Top 5 West Indians to have played in the IPL

The Indian Premier League has served as a platform for players from diverse cultures to come together and battle for one ultimate goal, to win the coveted trophy at the end of the season.

While Indian players have constantly emerged and thrilled with standout performances, foreign talents, especially from the land of the Caribbean, have had a massive influence on the game and the league on a whole.

The West Indian cricketers not only add excitement to the game with their funky celebrations but add some spice to the contest with their aggressive brand of cricket. Here are the top five cricketers from the Caribbean lands to have played in the IPL.

#5 Dwayne Smith

Dwayne Smith

The all-rounder has been a constant force at the top of the order for the franchises he has represented while his gentle medium pace has also proved to be effective in times of need.

Smith was part of the Rajasthan Royals roster in 2008 and then shifted to the Deccan Chargers for 2009, 2010 but did not feature in a single match. In 2012, he played for the Rajasthan Royals and scored 157 runs from 7 matches at an average of 39.25 and a good strike rate of 160.20.

The powerful opener continued his good form in 2013, amassing 418 runs from 13 matches at a good average of 32.15 that earned him a lucrative contract with the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2014 season.

Smith's form at the top (566 runs from 16 games) lit up CSK's season that saw them clinch the title in his debut season for them which was followed by a moderate season for the dashing opener as he managed to muster just 399 runs from 16 matches.

Following CSK's two year ban, Smith was snapped up by the Gujarat Lions on a two-season deal and thrilled with some exciting starts at the top which decorated the Lions' campaign.

#4 Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine in action for KKR

Narine entered into the Indian Premier League with the label of a 'mystery spinner' whilst representing the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and grabbed the spotlight in his first season, picking 24 wickets from 15 games at an economy of 5.47 that aided KKR's title win.

The spinner continued his stellar run in the next two seasons, creating troubles for opposition batsmen with his variations and clever mixture of line and length that fetched him 22 wickets in 2013 and 21 wickets in 2014 from 16 games.

Following controversies regarding his bowling action, Narine's effectiveness went down in 2015 that saw him scalp only 7 wickets from 8 games while he fared slightly better in the next season with 11 wickets from 11 games at an economy of 7.09.

However, his promotion to the top of the order proved to be a masterstroke from KKR as he got KKR off to fine starts right throughout the tournament and in the process also equaled the record for the 'Fastest IPL fifty', getting to the landmark in just 12 balls against RCB.

#3 Kieron Pollard

Pollard's athletic fielding is one of his biggest assets

Blessed with an athletic build and a tall frame, Pollard's ability to hit the long ball and contribute with his medium-pace saw him enjoy a long alliance with the Mumbai Indians. The burly all-rounder's claim to fame was through his big-hitting in the 2009 CLT20 following which he was bought by the Mumbai Indians in 2010.

Pollard's first two seasons were highlighted by his bowling as he picked 15 wickets in 14 games and 10 wickets in the next, failing to do well with the bat. A lower middle order batsman, Pollard contributed with crucial knocks in the subsequent seasons and played the finisher's role to perfection especially in the fourth season, scoring 420 runs at a strike rate of 149.46.

The Trinidadian's bowling fell apart in the next season which saw him sticking to his role of finishing the innings that worked to his favour 273 runs (2014) and 419 runs (2015) which saw the Mumbai Indians clinching the trophy that year.

After a moderate ninth season, Pollard was back in his element in 2017, playing crucial knocks including one spectacular resurrection knock against RCB.

#2 Dwayne Bravo

Bravo is one of the best death overs specialists in the world

A death-over specialist who has also made a name for himself as a big hitter, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is one of the hottest properties in the Indian Premier League, owing to his ability to win matches on his own.

The medium pacer represented the Mumbai Indians in the first three seasons, finishing with modest returns that prompted his move to the Chennai Super Kings in 2011. In his first stint under Dhoni, Bravo did not perform up to expectations but excelled with the bat in 2012, scoring 371 runs at an average of 46.37 and in 2013, he won the Purple Cap for most wickets in a season (32 from 18 games).

An injury ruled him out of IPL 2014 but the next season he was back with a bang, claiming his second Purple Cap with 26 wickets in the tournament. The following two seasons, Bravo featured for the Gujarat Lions following the ban on Chennai Super Kings.

#1 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle has been a force to reckon with at the top of the order

The Jamaican marauder is undoubtedly one of the most successful and dashing IPL batsmen of all time with 3626 runs from 101 matches at an average of 41.20 and an outstanding strike rate of 151.20.

The hard-hitting left-hander has a plethora of records under his name such as the most number of sixes in the IPL (265), Most number of centuries in IPL (5) amongst others and will be forever remembered for his destructive 175* run-knock against Pune Warriors in Bengaluru.

Gayle started his career with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008 and played there for the next two seasons before he was picked by RCB in 2011 owing to an injury to speedster Dirk Nannes and in his first season, clinched the Orange Cap for most runs in the season with 608 runs from 12 matches including two hundreds.

He continued his purple patch in the next season, scoring big and consistently which earned him the Orange Cap for the second time with 733 runs from 15 matches at a strike rate of 160.74.