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The presence of the biggest attractions in the cricketing world is what sets apart the Indian Premier League (IPL) from the rest of the franchise-based T20 leagues. The IPL's ability to bring the international cricketing action to a standstill makes it unique, which also increases the availability of almost all players in the game.
While the IPL marks the sole league that the Indian players are allowed to partake in, it will arguably feel incomplete without the presence of overseas players. With the provision of having up to eight overseas players in a single squad, and four in the playing XI, they improve the quality of the action by a great deal.
The chemistry between the overseas players and the local players is also one of the highlights of the league, the interesting blend of characters often overcomes the barriers of language and other factors by functioning together on the field.
Franchises have been known to splurge astronomical sums of money for overseas stars considering the high demand for them, it plays a huge role in the team's fortunes.
On that note, let us rank the overseas contingents of all franchises in the 2024 IPL.
#10 Mumbai Indians
Although boasting one of the strongest overall squads in the tournament, much of it could be attributed to the Indian contingent. The current overseas department, although filled with promise, is a bleak one compared to MI's past squads that included names like Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga.
The bulk of MI's overseas department is comprised of fast bowlers after the injury debacle in the 2023 edition. The five-time champions roped in Dilshan Madushanka, Gerald Coetzee, and Nuwan Thushara for the 2024 IPL mini-auction. While there is scope for talent, there is also an aura of inexperience.
MI's overseas unit is also weakened to a degree following Jason Behrendorff and Dilshan Madushanka's injuries, and the subsequent acquisition of Luke Wood and the talented but unproven Kwena Maphaka.
Tim David is potentially the most promising overseas candidate, joined by the likes of Dewald Brevis, Romario Shepherd, and Mohammad Nabi.
#9 Royal Challengers Bengaluru
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis leads the team's overseas unit, which does not boast much strength like the past. While they once had overseas players like AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and Shane Watson among others, there is now a serious decline in quality when it comes to this particular department.
RCB acquired a slew of overseas names like Tom Curran, Alzarri Joseph, and Lockie Ferguson at the IPL 2024 mini-auction, which might not be an upgrade to departing overseas candidates like Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood.
The Australian duo of Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green increases the quality of the overseas department to an extent, but there is still doubt regarding the injury-prone Englishmen - Reece Topley and Will Jacks.
#8 Kolkata Knight Riders
The overseas department and the bowling unit for KKR are both shouldered by Mitchell Starc ahead of the 2024 season. Although the franchise have stalwarts like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, their performances have been far from ideal over the last couple of seasons.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz comes across as a promising candidate, who has a huge role to play for the side at the top of the order. However, the extent to which Sherfane Rutherford, Phil Salt, and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman will be used is questionable, risking them to be largely redundant names.
Dushmanta Chameera is another exciting prospect that could be a valuable addition to the bowling unit. However, the overseas combination may not guarantee a place for him in the playing XI, while his recurring injury issues come across as another issue altogether.
#7 Punjab Kings
Dominated by Englishmen, the PBKS' overseas contingent looks relatively solid on paper, but how they play as a unit is the real issue here. All four players from England - Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran - have been on and off over the recent past, and performing well below their potential.
As far as the other members are concerned, Sikandar Raza and Nathan Ellis come across as solid utility players, especially since they are in good form. Ellis had a solid 2023-24 Big Bash League (BBL) campaign for the Hobart Hurricanes and turned up for Australia as well in the recently concluded away series against New Zealand.
Kagiso Rabada and Rilee Rossouw come across as great prospects on paper, but the South African pair are struggling for form. Rossouw led the Quetta Gladiators in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), but scored only 148 runs in 10 matches.
Rabada, on the other hand, has generally been mediocre in the shortest format for quite a while, and the mediocrity has been flared by his recent performances, particularly in the SA20 League for MI Cape Town. The pacer only picked nine wickets in 10 games.
#6 Lucknow Super Giants
The form of LSG's overseas players has played a huge role in the franchise's progress into the playoffs across the last two seasons, much like it has done for the other top sides as well.
LSG are spoilt for choices in terms of top-order overseas choices as both Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock are credible options. The power-hitting of Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis was on show the previous season, and it is a middle-order combination that could prove to be a game-changer yet again.
David Willey will not be available for the franchise in the initial phase of the competition, while Mark Wood has withdrawn altogether. The overseas bowling unit may seem a bit depleted with the inexperienced Shamar Joseph and Naveen-ul-Haq being the only options in that regard.
#5 Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans have a stocked overseas contingent, with big-match players like David Miller, Kane Williamson, and Rashid Khan being the major highlight.
While the quality dips as the list progresses, it is still a quality combination of players. Although Noor Ahmad is currently one of the biggest emerging spinners in the world, his presence in the playing XI might be in doubt due to the volatile balance of the team at present.
Josh Little and Spencer Johnson are solid pace bowling options, something that the franchise desperately need. The likes of Matthew Wade and Azmatullah Omarzai round up the squad quite well as credible backup players.
#4 Delhi Capitals
DC's overseas contingent has seen some last-minute changes with Harry Brook withdrawing himself while Lungi Ngidi was ruled out due to injury. The franchise have named only one replacement in Jake Fraser-McGurk so far, and the overall state of affairs looks like an improvement from last season, where they finished ninth.
Anrich Nortje, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh are their best attractions and rightly so, considering the impact they could bring if they click together. All three are certain to be among the first names in the playing XI, and they will be hoping that Nortje bowls at his best after recovering from the injury while Marsh continues with his red-hot form at No.3.
The other overseas candidates in the squad include Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs, and Jhye Richardson, who will generally be used as backup players, but are largely solid options nonetheless.
#3 Rajasthan Royals
Despite not being in their best form or at the peak of their prowess, the duo of Jos Buttler and Trent Boult are still genuine match-winners. Coupled with the much-needed firepower provided by Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell, RR's overseas foundation is quite solid.
To strengthen their case they have impressive and versatile backup players like Donovan Ferreira, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and Adam Zampa. The latter is one of the best white-ball spinners in the world, but has struggled to make it to the playing XI consistently in the IPL due to team combinations.
Their latest acquisition is Nandre Burger, the South African pacer, who has recently come into the limelight following his international debut. His tall frame and ability to move the ball might come in handy at some stage in the tournament. It is also backed by his red-hot form having had a brilliant campaign for the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 and for the Western Province in the CSA T20 Challenge.
#2 Chennai Super Kings
Comprised primarily of New Zealand and Sri Lankan players, CSK's overseas contingent has a formidable tinge to it as they look to defend their title.
CSK acquired Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra at the 2024 IPL mini-auction, which were essential for them to complete their squad. Short-format specialists Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theeksana mark their presence as well, while CSK added the much-needed backup for Pathirana in the form of the experienced Mustafizur Rahman.
The ever-consistent Devon Conway also features as a crucial player for the team, but will be unavailable for the first half of the 2024 edition due to a fractured finger.
The fact that CSK have players with the calibre of Moeen Ali and Mitchell Santner as backup candidates showcases the prowess of their overseas contingent.
#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH, who finished 10th in the 2023 edition, may have dug a grave for themselves by assembling an extraordinary pool of overseas players ahead of the 2024 season. The team's current overseas contingent now includes their new skipper, their old captain, one of the best T20 batters in the world, one of the best T20 spinners in the world, a World Cup final player of the match as well as one of the best utility players in the game at the moment.
The aforementioned Pat Cummins, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Wanindu Hasaranga, Travis Head, and Glenn Phillips all deserve a place in the lineup. Moreover, the left-arm pace duo of Marco Jansen and Fazalhaq Farooqi further complicates the selection.
Despite their lack of stardom compared to their overseas teammates Jansen and Farooqi are essential to bringing versatility to the bowling department. Jansen was the leading wicket-taker in the 2024 SA20 season while Farooqi is also in a rich vein of form at the moment.
As a result, SRH may have the best overseas contingent in IPL 2024, but it does not do them any favors. It is paradoxical and yet it works.
