Batsmen to watch out in IPL 5 : Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)

Chris Gayle(Royal Challengers Bangalore)

IPL 4 changed his life, he had reckoned. Such was his dominance that even though he joined the RCB after a delay of four matches, at the end of IPL-4, he turned out to be the highest run scorer with 608 runs in 12 matches.

His impasse with the West Indies cricket board will hardly affect his brutal blows and the teams would be wary what he is capable of as he hasn’t held the bat for quite some time now.

Dinesh Chandimal (Rajasthan Royals)

With the likes of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to guide him through, Chandimal has become a sensible cricketer of late. Considered to be the next big thing for The Lions, the 22-year-old is an exciting talent to watch. Under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid, the young lad might add some more weapons to his armory.

Richard Levi (Mumbai Indians)

In one T20 innings, he produced two world records! Levi scored the fastest T20 ton against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton (off 45 balls) which had 13 sixes. Within no time, he was bought by Mumbai Indians for a whopping sum of USD400,000. With Pollard, Blizzard already in the camp, Levi can further add some fireworks for his side.

Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Apart from his 11 ODI tons, the Young Turk now has a huge fan following (female) which would for sure cheer him throughput the fifth edition. His batting style, his temperament are the prerequisites of the entertaining format. Keeping his current form in mind, one should not be surprised if he turns out to be the leading run scorer in the tournament.

Michael Clarke (Pune Warriors)

He is the skipper of the World’s most threatening team. Ever since he became the captain, Clarke has proved a point with the bat whenever required. He is one of the big names recently added to IPL and Pune Warriors will have huge expectations from talented `Pup`.

Yusuf Pathan (Kolkata Knight Riders)

While talking about the shorter format, one cannot ignore Yusuf Pathan from the list. He is known for his brutal blows, and he is one of the rare gems of the Indian Premier League.

David Hussey (Kings XI Punjab)

Don’t judge him by his age (34), as with his athleticism on the field, he can make a 20-year-old run for his money. With the bat, with the bowl, at the field, none of the Kangaroos have looked like David Hussey of late. Initially known for his T20 skills, Hussey can be a force to reckon with in the shorter format of the game.

Trio of Sehwag, Warner, Pietersen (Delhi Daredevils)

Besides being valuable assets of their national teams, all three of them are also prolific openers. Delhi Daredevils never have been short of quality batsmen, yet they have not been able to move in final two. This year however, the franchise owners will hope that these three turn the fortunes for the team. Add the experience of Jayawardene, and the Daredevils batting line up once again seems to be extremely threatening!

Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings)

Popularly known as Faf, the 25-year-old is known for scoring runs all round the wicket. With his ability to score quick runs at death stages, he can be an additional asset for the mighty Chennai Super Kings in IPL-5.

Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)

Raina is a crucial part of the invincible Chennai Super Kings. He might not be able to impress his fans in other formats of the game at times, but the 25-year-old is a ‘run machine’ in Indian Premier League.