Indian Premier League 2024: Best players so far

The Indian Premier League is now a fortnight into action for the 2024 season, with run records already smashed on what seems to be a wonderful selection of pitches for batting.

We break down some of the stars of the tournament in the early stages.

Riyan Parag (Rajasthan Royals) – 181 runs @181

The Rajasthan Royals were on the search for a reliable middle-order batsman which even saw them promote Ravi Ashwin to number 5 on some occasions last year, but it seems they’ve finally found one in the form of Riyan Parag’s sudden upturn in form.

The right-hander has been with the Royals for five years now but has frequently failed to deliver on his undeniable talent, but the past fortnight has seen the Indian really hit his stride. His 181 across three innings so far is made even better by the fact he’s finished not out in all of them, seeing him hold a freakish average of 181 at the time of writing – his standout innings of 84* off 45 balls essentially winning the game for the Royals in their second match.

Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 167 runs @83.50

South African middle-order batsman Heinrich Klaasen has truly emerged as one of the best, if not the best, white-ball players on the planet in the past two years. His freakishly big hitting range and seamless ability to clear the rope makes him an incredible asset to have towards the end of the innings and he’s already been showcasing his talents on these true Indian decks so far this tournament.

Klaasen’s bonkers 80* off just 34 deliveries catapulted the Sunrisers to a new IPL record of 277-3 from their 20 overs, in which he crunched seven sixes and five fours. His 167 runs in the competition so far places him third in the top run scorer category, behind only Riyan Parag and Virat Kohli.

Mayank Yadav (Lucknow Super Giants) – 6 wickets @5.50

The conventional bowling statistics of wickets taken and economy – while undeniably impressive for just two matches so far this tournament – aren’t what people are raving about when it comes to Indian pace bowler Mayank Yadav. He has been clocked at a scarcely believable 97.3 mph in just his second IPL game and is already responsible for three of the top five fastest balls ever in the competition.

His incredible delivery to bowl Cam Green against RCB flicked the top of off stump and flew over KL Rahul behind the stumps all the way to the boundary. Such searing pace is usually a recipe for a high economy rate, but his six wickets at 5.50 runs an over means he is remarkably going at under a run a ball so far while picking up key wickets in the process.

Mustafizur Rahman (Chennai Super Kings) – 7 wickets @8.83

Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman – known as ‘The Fizz’ to some IPL commentators – was a big coup for defending champions Chennai Super Kings in this year’s draft, having performed strongly for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals across previous editions of the competition.

The left-arm seamer is full of tricks and bowls a horrible slower delivery that often deceives some of the big hitters. His 4/29 against RCB in the opening match of the tournament saw him pick up the player of the match award and he’s gone onto amass seven wickets in just three games – nobody has picked up more so far.