The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a world-class and highly competitive T20 cricket league that showcases some of the finest players and teams from India and overseas. The 16th edition of this mega event, IPL 2023, will be more thrilling and exciting than ever before. This means that there will be more games, more contests, more talent, and more fun for the fans.
With that said, one question is asked: who will be the black horse of this year's IPL?
A player or a team who is not expected to perform well or win the tournament, but surprises everyone with their performance and results, is called a black horse in the Indian Premier League. They are often underrated or overlooked by others, but they have the potential and talent to challenge the favourites and create upsets. For instance, Punjab Kings were considered black horses by some experts in IPL 2021, as they had a strong batting line-up and some exciting young players. However, they could not maintain their consistency and finished sixth in the points table.
Similarly, some players who performed exceptionally well in IPL 2021 despite not being very famous or expensive in the auction were Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Devdutt Padikkal. Harshal Patel was traded from Delhi Capitals to Royal Challengers Bangalore and became the leading wicket-taker of IPL 2021 with 32 wickets.
Here are some players that could become the black horse for IPL 2023.
Sam Curran is an England all-rounder who has been bought by Punjab Kings for a record Rs 18.50 crore at the IPL 2023 auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.
With his skills and form, he can be a game-changer for Punjab Kings and help them win their maiden IPL title. He can contribute with both bat and ball, as well as being a brilliant fielder. He can adapt to any situation and play according to the team's needs. He can also handle pressure well and perform under challenging conditions. He has experience playing in India and knows how to exploit the pitches and conditions there.
Ben Stokes is a cricketer from England who leads their Test team and also plays for their T20I team. He can do well in batting, bowling, and fielding. He will be part of IPL 2023 and will be auctioned for it. He joined CSK for INR 16.25 crore in the IPL 2023 auction that happened on December 23, 2022.
Stokes has a chance to be the black horse of IPL 2023 because he has played a lot of T20 cricket before. He has been in different T20 leagues, including IPL, where he played for RR and RPS before CSK. He also did some amazing things for England in T20Is, like scoring 47 not out off 24 balls against India in Ahmedabad this year. He could also help CSK with some problems they have in IPL 2023, like giving them more options in batting and bowling, making their lower order stronger, and bringing his captaincy skills to their team
Cameron Green is a young Australian cricketer who has both batting and bowling skills. He plays for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers domestically and made his debut for Australia in 2020. He was bought by Mumbai Indians for a huge amount of money at the IPL 2023 auction, becoming the second most expensive player in the league. As always, auctions often affect IPL betting odds from 10CRIC and other predictions.
Green has a chance to become the black horse of IPL 2023 because he can perform well in different roles and situations. He can also learn from Kieron Pollard, who retired from IPL after being a key player for Mumbai Indians for many years. However, he also has some challenges and risks ahead of him.
