Top six overseas players in IPL history

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  • Gayle, Malinga and Warner have all starred [Sportzpics].

    Attracting the crème de la crème of overseas talent has been the hallmark of the Indian Premier League since the very first auction in 2008.

    Finding an adequate core of foreign players has been one of the main priorities for team managements given established Indian internationals don’t switch teams in auctions often.

    So, here’s a look at the six most prolific foreign players to have played in the IPL.

    Share with us your thoughts by commenting below, using #360fans on Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.

    DAVID WARNER

    The Australian opener has been a consistent performer through the years. In 100 matches, Warner has notched up 3373 runs at an average of 38.32 and a strike-rate of 142.20.

    Warner’s watershed season came last year as the captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, as he led the team to an unlikely title win while scoring almost a quarter of the team’s runs, managing almost 850 runs during the season.

    AB DE VILLIERS

    As someone with 120 IPL appearances to his name, it should probably be expected that one of the all-time limited-overs greats should feature on this list.

    De Villiers, like Warner, also has some stunning numbers as part of his IPL career; 3257 runs at an average of 39.24 and a strike-rate of 149.33. He’s also been one of the most versatile batsmen to have played in the league.

    As a solid team man, de Villiers has often shuffled his place up and down the batting order depending on what the team requires from him. As expected, he has succeeded in almost all of those roles.

    SUNIL NARINE

    For the first three seasons, Kolkata Knight Riders were not genuine challengers for the title.

    While the 2011 campaign saw them reach the playoffs for the first time, it was Narine’s inclusion in 2012 that saw KKR complete the turnaround from contenders for the wooden spoon to one of the only three franchises to have won two seasons of the IPL.

    Narine has continued to be the wrecker-in-chief of a strong KKR bowling line-up and has some scarcely believable numbers; 85 wickets at an average of 19.04 and an astounding economy rate of 6.17.

    LASITH MALINGA

    It’s beyond debate that Mumbai Indians’ Lasith Malinga is the best bowler in the history of the IPL. He’s the highest wicket-taker in the league’s history by quite a distance and that is despite having played only a double-digit number of matches.

    Such has been his domination with the ball that no one with over 30 wickets has a better average than him (17.80). For anyone with over 50 wickets, no one has a better strike-rate (16.00), and only Sunil Narine has a better economy rate than the Sri Lankan (6.67).

    CHRIS GAYLE

    The West Indian opener is to the T20 format what Sir Don Bradman was to Test cricket. Quite simply, he’d be the first name when you make an all-time T20 XI.

    In hindsight, it seems odd that Gayle went unsold in the 2011 auction and only came in as a replacement for Dirk Nannes at the Royal Challengers. The rest, as they say, is history.

    Now, with a new franchise, Gayle reintroduced himself on the IPL stage with a ton – his first in the league – against KKR. He’s gone on to score four more centuries in the IPL – which is the highest for any player.

    Gayle’s batting numbers are as superb as Malinga’s bowling stats; 3426 runs at an average of 43.36 and a strike-rate of 153.28.

    SHANE WATSON

    Despite a couple of off-colour seasons, Watson has been, by a mile, the most reliable all-rounder in the IPL since the inaugural season when he was the chief architect of Rajasthan Royals’ riveting underdog story.

    Purely as a batsman, Watson has numbers comparable to those of the best and as a bowler, his numbers rival those of seasoned bowlers, with an average of 26.98 and an economy rate of 7.71.

    Over the years, the Australian cricketer has successfully showcased his versatility both as a bowler and as a batsman.

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