Calypso cricket comes to life in IPL

Dubai: While Chris Gayle may be walking tall among his compatriots in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 6, the entire band of West Indies cricketers are adding a lot of colour to the extravaganza.

The mix of calypso cricket and their customary swagger has always earned them fans around the world, and the IPL has benefited from having the likes of Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard peddling their wares in the T20 league.

West Indian cricket blossoms to its best with support from the fans and their players have received plenty of that in India. So unaware was the West Indies cricket administration about the potential of their players that they even ignored Gayle for international matches. Last year, the Caribbeans underlined their abilities in this form of cricket by winning the Twenty20 World Cup, and quite a few of their players have admitted that the world is witnessing a renaissance of their style of cricket due to the IPL.

Andre Russell, the 24-year-old West Indian all-rounder representing Delhi Daredevils, candidly admitted that their players are treated better in India than in the Caribbean. “People in India treat us like stars. We don’t get that kind of treatment in the Caribbean. I can’t explain the way they appreciate us in India,” he said.

While the players continue to provide the fireworks, the Delhi Daredevils went a step further by recently appointing the West Indies legend Viv Richards as batting consultant for their team. Here is a lowdown on the leading West Indies players in the IPL:

Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Chris Gayle, the superstar of instant cricket, wrote a new chapter in IPL history with a century off 30 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore late last month. Fans today throng the stadium just to watch his whirlwind batting and, more often than not, he obliges them with a shower of sixes and breathtaking boundary hits. He stands tall with the Orange Cap for the highest scorer in IPL, the maximum amount of sixers and the highest score of 175, which is also the highest ever in Twenty20 cricket. Gayle is also a fine fielder and effective off-spinner. In his first two stints for Bangalore in IPL, he was the team’s leading runscorer and in 2012 he piled up 733 runs. What’s more, a statistical study reveals he has a strike rate of 160 in the IPL.

Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings)

Dwayne Bravo represents the West Indies style of cricket, be it bowling or batting. He even possesses Caribbean swagger. He sparkled for Mumbai Indians in the first three seasons of the IPL and then got picked up by Chennai Super Kings in 2011. His ability to hit hard and bowl with immaculate line and length with variation in pace has made him an effective Twenty20 player. His impressive performance in the IPL earned him call-ups to play

for the Sydney Sixers in Australia’s the Big Bash League and the Bangladesh Premier League.

Darren Sammy (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The skipper of the West Indies team, who inspired his team to World Twenty20 Cup glory last year, is an effective all-rounder. This unassuming player was the first international cricketer from St Lucia. He created history in October, 2010 by becoming the first cricketer from St Lucia to be named West Indies captain after Chris Gayle had quit the team. He went on to transform the West Indies into a winning squad by getting the best out of the talent available to him. He also led from the front at crucial times with his batting and bowling skills. He was signed up by the new Sunrisers Hyderabad team for $425,000.

Andre Russell (Delhi Daredevils)

Andre Russell is being hailed as the future superstar for the Windies. In view of his burgeoning potential, the Delhi franchise signed him up for $450,000 at the IPL players’ auction in 2012. This Jamaican all-rounder can strike the ball hard while his effectiveness as a bowler, who can bowl a line and length to fox batsmen, has yielded fine results. Team India experienced his batting skills during a 2011 one-dayer when he hit an unbeaten 92 to rescue the West Indies from a tight situation. Russell is also fit, athletic and brilliant fielder.

Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders)

He was an unknown spinner until the Indian Premier League brought to light his skills. Most batsmen’s inability to play him in the IPL has earned him the title of ‘a mystery spinner’, and in 2012 he gave every batsmen in the IPL a lot of trouble. He was spotted by the Knight Riders following his impressive showings for the Trinidad and Tobago team in the 2011 Champions League T-20. He rewarded those who spotted him by bagging 24 wickets for just 5.47 runs per over and won the IPL 2012’s player of the tournament award.

Dwayne Smith (Mumbai Indians)

Smith has been hailed as a master in Twenty20 cricket. So impressive has he been as a player that he has often got compared to the ‘master blaster’ Sir Viv Richards. Smith also added to his repertoire by becoming an effective medium pacer with more than 120 wickets to his name in first-class cricket and more than 75 scalps in T20s. It is through Twenty20 cricket that he got to play in Tests and also one-dayers for West Indies. Smith caught the attention through Sussex in Twenty20 cricket and went on to play a big role in West Indies’ success in the last ICC World T20 Cup.

Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)

Kieron Pollard is as exciting to watch like Chris Gayle when in full flow. An absolute entertainer, he is Trinidad’s hero and his big hits lure fans

to the grounds. His all-round skills have been an asset for Mumbai as he has often given his team breakthroughs with his medium pace and is also a brilliant fielder in the deep. He sparkled for Mumbai Indians in 2010 but is yet to live up to his full potential.

Fidel Edwards (Rajasthan Royals)

Fidel Edwards is considered an effective pacer in sub-continental conditions as he is among the very few West Indies pacers who have mastered the art of reverse swing. He made his mark through a five-wicket spell against Sri Lanka in 2003 and Deccan Chargers were the first IPL team to utilise his talents when the league began. For this year’s IPL, he got picked by the Rajasthan Royals team. Though he has not lived up to his full potential due to a series of injuries, he has bagged more than 150 Test wickets.

Kevon Cooper (Rajasthan Royals)

Kevon Cooper can bat and bowl according to the need of the hour. His performance for Trinidad & Tobago played a big role in Rajasthan Royals signing him up for the IPL 2012. It was a special year for Cooper as he also made his first-class debut last year. Though Cooper’s bowling action was considered suspect during his early days, he corrected it through a course in Perth. He has been impressive for Rajasthan in all the matches, though injuries have hindered his progress.

Samuel Badree (Rajasthan Royals)

Samuel Badree is an effective leg spinner, especially in the Twenty20 format. After making his debut for the West Indies Twenty20 team in 2012, he has gone from strength to strength and also played his part in the West Indies lifting the 2012 World T20 Cup in Colombo. If Badree finds his rhythm, he can run through the team, as he proved in the WICB Cup final in 2008, when he emerged as the man of the match in Trinidad & Tobago’s exciting victory over Barbados.

Jason Holder (Chennai Super Kings)

At 6ft 7ins, pace bowler Jason Holder can spread fear among batsmen. One of the reasons that Chennai signed him up was to ensure a stoppage of the run flow through his intimidating presence. The Chennai team management were impressed with his displays in West Indies domestic cricket for Barbados before roping him in. His first-class bowling average of 20 also went in favour of him being picked for the IPL. Holder is set to make his mark in international cricket after making his debut this year in the one-day series against Australia.