IPL 2018: Standout player for each team so far

Mumbai Indians - Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya's performance this season indicates that he is finally fulfilling his potential and becoming the 'genuine fast bowling all-rounder' that Indian cricket has lacked for the past many decades. As destructive as ever with the bat, he has played several handy cameos; however, he has also shown application with the bat on several instances, such as in his half-century against the Knight Riders, albeit in a losing cause.

The biggest improvement for Pandya, however, has come with the ball. Before the start of this year's IPL, Hardik Pandya had taken 10 wickets in the IPL in the 37 matches in which he had played. This season, in a mere 9 innings, the all-rounder from Baroda has already taken 14 wickets and even been the leading wicket-taker in the tournament at one point. Further, instead of giving the odd over here and there like he used to earlier, Pandya is consistently giving his captain four overs in every single game. This responsibility and application while batting to go with his consistency with the ball shows that he is truly rising as a player and could lead Mumbai Indians, and the Indian cricket team, to great heights.