The glittering Indian Premier League (IPL) has time and again provided several opportunities to a lot of cricketers to prove their mettle and hog the limelight. The pressure situations prevalent in IPL shapes a cricketer and there is absolutely no other battle that is as fierce as the battles present in the IPL.
Not just Indian cricketers, but international cricketers have received a plethora of opportunities in the cash-rich and competitive IPL. Often regarded as the most competitive and popular T20 franchise tournament in the world, IPL will be entering its 16th edition this season.
The teams are already made and they boast of some international superstars who will be coming to India and will plying their trade for the 11 teams in IPL.
In this article, we take a look at 3 international stars who will be playing in the IPL for the first time in IPL 2023:
1. Joe Root (Rajasthan Royals)
After going unsold in the initial round of IPL 2023, Joe Root was then sold to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the accelerated round in the IPL 2023 mini-auction. The runners-up of IPL 2022, RR purchased Root for Rs. 1 crore, which was his base price.
This will be the first time that the English batting stalwart will be plying his trade for an IPL franchise. Root has so far played 32 T20Is and has mustered 893 runs with the highest score of 90*.
2. Sikandar Raza (Punjab Kings)
One of the most prominent all-rounders presently in the world, Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza was snapped up at his base price of Rs. 50 lakhs by Punjab Kings (PBKS). Raza has a wide set of skills that he offers to a cricket team and will be one of the key cogs of Punjab Kings, who will be looking to win their first IPL title.
Along with Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza will be a force to reckon with in the IPL.
3. Litton Das (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Litton Das is an aggressive and swashbuckling Bangladeshi opener who has the ability to smear the bowlers all across the park. After letting go of Aaron Finch, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise has secured the services of Litton Das.
In all probability, it will either be Litton Das or Rahmanullah Gurbaz who will be opening the batting for KKR in IPL 2023 alongside Venkatesh Iyer.
Also read: IPL 2023: 3 Reasons Why Punjab Kings Might Qualify For Playoffs
