Top 5 players from yesteryear who would have set the IPL on fire had they played

We are in the 11th season of the IPL and surely one question must have come in the minds of all IPL fans; what if Kapil Dev was playing for Mumbai Indians? Would he be the captain? At what strike rate would he hit? OR What if Waqar Younis played for SunRisers Hyderabad? Would he bowl in the death overs? How would players counter his reverse swing and his toe-crushing Yorkers? It is a real pity that such greats were not able to play in the modern era.

So here are 5 players who would have rocked cricket’s biggest carnival.

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#5 BS Chandrashekhar

Chandra had a very good record abroad, where took 42 wickets from 5 matches

The great Viv Richards had once said that the two bowlers whom he feared the most were Dennis Lillee and Bhagwath Chandrashekar. Hailing from Mysore in Karnataka, Chandra was not a great turner of the cricket ball, but his true weapons were his accuracy and his googlies. He is the type of bowler who would dominate the middle overs in the IPL.

Part of the famous spin quartet comprising of equally talented bowlers like Prasanna, Venkatraghavan, and Bedi, what set him apart from the others was that he was a leg-spinner. A huge asset to any team he really would have been an icon or someone the youngsters would look up to.

RCB would have loved to acquire his services seeing the slow nature of the pitch in Bengaluru. Moreover, his resounding success abroad would surely have set many doubts in the batsmen’s mind.

#4 Waqar Younis

This legendary fast bowler has taken 373 test wickets and 416 ODI wickets

Hailed as one of the best fast bowlers to have ever played the game, the “Burewala Express” would have definitely been a huge success in the IPL. Waqar Younis vs Virat Kohli would have had been a treat to watch. Two overs at the front and two at the back would be right up his sleeve. The attitude in which he would bowl would have perfectly suited T-20 cricket. Full, fast and swinging was his mantra.

Also known as the “Toecrusher” his in-swinging yorkers would castle even the best. He wouldn’t be any stranger to bowling in the death as well. Now coaching the current Pakistan team, he most definitely has a great cricketing brain which is needed for the IPL.

#3 Clive Lloyd

Clive Lloyd had a strike rate of over 100 in test matches

Something very interesting happens every year in the IPL regarding West Indian cricketers. So there should not be any surprise that we have included two of the very best. The swagger that they bring with themselves is enough for them to earn an IPL contract. An ideal captain, Kings XI Punjab at this year’s auction would definitely have had targeted him as a perfect captain material (Obviously, if he was playing currently!).

Captaining West Indies he won two successive World Cups in 1975 and in 1979 and was certain to win for a third consecutive time until Kapil Dev’s men stopped him, but in the IPL there is no doubt that Lloyd would have had a major impact with both his captaincy and style of play. His calmness in the dugout and even on the pitch is much needed by franchises like DD and even RR who are struggling. Apart from his captaincy, he was known for his big shots batting in the middle order. He really would have given the finishing touches needed while batting. He also bowled decent medium pace. Thus he is slotted in at 3 on our list.

#2 Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev's inswingers and outswingers in the powerplay would have had been tough to play

Kapil Dev’s place in history is already fixed, but what if he played in the IPL? The Most Valued Player (MVP) award would obviously every year go to him. A team whose all-rounders are struggling like MI would really love someone like Kapil Dev in the middle-order. Already a household name, Dev would surely make any IPL side.

First of all, he was a rare commodity- Indian fast bowling all-rounder. A charismatic captain as well Kapil Dev would make any team for either only his bowling or only his batting. Only player in the history of cricket with 9000 runs and 600 wickets he would definitely have become a success in the IPL. Batting in the middle order, he would have been the perfect allrounder. Rotating the strike and hitting the odd boundary and when required even start slogging would be his mantra. Opening the bowling in the power-play his swing would be difficult to counter. Not to forget his fielding, who can forget his unbelievable running catch in the 1983 World Cup?

#1 Viv Richards

Vivian Richards terrorized bowling attack in his time

If there is one word to describe the IPL and Sir Viv Richards “Entertaining” would be my best bet. If Viv Richards was batting and playing in the modern era then there is no doubt that T-20 cricket would best suit him. A team filled with superstars, RCB would really love someone like Richards to open the batting. Seeing how he faces T20 specialists like Rashid Khan and Jasprit Bumrah would have really been interesting.

Famously known for his swagger on and off the pitch, the great Sir Viv was an aggressive-minded batsman. I think devastating for the bowlers were be an apt representation of Richards. Having a strike rate of 90+ in the 70s and 80s was no mean feat. At the top of the order, he would have taken the responsibility to make proper use of the powerplay. Also as an aggressive captain, he would have led any side from the front. He had also scored the record for the fastest century in 56 balls before it was broken by Misbah-ul-Haq. So there is no doubt that Viv Richards occupies the No.1 position in our list.