IPL 6: Player of the Week nominees - Week 1

Note: All stats and facts current up to 7th April, 2013.

So, the IPL is officially underway and so is all the excitement that comes with it. It’s barely been a week that the IPL has kicked off, and we’ve already seen some scintillating performances with the bat and ball. Here are a few players that have already made their mark over the past few days. And you, as the reader, have a chance to select your favourite player for the week from the list below.

The nominees are:

Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

It’s almost become a habit for Chris Gayle to feature in the ‘best of’ lists over the last few seasons. This week was no exception, as the West Indian southpaw battered the Mumbai Indians on a single leg to score a scintillating 92 not out off only 58 balls in a knock that was studded with 11 boundaries and 5 gigantic sixes, scoring over half his team score of 156. Even though he was dismissed cheaply in RCB’s second game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the importance of his knock versus MI cannot be overstated, as Bangalore ended up winning by the thinnest of margins – 2 runs.

R Vinay Kumar (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

For a team that prides itself on owning some of the most explosive batsmen in the tournament, it might come as a surprise to most that RCB’s most consistent player has been pacer Vinay Kumar. The relatively unfancied 29-year-old has been a vital cog in the Bangalore-based team’s bowling attack, having picked up 4 wickets for 54 runs with an impressive average of 13.5 and an even more impressive economy rate of 6.75. What is even more impressive is that he bowled the last over of both matches that RCB have played so far, and has conceded only 13 runs and picked up 3 wickets. He did give away more than a few runs (20) in the super over that sealed RCB’s fate against Sunrisers Hyderabad; but it would be unwise to judge him on that over alone. One to look out for this season.

Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)

The ‘trump card’ has finally managed to leave a mark in the latest edition of the IPL. Having faced only the last two balls of the innings in the first match against RCB much to the chagrin of the fans, the explosive WI batsman took the second chance he got with both hands. Scoring an unbeaten 57 off only 38 balls versus the Chennai Super Kings, he was responsible for Mumbai reaching a respectable score of 148 after the top order failed miserably. As if that wasn’t enough, he managed to pick up a wicket and, more importantly, took two catches, notably that of CSK captain MS Dhoni – a catch that is already in consideration for catch of the season – to ensure that the Indian captain could not finish off the match as he does so frequently. Will the Mumbai Indians finally pay heed to popular demand and promote Pollard up the order? One can only hope.

Kevon Cooper (Rajasthan Royals)

West Indians and the IPL seem to go hand-in-hand, it seems. Kevon Cooper is another such player who is making waves in the tournament. Despite not being as big a name as his famous counterparts Pollard and Gayle, Cooper has definitely made his mark in the solitary match he played versus Delhi Daredevils. The Trinidadian medium-pacer’s bowling figures read 4-0-30-3. But what was noteworthy about his performance was the fact that he conceded only 7 runs in his final 2 overs and picked up three wickets, thus ensuring that the Royals won the match by only 5 runs while defending a target of 165. And this was not just a one-off, as his economy rate in T20s is an astonishing 6.20 – a figure that would make any bowler proud. With Cooper bowling the death overs with unerring accuracy, opposition teams would do well to figure out a plan for him.

Amit Mishra (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Despite all the off-field trouble and controversies, the Sunrisers have made the best possible start to the season , having won both the matches they have played under their new moniker. And the star of their success has been leg spinner Amit Mishra. Despite not being as highly rated as compatriots R. Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, Mishra has definitely been the stand-out spinner in the IPL so far. Having conceded a total of only 34 runs in the 8 overs at an economy rate that would be considered above par even in a one-day international, picking up 4 wickets in the process, he has been the key to Hyderabad’s clinical performance so far. He has been the primary reason that Hyderabad’s below-par batting performances have not affected team results, and that oppositions have not been able to score freely. To be the best bowler in a team that features Dale Steyn -arguably the best bowler in world cricket today – speaks volumes of his value. However, whether or not he continues in the same vein remains to be seen.