Top 10 Australians to have played in the IPL

If there were some ISO standards for quality in modern cricket, being an Australian might just get you through the initial round of scrutinization. It is how it is. When the dust settles and all things that matter on the pitch is over, the bottom line more or less always tends favour the Aussies.Although a large part of the cricketing fraternity hate the Aussies for various reasons, there is one thing we can’t deny. They have literally reshaped the face of modern cricket. There can be no arguments that Aussies are the titans of this age of cricket. From the initial days of Steve Waugh to the absolute domination of Ricky Ponting’s men and the re-resurgence under Michael Clarke, the men from down under have ruled the game with absolute might. Their influence on all facets of the game remain unparalleled and IPL stands as another witness to their cricketing abilities.While there have been a few Callum Fergusons and Ashley Noffkes along the way, when taken everything into account, barring India, players from no other country has influenced the stakes in this competition as much as the Aussies have done.Today, we look at 10 of the best players from Australia to have graced the stage at the mecca of T20 cricket that is the IPL.

#10 Ryan Harris

Ryan Harris is probably the most criminally underrated player ever to have played in the IPL. The man from the Southern hemisphere was one of the fiercest bowlers the league has ever seen who hit the bat hard and had the knack of picking up early and timely wickets.

His total haul of 45 wickets in 37 games, while striking at a rate of 18.48 puts in the elite league. Whilst his teams i.e Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab struggled for the majority of the time he was with them, Harris kept on delivering the goods like a non-stop engine.

#9 David Warner

Consistency might be bête noire of David Warner’s T20 career, but when the diminutive left-hander gets going, there are not many batsmen in this world that strike more fear into a bowler’s heart than him. While there hasn’t been much team glory to be had for the Aussie, Warner has now and again lit up the sub-continent like the night of Diwali.

His blistering hitting all around the pitch has been the hallmark of his batting with a 109* against Kolkata in 2012 proving to be the pinnacle of his time in the IPL. In terms of batting success, 2014 proved to be his most fruitful year as the explosive opener made 528 runs to come fourth in the race for the orange cap.

#8 Doug Bollinger

After coming close the first two times, Chennai's fortunes were nosediving after winning only 3 of their first 8 games in 2010. Then came Doug Bollinger. The rest, as they say, is history.

The introduction of the speedy left-armer was the introduction of carnage in opposition batting orders as the Aussie carried the Chennai team on his broad shoulders to an eventual championship. The New South Wales quicky impressed immediately after he joined mid-way through the tournament with a figure of 2/15 consecutive in games against the Knight Riders and the Royals to lead the men in yellow into the playoffs. Once in the knock-out stages, Bollinger brought to the table a performance for the ages when he ran through the Deccan Chargers line up with a breath-taking spell of 4 for 13 in 4 overs.

The Aussie came back with another 17 wicket haul in 2011; playing a vital part in Chennai's defence of the championship.

Whilst Chennai Super Kings’ successes have always been attributed to their stability of their core group of players, not many remember the turnaround in fortunes that Doug Bollinger induced, helping Dhoni and co. build the legacy that they currently enjoy.

#7 Glen Maxwell

In 2014, many just switched on their TV sets for the sole reason of watching Glen Maxwell bat. His single-handed destructibility of any bowling attack on hand was a thing to behold.

The man from down under has had only one really remarkable season in the IPL so far, but it was enough to warrant him a place on this list. His explosion from the middle of the Kings XI Punjab batting order helped the team from the North to their first ever finals, only to lose a close one to Kolkata last year.

Maxwell, who had already built up a reputation for big hitting with his exploits in the Big Bash and the international T20 scene. After spending a rather frustrating year with the Mumbai Indians, boy did he make the Indian think tank scratch their heads with the thought of “what could have been” on his first real exposure to the tournament.

Maxwell jumped onto the screen with a match winning score of 95 runs from 43 balls (with 15 fours and two sixes) to chase down a target of 206 in 18.5 overs. He followed that with two more man of the match performances; the first time someone had been awarded the same three matches in a row. Maxwell mauled all that came against him, piling up 522 runs in 16 games, averaging 35 whilst hitting at an astounding strike rate of 188, leading the team to a record haul of 22 points in the league stage and an eventual runners-up finish.

#6 Matthew Hayden

Air is invisible, water in wet and Mathew Hayden scores bucketful of runs. There are truths you can’t run away and these three facts will forever remain omnipresent. Mathew Hayden was a colossal presence in the middle of the park whenever the giant of a southpaw took stance.

The IPL caught a glimpse of the brutal force that Hayden was as roamed into his twilight. But even in his last years, he was certainly.Whilst his presence in the first IPL was limited to only four games, the mountain of a man strutted his stuff in the 2nd edition of the tournament, where he amassed 572 runs, whilst averaging 52 and striking at 144 to win the orange cap outright.

Team success was on the cards for the big man as well as he led the Chennai Super Kings to their maiden IPL title in 2010, finishing with 346 runs to his name in the season.

#5 Shane Warne

The IPL saw the spin maestro at display his mastery towards the swansong of his playing days. $450,000 fetched the Rajasthan Royals not only the leg-spinner they were looking for, but also the rudder to their ship and the mentor to guide their team of largely unproven talent.

Under the leadership of the Victorian, the Rajasthan Royals played well above themselves to lift the inaugural IPL trophy. Warne was not only the emotional leader of the team but also chipped in with 19 wickets to finish in second place in the race for the Purple Cap just behind fellow team-mate Sohail Tanveer.

While the Royals never really reached the same heights in the next three season under Warne, the master-spinner picked up 40 more wickets before calling it a day in 2011.

#4 Michael Hussey

The Chennai Super Kings are like the Manchester United of the IPL under Sir Alex Ferguson. They are, in fact, most successful franchise, posting records for the highest number of victories, playoff appearances, appearances in the finals and joint highest winner of the IPL.

The bedrock of Chennai’s dominance in the initial years of the competition was founded on the presence of two Australians who set the tone at the top of the order. After the retirement of Mathew Hayden, the mantle for the role was passed on to Michael Hussey. A century on his IPL debut (116 not out against Kings XI Punjab) led to a blitzkrieg start to his IPL career. But as country duties came calling the man from the Western Warriors could truly make his mark from the fourth season onwards.

His tally of 492 runs in his first full season of the competition (the fifth highest of the competition) helped Chennai retain the IPL crown. The year saw him score 4 half-centuries and pick-up three man-of-the-match prizes.

On a personal front, Hussey’s best year came in 2013 when he won the Orange cap after scoring a massive 733 runs in 17 games. During the tournament, he averaged 42 and had a strike rate of 134 whilst scoring 6 half-centuries; a major part as to why Chennai made the finals yet again.

#3 Adam Gilchrist

“Swashbuckling” is the one word that strikes the mind when it comes to describing how great Adam Gilchrist was. The keeper revolutionized the role of a keeper in modern day cricket as his powerful hitting paved the way for many to come in later years.

When the left-hander struck the ball, it remained hit and “hit” was what the ex-Aussie gloveman was in the IPL. Adam Gilchrist not only was one of the fiercest batsmen when the tournament was in its fledgling years, but also a mastermind who led the Deccan Chargers to their only tournament success in the second season.

The IPL caught a glimpse of arguably the greatest wicket-keeper–batsman in the history of the game as he meandered into his twilight. The Aussie piled up 436 and 485 runs in the first two editions of the tournament; each time finishing in the top six of the run-getters list. However, the first two season were completely polar opposites in terms of success for his team. After finishing at the bottom of the table in the inaugural season, Gilchrist captained the side to its only triumph in the second edition which was played in South Africa.

However, the elegant yet destructive left-hander failed to reach the same heights when entrusted with the Punjab team.

His 109 off 48 balls against Mumbai in the first IPL stands as a testament to the storm that the three-time World Cup winner could build up in his hay days.

#2 Shaun Marsh

Shaun Marsh introduced himself to the cricketing world with an orange cap winning performance in the first edition and has never looked back since. Whilst the Kings XI Punjab has gone through ups and downs of its own, Marsh has always been the steady factor in the team; one to whom everybody always looked up to deliver. His international career never quite took off over the years, but Marsh has proved himself more than a handful to the bowler in the IPL.

Arguably the most vital cog in the Kings XI Punjab machinery, Marsh punched 616 runs in the opening edition of the tournament before losing a tame one in the semi-finals to the Chennai SuperKings. The southpaw came back to strut his stuff again with a total of 534 runs in 2011 after missing the majority of the second and third seasons. Whilst not reaching the same heights of the first few years, Marsh has always delivered consistently for the Punjab’s franchise.

#1 Shane Watson

The Royals have always invested smartly in the IPL and the acquisition of Shane Watson in the first ever IPL auction was no different. The franchise from the North-Western paid $125,000 for the talented yet often injured Shane Watson. Their faith on Watson was paid off soon. Shane Watson has been a trailblazer ever since, becoming the face of the franchise and the cornerstone around which the Rajasthan team has been built ever since.

Except for missing the second installment of the tournament and large parts of the third one, Shane Watson has been omnipresent in the IPL. Lethal with the bat and more than capable with the ball in his hands. Whenever he has been in the Royals’ XI his presence has certainly been felt by all and sundry. He is probably the most well-rounded and explosive player that this league has ever seen.

The first year of the IPL saw arguably the very best of what Watson is capable of delivering. The Aussie finished fourth both in the race for the purple as well as the orange cap. The Queenslander’s 472 runs and 17 wickets in the tournament led the Royals to the championship and handed him the Man of the Series award.

After missing large portions of the next three seasons, Watson was again back to his ruthless best in 2013. His bat yielded 543 runs while taking 13 wickets to lead the Royals to the last 3 stage. His performances again produced a Man of the Series award.