The top 5 best Australian players at IPL 2020

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David Warner is perhaps the best Australian player at IPL 2020

The value of Australian players at IPL 2020

Foreign players have improved both the value and the quality of the IPL exponentially. They bring in different skills and different audiences. Australian players at IPL 2020 and IPL’s previously are no exception.

Players such as Shane Warne and James Faulkner have been crucial to the success of the Rajashthan Royals. Likewise, Adam Gilchrist and Ben Cutting have both done a great job for the Deccan Chargers or Sunrisers Hyderabad.

But, who are the top 5 best Australian players at IPL 2020?

5. Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins was bought for 15.5 crores by KKR at the IPL 2020 Auction.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 27: Pat Cummins of the Thunder slides to field the ball during the Big Bash League match between the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers at ANZ Stadium on December 27, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brett Hemmings – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Pat Cummins was brought by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL Auction 2020 in December for a whopping 15.50 crores. This was a telling price to pay as KKR had struggled with finding successful fast bowlers in the past two seasons.

Nevertheless, Cummins is in the form of his life. His performances in test match cricket have absolutely awesome for Australia. He has only taken 17 wickets in 16 IPL matches till date, but he is a renewed bowler and could be a major force at the 2020 IPL.

Also, Read – Top 5 Best Bowling Attacks Of All-Time

His performances could largely dictate how well KKR does this season, given that he forms an integral part of their bowling attack. Like Jofra Archer, Cummins is a superb fielder and can bat lower down the other. An all-round Cummins will likely need to be at full force if KKR wants to win the IPL this season.

Pat Cummins sits number five on our list of top 5 best Australian players in IPL 2020.

4. Steve Smith

Steve Smith will captain the Rajasthan Royals at the 2020 IPL.
Rajasthan Royals player Steve Smith during the practice session ahead the IPL match against Kings XI Punjab at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur , Rajasthan, India , March 24,2019. (Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Steve Smith is often underrated as a T20 player. However, his IPL record is very strong. He has scored over 2000 runs at an average of 37. His strike rate though, is below 130. However, this shouldn’t pose much of a problem in the 2020 IPL, as RR look to have built a solid batting line that can bat around him.

Steve Smith will once again captain the Rajasthan Royals at the 2020 IPL. The Australian has one of the best captaincy records in the tournament. He has captained 29 games and won 19 of them. His win percentage of 67.85 % is the highest for any player who is captained at least 10 games in the IPL.

RR will be hoping Smith’s captaincy, dynamic fielding and superb batting will help them to their second IPL triumph in the 2020 season.

Steve Smith sits number four on our list of top 5 best Australian players in IPL 2020.

3. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell will represent the Kings XI Punjab at the 2020 IPL.
Delhi Daredevils team player Glenn Maxwell during the practice session ahead the Indian Premier League IPL-2018 T20 cricket match against Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium , in Jaipur ,Rajasthan, India on 10th April,2018. (Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Glenn Maxwell has perhaps underachieved in the IPL. He struggled in the 2018 IPL season for the Delhi Daredevils. Maxwell only averaged 14 in 12 games scoring below 200 runs.

However, Maxwell has had one good season and one terrific season in this tournament. The 2014 was comfortably his best, where he helped the Kings XI Punjab to the IPL final. Maxwell scored 552 runs in 16 innings at a quite ridiculous strike rate of 187.75. In the 2017 IPL, as captain, Maxwell scored 310 runs and picked up 7 wickets as the Punjab based franchise narrowly missed the playoffs.

Watch – Marvellous Maxwell puts on masterclass on BBL return

Glenn Maxwell will be hoping to have a fantastic 2020 IPL. This tournament will be played in the UAE. Maxwell has had great success previously in the UAE in 2014 and there is no reason why he cannot replicate such feats for the KXIP again.

Glenn Maxwell sits number three on our list of top 5 best Australian players in IPL 2020.

2. Shane Watson

Shane Watson from Australia scored 555 runs in the 2018 IPL and helped CSK to the title.
VISAKHAPATNAM, INDIA – MAY 10: Shane Watson of the Chennai Super Kings bats 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)

Shane Watson has been the best all-rounder that Australia has imported to the IPL. His impact with both bat and ball has been enormous.

Watson has received the player of the tournament award on two occasions. He first won it in 2008 with the Rajasthan Royals and then in 2013 with the same franchise. In 2008, his all-round performances helped RR to their only IPL triumph to date. 472 runs, along with 17 wickets that season for Shane Warne’s side.

Watch – Shane Watson IPL 2020 preparation diary

A move to the Chennai Super Kings in 2018 did him no harm either. A stellar first season with the “men in yellow” helped CSK to their third IPL triumph. Watson scored 555 runs in that season and capped it off with a destructive 117 in the final against SRH.

CSK top of the class in 2018

3575 runs and 92 wickets for Shane Watson in the IPL represent a very strong return and he has repaid the faith shown by both his former franchises.

Shane Watson sits number two on our list of top 5 best Australian players in IPL 2020.

1. David Warner

NEW DELHI, INDIA-APRIL 02: IPL Sunrisers Hyderabad team player, David Warner clicked during a media meet at Hotel Le Meridian, in New Delhi. (Photo by Qamar Sibtain/The India Today Group via Getty Images)

David Warner is unarguably the best Australian player at the 2020 IPL. His record is staggering, both batting wise and captaincy wise. 4706 runs at 43.17 are very very healthy numbers. His strike rate of 142 also means that he accumulates runs quickly and gets his team off to quick starts.

Records Warner can break in IPL 2020

Warner does bat slowly in the middle-overs at times. However, this has been to compensate for the lack of batting depth in the Sunrisers Hyderabad in recent times. He fought controversy to return to the IPL in 2019, after missing the 2018 season and was the highest run-scorer in the tournament.

Watch – “Want to lead SRH to another IPL title” says David Warner

His 2016 season will forever be remembered by SRH fans. Warner scored a mammoth 848 runs for the franchise to help them to their first ever IPL triumph. One of the greatest players that the IPL has ever seen and one of the best foreign imports of all-time.

David Warner sits number one on our list of top 5 best Australian players in IPL 2020.

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