10 cricketers set to make their IPL debuts

With ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 having finished, all eyes are now on Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015. This time around, a number of familiar — and a few unknown — faces will be making their IPL debuts. Shiamak Unwalla lists out 10 cricketers who will be making their IPL debuts. (Read: IPL 2015: Top 10 players to miss out this year)

Andrew Tye — Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
The Australian pacer has had a good start to his domestic career, and impressed in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2014-15. It was quite a sight to see the tall, aggressive figure with intimidating facial hair steaming in to bowl. The IPL will likely get to see a lot of the talented Tye for CSK.

Gurinder Sandhu — Delhi Daredevils (DD)
As tall as Mitchell Starc but with broader shoulders, Gurinder Sandhu does not generate quite as much pace. The Indian-origin Australian-born pace bowler relies on bounce instead, and is capable of bowling an awkward line. He made his ODI debut for Australia against India earlier this year, and looked impressive.

 
KC Cariappa — Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
The unheralded KC Cariappa proved to be an absolute wild card in the IPL 2015 player auction, fetching an unreal Rs 2.4 crore. The 20-year-old leg-spinner will have a lot to prove, especially with KKR likely to miss the services of Sunil Narine.

 
Kuldeep Yadav — Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Kuldeep has played a few matches for KKR, but has yet to make his IPL debut. Picked for the Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014, Kuldeep made an immediate impact. A genuine wicket-taker, this left-arm Chinaman is capable of bowling with a lot of control and variations. The presence of the experienced Brad Hogg in the squad will only help him more.

Mitchell McClenaghan — Mumbai Indians (MI)
Unfortunately for Mitchell McClenaghan he hails from the country that currently employs pacers of the calibre of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Adam Milne, and Matt Henry. As a result, he got to play just one match in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, where he did not quite flatter himself. However, he has a solid domestic T20 record, including a fifer.

 
David Wiese — Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
The South African all-rounder was a good buy for RCB, who were guilty of under-stocking themselves with foreign players in IPL 2014. Wiese continues RCB’s long tradition of talented South Africans. A sharp right-arm pacer and a big hitter, Wiese has done remarkably well in his short T20I career with the Proteas. He averages less than 13 with the ball, gets a wicket every two overs, and even has a five-wicket haul.

 
Sean Abbott — Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Sean Abbott is one of the brightest pace-bowling prospects in a country replete with bowlers fast enough that the likes of Pat Cummins struggles to find a spot in the side. Abbott is capable of bowling at a fair pace, and is fairly proficient with the bat as well.

 
Sarfraz Khan — Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Those who know that the 17-year-old Mumbai all-rounder are aware that he is one for the future. Part of India’s squad for the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, Sarfraz emerged as the team’s third-highest run-scorer, but averaged an appreciable 70.33 while enjoying a strike rate of 105.5 — easily the highest among batsmen with a minimum of 200 runs. He might not feature a lot in the RCB side this year, but if he can be groomed as Virat Kohli was, he could become one of their leading players in a few years.

 
Kane Williamson — Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Few young batsmen in world cricket have enjoyed the success of Kane Williamson; fewer still have done it while remaining as shy and gracious. Williamson is not a power hitter, but is still capable of scoring T20 hundreds and winning a World Cup match by one-wicket with a six off an express bowler. In terms of temperament, Williamson is a throwback to the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman; something a side led by David Warner can dearly use.

 
Trent Boult — Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
The joint-highest wicket-taker of IPL 2015, Trent Boult will play for SRH in the upcoming edition of IPL. With Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the side, the SRH bowling looks formidable. Boult will be keen to prove that he can bowl on any surface, and will currently be brimming with confidence.

(Shiamak Unwalla is a proud Whovian and all-round geek who also dabbles in cricket writing as a reporter with CricketCountry. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)