IPL 2018 : 4 players who are performing well after being promoted as openers 

In the T20 format of cricket, opening batsmen have different roles and responsibilities when compared with other formats of cricket. They have to score as many runs as possible in the power-play which might help the team to post big totals or to chase one.

They are expected to attack the bowlers right from the first ball itself and they have to put some pressure on the bowling side straight away. There may be field restrictions but it is not at all easy for openers to get the team off to a flying start in each and every game and it requires a special set of skills to do so.

Some players in the list were middle order batsmen in the previous editions of IPL and some were not used as an opening batsman for the first few matches in IPL 2018 even though they opened the innings for their teams in the previous editions of IPL. But, all of them proved their worth after being promoted as openers. Let's take a look at four players who are all performing well after being promoted as openers in IPL 2018.

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#4 KL Rahul

K L Rahul

In IPL 2016, Rahul played for Royal Challengers Bangalore and scored 397 runs (4 fifties) in 14 matches at a strike rate of 146.49. Rahul opened the innings for RCB in few matches in the absence of Chris Gayle but he also batted at number 4 in some matches.

K L Rahul missed the IPL 2017 due to a shoulder injury. In 2018 IPL auction, Kings XI Punjab purchased him for whopping Rs 11 crore but Rahul has already proven his worth in the IPL 2018.

In IPL 2018, Rahul was provided with a permanent opener role by KXIP and currently, he is one of the best openers in the tournament so far. In 12 matches, Rahul has scored 558 runs (5 fifties) at a strike rate of 161.73. After being promoted as an opener, Rahul scored the fastest fifty in the history of IPL (50 runs in just 14 balls) against Delhi Daredevils and his average in this edition of IPL is at 55.80 which is pretty much high for any batsmen in a T-20 format.

#3 Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians in 2011 but played only one match for MI during his association with the franchise (2011-13). In 2014 IPL auction, Kolkata Knight Riders bought Suryakumar and he played some memorable innings for KKR as a middle-order batsman between 2014-17. His match-winning 20 balls 46 runs against the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2015 at Eden Gardens broke the headlines during that time. In IPL auction 2018, MI bought him for Rs 3.2 crores and he returned back to his home team.

SKY played at number 4 for the first couple of matches for MI in the IPL 2018 and in the match against Delhi Daredevils, Suryakumar Yadav was asked to open the innings and in the very first match as opener for MI, he blasted 53 runs in 32 balls at a strike rate of 165.63 which unfortunately ended in a losing cause.

In the IPL 2018, Suryakumar Yadav has scored 473 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.41 and has scored 402 runs in 10 innings as an opener. Suryakumar has fitted pretty well in the opener role and he has been the only consistent performer so far for MI this season.

#2 Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler played his first IPL season for Mumbai Indians in the year 2016. In his first IPL season, Buttler played for MI as a middle order batsman and had scored 255 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 138.58. In the IPL 2017, MI gave Buttler an opportunity to open the innings and he performed well as an opening batsman scoring 272 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 153.67. In the IPL auction 2018, Rajasthan Royals seized Buttler for 4.4 crores after a furious bidding war with MI.

In the IPL 2018, Jos Buttler struggled to score runs in the middle and was asked to open the innings for RR after playing 7 matches. In the first match as the opener against Delhi Daredevils on May 2, 2018, Buttler blasted a brilliant half-century and scored 67 runs in 26 balls.

He continued his good form by scoring four half-centuries in the next four matches and Buttler became the 2nd player in the IPL history to score 5 consecutive half centuries in 5 matches after Virender Sehwag (for DD in 2012). Buttler is also the 2nd player to score three consecutive 80+ scores in IPL after Glenn Maxwell in 2014 and he is the first batsman to be stranded in the 90s for two consecutive innings.

Jos Buttler has scored 509 runs in 12 matches at a stunning strike rate of 153.77 and at an average of 56.55 in the IPL 2018 so far.

#1 Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu

In IPL, one team's loss is another team's gain and Ambati Rayudu is a perfect example of it. After playing for Mumbai Indians for 8 years as an occasional wicket-keeper and middle-order batsman, Chennai Super Kings bought him for 2.2 crores in the IPL auction in 2018. Though Rayudu plays well in the middle, CSK skipper MS Dhoni wanted him to open the innings in the absence of Faf du Plessis. Rayudu opened the innings for CSK in 9 out of 12 matches he played and scored some brilliant knocks for the team.

In the IPL 2018, Rayudu scored 535 runs in 12 innings at an average of 48.63 and at a strike rate of 152.85. This is the best IPL season for Rayudu in terms of runs scored and this is the first time in which he scored more than 400 runs in an IPL edition.

On May 13, 2018, Rayudu also registered his first hundred in the IPL against Sunrisers Hyderabad and helped to chase the target of 180 successfully. After being promoted as an opener, Rayudu's game reached a new level and he earned himself a new nickname Ambati 'Baahubali' Rayudu.