Virat Kohli
Player of the Tournament in WT20, for the second straight time, has carried his form into IPL. With 3 centuries and 4 fifties, the Test skipper has been unstoppable. However, with bowlers letting the team down, finishing inside top-four remains an uphill task for RCB.
David Warner
With 567 runs in 12 games at 56.70, Warner is Kohli’s closest competitor for this year’s Orange Cap, though he is nearly 100 runs behind. Cutting and pulling with his huge blade, the opener’s stellar form has been crucial for SRH. Starts provided by him have often ended in victories.
Mustafizur Rahman
The Fizz has taken the IPL by storm. The 20-year-old is improving with each outing and holds the record for the most miserly spell this season (4-1-9-2 vs KXIP). His cutters, yorkers and slower bouncers have made him SRH’s go-to bowler at the death. Has 14 wickets at an economy rate of 6.66.
David Miller
Not all foreign captains have enjoyed successful stints in the IPL, and Miller is the latest example. Came to limelight in 2013, when he struck a 38-ball 101 not out to win a game for KXIP. Retained next season, he repaid the team’s faith. With 151 runs in 11 innings, he has lost captaincy too.
R Ashwin
Was on a roll before the IPL began. His slump has come as a surprise. More surprising is MS Dhoni’s sparing use of the off-spinner. He didn’t give Ashwin full quota of overs in the last two WT20 games and the trend continues. Against RCB, the RPS skipper brought him into the attack in the 17th over!
Chris Gayle
Has never been this quiet in an IPL season. With eight consecutive single-digit scores since the century against England in WT20, his form has come as a huge blow for RCB. With 19 runs in 5 innings and struggling with a back injury, the 36-year-old was dropped in a couple of games.