The IPL has just passed the halfway mark. A few Aussies have excelled, several have struggled and some have been dropped. Here are all 14 players ranked in order – without fear or favour!
1. Josh Hazlewood (Bangalore): 12 wickets, average: 20, economy rate: 8.4
In a tournament designed to make bowlers cry, the big quick from Bendemeer has been elite.
I can almost hear you yelling, ‘How can 8.4 runs per over be elite?!’ The answer is massive bats, flat decks and tiny boundaries. More than once, Hazlewood has had a batter swiping uncontrollably at a bouncer – only for the ball to ping off the inch-thick top-edge of the bat and sail over the keeper’s head to the rope.
Hazlewood has taken the equal second most wickets in the tournament; only three quicks have a better economy rate – and one of those is Bumrah. His reputation as being one of the very best has got even bigger in the tournament so far.
2. Mitchell Marsh (Lucknow): 344 runs, average: 43, strike rate 163
Mitch has been ultra consistent for Justin Langer’s Lucknow Super Giants, with four 50s in his eight innings, at a very decent clip. If he keeps this up, they’ll want him back in the Test team!
3. Tim David (Bangalore): 142 runs, average 142, strike rate 195
It is criminal how low David is batting. He even came in at number 8 in one game – and proceeded to blast 37 not out from 20 balls. The other night, in a game reduced to 14 overs by rain, he came in at number 7, with his side 5/33 and collapsing. David looked comfortable from the start and, despite needing to refuse singles in order to farm the strike, finished with 50 not out from 26 – including hitting the last 3 balls for 20 runs. (That is not a typo!)
4. Mitchell Starc (Delhi): 11 wickets, average: 27, economy rate: 10.1
Going at over 10 runs an over, Starc has certainly copped his fair share of tap, but he has also been a match winner. His highlight so far was bowling two of the last three overs against Rajasthan, when the game looked lost. With a mixture of precision yorkers and reverse swing Starc somehow secured a tie for Delhi. Delhi went on to win the super over comfortably – and naturally it was Starc who they chose to bowl it.
5. Travis Head (Hyderabad): 242 runs, average: 35, strike rate: 168
In a disappointing season for last year’s runners up, Head has not been his normal dominant self. Despite this, his numbers are more than respectable – and it’s a mark of just how good he has been in recent years that this season he has been regarded as underperforming.
6. Glenn Maxwell (Punjab): 41 runs, average: 8, strike rate: 100. 4 wickets, average: 28, economy rate: 8.5
You must think I am mad for rating him this high! It’s a weird one. Maxwell has indeed had a season to forget with the bat – he has been so bad, coach Ricky Ponting has had no choice but to drop him. Yet, although used only sparingly, it’s undeniable that his bowling has been rather good – indeed he has the best economy rate of anyone in the Punjab team.
7. Xavier Bartlett (Punjab): 2 wickets, average: 42, economy rate: 9.3
Bartlett has looked pretty good in the three games he has played so far, however, when batters have attacked him he’s been dispatched pretty easily. Such is the life of a bowler in the IPL!
8. Pat Cummins (Hyderabad): 7 wickets, average: 36, economy rate: 10.2. 64 runs, average: 21, strike rate: 160
Pat Cummins is the tournament’s lone overseas skipper, and the high regard in which he is held in India makes it all the more disappointing that his Hyderabad side have struggled and now appear unlikely to reach the finals. He has probably bowled better than his figures suggest, but, as with last season, it has been adequate and no more. He’s clouted a few balls nicely when batting in the lower order.
9. Nathan Ellis (Chennai): 1 wicket, average: 38, economy rate: 9.5
So far, Ellis has been picked for just the one match for Chennai. Given what a disastrous season Chennai has had, they could do worse than start picking him again.
10. Marcus Stoinis (Punjab): 67 runs, average: 17, strike rate: 152. 0 wickets for 123 runs, economy rate: 11.5
Stoinis clouted Indian Test quick Mohammed Shami for four successive sixes to close out the innings a few games back. It was a stunning performance – but that aside, it has been a very quiet IPL so far for him.
11. Josh Inglis (Punjab): 45 runs, average: 15, strike rate: 113
Inglis has played the last three games for Punjab and looked progressively better with the bat in each one, and excellent with the gloves. Given an extended run, he has every chance of succeeding, but it’s a cut-throat league and he’ll need a big score soon.
12. Adam Zampa (Hyderabad): 2 wickets, average: 47, economy rate: 11.8
Sadly after just two games Zampa did not figure again for Hyderabad. A recurrence of his 2023 shoulder injury forced him to head home for treatment.
13. Spencer Johnson (Kolkata): 1 wicket, average 133, economy rate: 11.7
At his best, Johnson is a fearsome bowler. But in Indian conditions at his speed the margin for error is low. After an expensive four matches for Kolkata he has been dropped and might not appear again this season.
14. Jake Fraser McGurk (Delhi): 55 runs, average: 9, strike rate: 106
The saddest tale of them all. In 2024 Fraser McGurk was electrifying; this season he has been a walking wicket. He’s so exciting to watch – knowing he’s likely to try to hit almost every ball to the fence – but in this IPL he has just kept hitting balls either straight up or straight to fielders – and his dropping, when it came, was a surprise to nobody. I still think he has a bright future though.
Well, there you have it. What do you think? Let me know which ones I’ve got wrong!
