IPL top 5 batsmen

The Indian Premier League will be in South Africa.

While you try to wrap your head around that – Lalit Modi is crouched over a table in a dark room, smoking his 2nd pack for the day, his top shirt button undone, tie loosened, punching his calculator trying to figure out how much money he will make, or loose, in IPL round 2.

While Lalit Modi figures that out we dabble in putting forth the top 5 batsmen we think will make the biggest impact.

Our top 5 batting picks.

5. Graeme Smith– You can count on Smith. He is a man so cool under pressure you feel at ease just by looking at him. He racked up the runs for Shane Warne when it mattered last year and playing at home in front of his home crowds will lift the big man.

4.Brendan Mcullum– Mcullum gave the IPL a start that even Lalit Modi couldn’t have engineered. His big hitting is an art form. Brendan has learnt the virtue of consistency and from the looks of things in NZ over the summer, he is ready for another rumble in the jungle.

3.Adam Gilchrist– If you want clean hitting then look no further. Gilchrist still gives me nightmares after what he did to Sri Lanka in the world cup final. Has plenty of experience in SA and will want to prove to Australia and the world what they are missing out on. Plus he walks. What more can you ask for.

2.Kevin Peitersen – Big egos need to be watered all the time. The IPL gives KP the ‘prime time’ opportunity to expand his self love and in doing so provide us with some switch hitting genius. The IPL was made for KP and KP for it. He will be keen to prove his 1mil+ worth. Probably at the expense of some hapless bowler. Good thing Mick Lewis ain’t around.

1.Jesse Ryder – We have just witnessed the birth of a Giant. And that’s no poke at Jesses’ hefty size. Well it is, but Ryder seems to have the natural gift of time. Ample of it when facing the ball and its perfection when hitting it. Its Ryders first time out in the IPL and if he can stay sober he might light the whole show on fire.

10 Comments

  1. Amy said:

    But wouldn’t it be funnier if KP failed spectacularly?
    Also, Graeme Smith’s only doing well so he can steal Shane Warne away from KP. It is his master plan.

    Then there’s Brendan McCullum who will hopefully tap into the power of his tattoos and unleash his fury upon the ball or whatnot. Hit a dozen sixes, jumpstart the second season.

    April 3, 2009
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  2. Q said:

    KP hasn’t done much in 20-20 cricket and I doubt he will do much in the IPL..

    The fact that its being played in South Africa I think there shud be more weight on the likes of AB De Villiers (DDD), JP Duminy (MI), and Albie Morkel (CSK)..

    Moving on, I feel the top scorer this season will be David Warner.. he will devour the bowling..

    April 3, 2009
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  3. rajith said:

    Sanath Jayasuriya is an extrodinarily lucky creature. Last IPL he came back from nowhere and was among the top batsmen by the time the IPL was over.

    This time around his experience playing with Cape Cobra’s will come in handy. Sure he failed a few times there, but I think what he learnt there will come in handy big time. How many batsmen (other than the SA’s of course) had this kind of an opportunity to practise in SA before the IPL?

    April 4, 2009
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  4. jrod said:

    No Shaun Marsh?

    April 4, 2009
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  5. insideEdge said:

    I hope IPL is a massive financial flop. The control freak egomaniacs at BCCI and Lalit Modi need to be seriously brought down to earth.

    Hoping for good cricket but empty stadia and a very slim TV deal would do wonders for the rest of the world.

    April 4, 2009
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  6. Amy said:

    insideEdge – the first day’s a full stadium.

    April 4, 2009
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  7. Sujan Rao said:

    Well Rajath…, Sanath played for the Dolphins in SA and not with Cape Cobra’s

    April 4, 2009
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  8. ROSHAN said:

    definitely sehwag should be in the list. he is the most dangerous batsman in the world today and don’t forget gambhir. i think KP is going to be a failiure and jayasuriya might deliver another hundred

    April 7, 2009
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  9. damiths said:

    Amy>It sure would.

    Oooh, a Shane Warne-Smith sub plot- I like.

    Q> But kP is just the sort of guy who will turn up and destroy everything that comes before him if he is in the mood. And for a man who likes to ‘earn his living’ and be in the spotlight this is the best chance ever.

    Rajith>Yea Sanath has a good a chance as any but to me he is always iffy. And the Aussies certainly have had some practice on those SA pitches.

    jrod> No Shaun Marsh. He would have made a top 10 though.

    inside> Unfortunately as Amy points out the first two games are sold out.

    But the big question is whether they will be for the week day matches.

    Roshan>Ya, Sehwag is definitely a huge threat. But his form has been dodgy in NZ and he might struggle on the SA pitches.

    Ghambir would have made a top 10 too.

    April 8, 2009
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  10. Q said:

    Hindsight Damith?

    KP failed like he always does in 20-20.. now a days in tests as well. Jesse did nothing but get first ball ducks. McCullum is having a nightmare.

    Gilchrist has been in awesome form though.. and Smith is just coming back..

    Hayden on top and the Rainas and Yuvrajs – who wud have thought right?

    May 11, 2009
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