Starting in 2008, the Indian Premier League has become an immensely tough and fierce cricket tournament. Players from all across the world eagerly look forward to being a part of this esteemed juggernaut. Owing to the tournament's popularity, men from New Zealand, among other players, also expressed keen interest in being a part of IPL. For the 2022 season, many Kiwi players partook in the mega auctions, while their respective franchises owing to their exemplary on-ground heroics, kept some. We, at Crictv4u, have charted out a list of the top 10 active Kiwi players in the IPL:
1. Kane Williamson
“Captain Smiling”; we all quoted him with this name after his reaction to the 2019 world cup finals. Born in 1990, this New Zealand batsman has been among the best batters of the current generation. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, with an average of 52.5, Williamson scored 735 runs in 2018. Later in the season, he took his team to the finals. His leadership quality and calm batting style lead the franchise to retain him for the 2022 Ipl season for whopping 14r crores.
2. Trent Boult
Mr. Perfect, A great boundary fielder, can bowl at any match stage. Rajasthan Royals bagged this rare jewel of world cricket for a hefty amount of 8 crores, and this tactic played out perfectly well for the team throughout, for 17 matches in the 2022 season. Previously, he played for Mumbai Indians and helped them clinch the title in 2020. With a Phenomenal bowling average of 10.60, he took 17 wickets in 2022.
3. Lockie Ferguson
The phenomenal speedster who can take any world-class player into the bait with his exceptional command over the line and length came to the IPL set up in 2017. Ferguson made his debut for the MS-Dhoni-led Rising Pune Supergiants. He showed his skills in the matches he played in the 2020 season for KKR. He is now a member of the Gujarat Titans, who bought him for a massive amount of 10 crores and has made the Gujrat titans champions of 2022 IPL by getting 12 wickets at crucial moments.
4. Devon Conway
The Reigning champions, Chennai Super Kings, bought the classy and stylish top-order batter in the Mega Auction for INR one crore. The Left hander scored 252 runs in just seven matches with an avg. of 42, scoring three consecutive fifties. He was a boon in misery for Csk this season. Born in 1991, Conway scored a double century in his Test debut in June 2021, becoming the second batter for New Zealand after Mathew Sinclair.
5. James Neesham
Who can forget the super over of the 2019 world cup? To hold your nerves in such crunch situations takes a lot of grit. Born in 1994, Neesham has experience playing in the Indian Premier League. He was a member of the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2014 and Kings XI Punjab starting in 2015. In 2021 Mumbai Indians bought the star kiwi all- rounder, and he ended up joining the most successful franchise. The association wasn’t the one to last as he soon transferred to Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.5 crores. However, he could play two games where he played an innings of 17 runs.
6. Tim Southee
With all kinds of swings in his repertoire, Tim Southee has already assumed the title of New Zealand's top bowler at a relatively young age. Born in 1998, this veteran fast bowler played for many leading Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, including the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), before being selected by Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) in 2022 for INR1.5 crores. With a bowling average of 19.64, he took 14 wickets.
7. Mitchell Santner
A key asset for any team with beyond exceptional skills in all three departments: A clever bowler who thinks like a fox, is agile on the field, and is a handy lower-order batsman. Born in 1992, Santner was involved in New Zealand's premier seventh-wicket partnership in the Test. He is dear to Captain Mahi and has only played for Chennai Super Kings since his debut in the IPL in 2018. He was bought for INR 1.90 Crores by CSK again in 2022. He played just seven matches in the 15 th edition of IPL and picked four wickets.
8. Tim Seifert
A pocket size Dynamo. A powerful hitter, born in 1994, this wicket- keeper batsman has scored the fastest century in a domestic Twenty20 match in New Zealand. He joined the Kolkata Knight Riders club in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in October 2020 to replace the injured Ali Khan. Delhi Capitals quickly laid their hands on this talented youngster during the mega auctions.
9. Glenn Phillips
Born in 1996, Glenn Philips, a talented young wicketkeeper-batsman from New Zealand, is one of the most intriguing players. He has hit the most sixes in T20s 2021. Owing to this image, First Rajasthan Royals bought him in 2021 and later on Sunrisers Hyderabad made a bid on him for INR 1.50 Crores in 2022. He played only three matches and scored a total of twenty runs. He is a great young talent to watch out for in the future.
10. Adam Milne
Milne, a young and promising fast bowler, can slog a few in the death overs and has a devastating Yorker and a crisp bouncer. CSK bought him for INR 1.90 crores in 2022. Before that, the Mumbai Indians bought him for Rs 3.20 crores in 2021. He picked up three wickets while playing four games for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2017.
