner (195+63+4) 197 - KL Rahul (162+35+0) 180 - Shreyas Iyer (161+19+0) 174 - Virat Kohli (148+26+0) 162 - Quinton de Kock (139+22+1) 157 - Shikhar Dhawan (135+21+1) 150 - Steve Smith (126+23+1)
Although it's too much to ask De Kock to reel in Warner on Sunday, an innings of 93 would be enough to put the South African into second spot.
The wicket-keeper has done some major damage at times in the IPL, as his flamboyant stroke play and inventiveness allow him to score quickly when he is at his best.
In this year's competition, De Kock has also shown he's up for a battle. In the recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he exchanged some words with Andre Russell after hoisting him for a couple of big sixes:
'Russell was probably angry as I took him on': de Kock
One of the men who will be seeking to keep the batsman quiet on Sunday is his South Africa international team-mate Tahir, who has yet again proved himself to be efficient in the 20-over format.
With batsmen frequently on the attack, Tahir's variations make him a difficult bowler to hit to the boundary.
For his age, the 40-year-old remains prolific when it comes to wicket-taking, too:
Most #IPL wickets after the age of 40 28 - Pravin Tambe (33 matches) 24 - Shane Warne (27) 23 - Brad Hogg (21) 19 - Imran Tahir (13*)#CSKvMI#IPL2019#IPLPlayoffs
The spinner is one of a number of experienced heads in the Chennai side, including their captain MS Dhoni. The skipper will be hoping that extra nous will see the Super Kings through in what is their eighth IPL final.
Mumbai boast dependable operators, though, and given they've had more time to recuperate between their previous game and the final—they've also beaten Chennai in their three meetings this season—they will likely be too strong for their opponents.
IPL Final 2019: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions for Top Run-Scorers
May 11, 2019
CHENNAI, INDIA - MAY 07: Ms Dhoni of the Chennai Super Kings bats during the India Premier League IPL Qualifier Final match between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings at M.A.Chidambaram Stadium on May 07, 2019 in Chennai, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will go head-to-head in an Indian Premier League final for the fourth time on Sunday.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India, will host the grand occasion, with both teams seeking to add to their illustrious records in the competition. They have each won the tournament on three occasions already, more than any other outfits in IPL history.
Mumbai beat Chennai in the first playoff to book their place in the final, while the Super Kings qualified at the second opportunity, as they were comfortable winners against the Delhi Capitals on Friday.
Here are the key viewing details for Sunday's match, the top run-scorers in the competition going into the game and a preview of what's to come from Hyderabad.
While there's little separating the two finalists on paper, the manner in which Mumbai have qualified for the final will make them the favourites for many.
In addition to finishing top of the table, they were comfortable winners over the Super Kings in the playoff game. They also beat Chennai on both occasions when the teams met in the group stage and have had extra time to prepare for Sunday's match.
As statistician Mohandas Menon noted, the Indians have come out on top in the two most recent final meetings:
A #CSK#MI#IPL final for the 4th time! 1. #CSK won by 22 runs at MumbaiDYP in 2010 2. #MI won by 23 runs at Kolkata in 2013 3. #MI won by 41 runs at Kolkata in 2015#CSK in IPL final - 8th time#MI in IPL final - 5th time Both won title - 3 times!#CSKvDC#DCvCSK#IPL2019
The foundation of Mumbai's success this season has been the consistency many players within their squad have shown.
While they don't have a star batsman, the team can rely on one of Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya making an important score at a clutch point in the game. It's a similar story with the ball, with the likes of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah effective in this format.
The team Twitter account posted the following clip previewing the contest against their longstanding rivals:
While this will be the fifth time the Indians have played in the final, it will be Chennai's eighth appearance. They are unlikely to be daunted, either, as they boast a team that's packed with experience.
Two steady heads were key to them getting past Delhi on Friday, as opening batsmen Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson both made scores of 50 in pursuit of a small chase.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle commented on how the side has been able to overcome some adversity to get to the final yet again:
You have to hand it to #CSK. This team could so easily have been all wrong. Virtually every player had an issue, either form or age or a situation in their career. But they are like a movie. It doesn't matter where they come from. In yellow, they are fine. #CSKAlwayFindAWay
Ayaz Memon praised their ability to pull out a big performance when it was necessary:
CSK’s best performance this season: in all departments, for intensity and desire to win. The last fortnight had seen them stutter, sputter and lose quite a few matches. Just when it seemed players had run out of steam, to come up with this rousing performance is fantastic
Chennai skipper MS Dhoni will be hoping the experience that runs throughout the squad will settle any nerves on Sunday and ensure they play to a high standard. In Watson, Du Plessis and veteran bowler Imran Tahir, they have match-winners within their ranks.
However, all the signs point to a Mumbai win. They've been more consistent throughout the 2019 IPL, have more variety in their lineup and will be the fresher of the two challengers on the day.
After an unbeaten 71 against Chennai in the previous meeting between the two, expect Yadav to produce another key knock in the final and finish as the game's top run-scorer.
