Krunal Pandya

A true blue IPL star, Krunal Pandya, remains one of the most sought-after names in the IPL. Left-handed and hard hitting with the bat, added to his left-arm spin puts him in a similar league of lower-order all-rounders, as that of his younger brother, Hardik Pandya.

Hailing from Vadodara, Krunal's first brush with cricket came at Kiran More's academy in the city. He soon became popular in the local cricketing circles for his ability to hit the big sixes, forming a partnership with Hardik that reminded the cricket watching folks in the city of the Pathan brothers. In 2016, despite not having made his first-class debut yet, the Mumbai Indians' talent scouts spotted his talent and franchise went after him aggressively to bag him for two crores.

He repaid the faith thrust on him immediately, with a stunning knock of 86 off just 37 deliveries against Delhi Daredevils. In the following season, he came into his own - with vital runs and wickets very consistently - to become one of Mumbai's most utility players of the season. This included a Man of the Match effort in the final. 2017's IPL though was only a culmination of a good domestic season, where he emerged as Baroda's leading run-getter and wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.