IPL 2018: 5 players from the 1990s who would have dominated the IPL

The Indian Premier League began its journey ten years ago in 2008. It has been a huge revelation in the last decade leading to an enormous change in the way cricket is played in the modern era.

A majority of the present day cricket fans would have grown up watching cricket in the 90s and early 2000s. Most of the 90s players have missed out on playing in IPL and it would be an interesting experience for fans to think as to which of their childhood heroes would have been a runaway hit in IPL.

Here are five players who could have set the IPL on fire:

Chris Cairns

Chris Cairns made his debut for the New Zealand ODI team in 1991 and went on to become one of the best players of the country in that decade. He was a capable all-rounder and was a huge success for the Blackcaps.

Cairns was known as a ferocious hitter of the ball and the ability would have come in handy for the all-rounder in IPL. He also complimented his batting exploits with his accurate bowling and was a genuine all-rounder who could win matches with both bat and ball for the team.

The star player has been accused of match-fixing charges but that cannot take away the fact that he has been a great all-rounder for the Kiwi side. He has played in 62 Tests for New Zealand and is one of the few players to have achieved the double of 200 wickets and 3,000 runs.

Aravinda De Silva

De Silva would have been a pillar of strength in the middle order of any IPL team

Aravinda De Silva made his debut in 1984 and went to play a major part of his career in the 90s. He was at his best in the 90s and was an important part of the World Cup-winning Sri Lankan side in 1996.

De Silva established himself as a young prodigy when he made his international debut at the age of 19. He went on to play at the highest level until the age of 38 and is one of the biggest names that Srilanka has ever produced.

De Silva was a crafty batsman who played textbook cricketing shots and he was brilliantly efficient at that. He was also a batsman who would continuously keep the scoreboard ticking and would have been a great asset to any team in IPL now.

Waqar Younis

Waqar has been the best exponent of yorkers in world cricket

Waqar Younis made his international debut in the same Test in which Sachin Tendulkar did for India in 1989. He, along with Wasim Akram, formed a pair which could be called as the best bowling combination of that generation.

Waqar had been a part of the 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cup squads of Pakistan and has interestingly missed out on the World Cup winning side of '92. He was a great servant of the Pakistani team for years.

Waqar had the brilliant ability to bowl toe-crushing yorkers on a consistent basis. He was among the best exponents of yorkers and the art was one of the biggest assets for any team in IPL. He would have been a huge success in IPL, thanks to his accurate yorkers and his ability to swing the ball both ways.

Imran Khan

Imran Khan is the only World Cup winning captain of Pakistan

Imran Khan made his ODI debut in 1974, but his most iconic moment came in the 90s when he went onto lift the 1992 World Cup, leading a young side. He is one of the most popular players that Pakistan has ever produced.

Imran was the captain of the side which won Pakistan its only World Cup and is one of the most iconic players of the era. He is one of the eight players in the history of cricket to have a double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets, the statistic saying a lot about his abilities.

Imran's impeccable line and his ability to swing could have been a huge asset for any IPL team. He was also a great hitter of the ball which would have helped him to be the team's finisher.

Lance Klusener

Klusener would have been a world-beating All-rounder in T20s

Lance Klusener made his debut for the South African team in 1996 and went on to play for them till 2004. He made an enormous impact on South African cricket, especially during the World Cup.

Klusener scored 3576 runs at a brilliant average of 41 and scalped 192 wickets at an average of 30 in 171 ODIs. He was an important reason for the South African team became highly competitive in the 90s.

Klusner was known for his nagging line and length and his brilliant hitting abilities. He was among the best hitters of the cricket ball and was a great finisher for the South African team. He is probably the best all-rounder in ODIs that the game has ever seen.

Ben Stokes, an all-rounder like Klusener, has been the highest paid player in IPL in two consecutive auctions and was also the most valuable player in IPL last year. With that being the case, it would have been really interesting to see what price Klusener could have gone for and the impact that he would have had on IPL.