10 players who were the toughest opponents of their current IPL 2018 teams in the past 

Courtesy the mega IPL 2018 auction, teams had the opportunity to begin from scratch by plugging in the gaps in their squad to revamp their rosters almost entirely. Many of the decisions made by the franchises came as a complete shock, while some surely delighted the fans.

Quite remarkably, this year will see nearly all the teams having those players in their side, who proved to be a thorn for them in the past. It could be the perfect plan to buy out their adversaries so that they don’t bear the burden to lose a game especially when it matters the most.

Some players have had the affinity to play well against a certain team always. Here are those 11 players who will no longer trouble their favorite opponents, but play with them instead this season:

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#1 - Brendon McCullum

The former Kiwi skipper was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore this year. Widely expected to open the batting, his selection is quite an irony. 10 years ago, when the IPL began, it was RCB who took on Kolkata Knight Riders in the first match of the competition at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

McCullum, who was then a Knight Rider, hammered an unbeaten 158 off 73 balls. A knock which is memorable to date and perhaps in the top IPL innings of all-time. The RCB bowlers were taken to the cleaners. But this innings launched the tournament in style, taking T20 cricket to new heights.

Besides KKR, McCullum has also been a part of teams such as Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Chennai Super Kings, and the Gujarat Lions. That epic knock helped McCullum have impressive numbers against RCB throughout his IPL career –

Matches 15, Runs 569, Average 43.76, Strike rate 148.17.

This time, the Chinnaswamy will be on McCullum’s side. Can he fire them to the IPL title?

#2 Chris Gayle

If RCB gained McCullum’s services, it was probably due to them wanting to release Gayle. The West Indies opener was nearly denied an IPL season but was snapped up by a surprise bidder in the 11th hour, Kings XI Punjab for his base price of Rs. 2 crores.

So Gayle will be switching jerseys after 7 long seasons. Now whether this is purely coincidental or not, during his time at Kolkata Knight Riders from 2009-2010 and Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2011-2017, Gayle thrived on taking on Punjab’s bowlers with disdain.

Till date, he holds the record of scoring the most runs by any batsman in IPL history against Kings XI Punjab. One of his unforgettable knocks came against them in the 2015 edition of the tournament. His 57-ball 117 demoralized Punjab to such an extent that they ended up losing by 138 runs at the Chinnaswamy. These are some of his numbers against the Kings XI Punjab –

Matches 16, Runs 797, Average 53.13, Strike rate 174.78

Kings XI will be relieved of the massive onslaught, having acquired his services. With the opener being in good touch recently, Mohali could expect more fireworks from him.

#3 Shane Watson

Watson can credit the IPL to revive his white-ball career for Australia back in 2008, when he starred in the Rajasthan Royals’ winning campaign. He played for them from 2008-2015 and featured in several stirring battles against arguably the competition’s most consistent side that period, Chennai Super Kings. Without big stars, the Royals had beaten them in the final of the 2008 tournament, so that is perhaps where the rivalry began.

The Aussie all-rounder played a huge role in their wins, blending his big-match experience perfectly to the situation. Amongst the top 5 run-getters of all time against CSK, Watson stands fourth in the list but has the highest strike rate, 153.35!

His innings of 101 off 61 balls in the humidity of Chennai against a top quality bowling attack, spoke volumes of his skill and durability. Even though the Royals lost that game of 2013, it was one of the finest and competitive matches of that edition. Here are some of Watson’s numbers over the years vs the Super Kings –

Matches 12, Runs 480, Average 43.63, Strike rate 153.35

After playing for RCB in the last two seasons, Watson was picked up by Chennai Super Kings surprisingly and not the Royals. His flexibility to bat in any position and golden arm while bowling, gives Dhoni’s men an enviable balance this time.

#4 - Harbhajan Singh

Chennai have got another now former adversary of theirs, from another major arch rival side. Harbhajan Singh and Mumbai Indians were synonymous to each other for all the ten seasons of the IPL so far. Therefore, it came as a massive shock that Bhajji wasn’t retained or bought back by the Right to Match card during the 2018 auction.

Instead, the Super Kings hired him for his base price of Rs.2 crore. Now it could be a masterstroke as Harbhajan is a wily old fox in the T20 cricket, having proven his mettle and winning many games for a Mumbai side that has won 3 IPL titles.

Many of his fiercest battles came against Chennai in crunch games, often stifling the likes of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni successfully. He has the most number of wickets by any bowler in IPL history against them. His dazzling spell of 5-18 in their IPL 2011 game at the Wankhede, was his best performance. Mumbai had beaten Chennai by 8 runs.

Here are some of his numbers against them –

Matches 21, Wickets 24, Average 21.04, Economy rate 6.55

It will be interesting to see Bhajji in yellow in this tournament, especially when Chennai take on Mumbai. Who will be the winner?

#5 - Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir expressed his adoration for the Delhi Daredevils, returning to their fold this season. Afterall, it is his first IPL franchise and his home city. Yet, when Gambhir switched teams in 2011 to Kolkata Knight Riders, he stopped short of nothing in giving the Daredevils a tough time.

In fact, in a way, Gambhir can be given credit for Kolkata winning against Delhi more often during his time as captain. Perhaps, knowing the conditions at the Feroz Shah Kotla and having played many of their bowlers before in other competitions, was crucial to his success.

He turned out to be the highest run-getter against Delhi amongst all KKR batsmen. On the all-time highest run-getters list, Gambhir sits on the 8th position. Here are some of his numbers against the Daredevils in 7 seasons –

Matches 14, Runs 413, Average 34.41, Strike rate 124.39

Gambhir’s highest score of 71* against them came in their IPL 2017 match in Kolkata, as the hosts chased down 161 with utmost and incredible ease. Will he inflict the same pain on his former franchise? Gambhir vs KKR will be a battle to watch out for!

#6 - JP Duminy

Duminy started his career with Mumbai Indians, playing for them in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He is back playing with them after 8 years.

Yet, in between he plied his trade with teams such as Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils. During his time with these 2 teams, the South African left-hander must have surely made Mumbai regret their decision to let him go, even though the team has always been blessed with star players.

Even though Mumbai won the IPL 2015 title, they were subjected to an upset 37-run loss to the Delhi Daredevils in Delhi. It was in that game that Duminy smashed his highest score of 78* against them, scoring the runs in just 50 balls. He batted at No.3, being the captain of the side. It made the innings more special.

Here are some of his numbers against MI –

Matches 8, Runs 261, Average 65.25, Strike rate 133.16

Duminy’s consistency made him a dangerous opponent. With his acquisition, Mumbai can be rest assured of adding one or two more victories to their belt during the group matches this year.

#7 - Yusuf Pathan

The burly, aggressive right-handed batsman will be playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, just his third IPL team in 11 seasons. He made a name for himself with the Rajasthan Royals, starring in their 2008 IPL win and with the Kolkata Knight Riders in their 2012 and 2014 wins.

He might be criticized for his inconsistency, yet Pathan was instrumental in KKR’s dominance over one team from 2013-2017. That team proved to be the Sunrisers ironically. He seemed to take a shine into their much sought-after bowling attack, not sparing them one bit.

Pathan etched his name into history books with a remarkable knock of 72, coming off only 22 balls in their IPL 2014 game in Kolkata. It was the fastest fifty in IPL history. More importantly, the chase of 161 was completed within 15 overs to ensure that SRH was knocked out of the tournament and KKR would top the points table heading into the playoffs. That proved crucial in them going on to win the title.

He has some jaw-dropping numbers against Hyderabad –

Matches 12, Runs 286, Average 57.20, Strike rate 161.58

With Pathan joining his favourite opposition this season, he will have to hunt for another one to prey on. Will be it his former teams, RR and KKR? We will find out soon!

#8 - Manish Pandey

Another ex-KKR player makes this list. Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey will also join the Sunrisers Hyderabad ranks this year, having turned out for KKR from 2014-17. It will be his fourth team after RCB and the now-defunct Pune Warriors India.

Like Pathan, Pandey too seemed to enjoy playing against a difficult Sunrisers bowling attack. Even though he doesn’t have a massive, significant performance, Pandey provided KKR with the stability at the top of the order which helped the others score freely. His average of 38.12 bears testimony to that. Here are his all-time numbers against SRH –

Matches 11, Runs 305, Average 38.12, Strike rate 118.67

He sits on the 7th position in the highest run-getters list against his now current team. Pandey’s presence is not only expected to boost SRH’s batting, but also of getting rid of a potential opponent.

#9 - R Vinay Kumar

Vinay Kumar’s IPL journey has been a see-saw one. Yet, when it comes to taking wickets, his prowess hasn’t gone unnoticed. As a result, Kolkata Knight Riders picked him up again at the IPL 2018 auction, four years after he played for them in their IPL winning campaign.

KKR seemed to have thought it out well, since Vinay has been a thorn in their stride as an opponent. Whether it be for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kochi Tuskers Kerala or the Mumbai Indians. His best figures of 3-23 came in RCB colours, when they beat KKR in an IPL 2010 game. In the IPL 2017, Vinay Kumar picked up the crucial wickets of Yusuf Pathan and his now teammate, Chris Lynn that helped MI make it to the playoffs as the No.1 side of the group stages.

Here is a summary of his performances against KKR –

Matches 12, Wickets 19, Average 16.15, Economy rate 7.00

Vinay sits second on the highest all-time wicket-takers list against Kolkata in IPL history, behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar. KKR need him to be at his lethal best in the purple and gold colours this season, if they have any chance of winning the competition.

#10 - Mitchell Johnson

Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has frightened batsmen the world over. When it comes to the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders is one team that can vouch for that. Over the years, whether it is for Kings XI Punjab or Mumbai Indians, Johnson proved to be menacing for the 2-time IPL champions.

He picked up 3 wickets in 2 games against KKR in the IPL 2017, ensuring that Mumbai win both those games. Considering that he hasn’t featured in all the games from the period of 2013-17, Johnson’s numbers are quite decent –

Matches 9, Wickets 14, Average 18.92, Economy rate 7.75

Johnson is on the 8th position of the all-time wicket-takers list against KKR. That will obviously change this season as he will be playing for them alongside Australian teammates Chris Lynn and Mitchell Starc. Should Johnson and Starc get to pair up, it will be an exciting prospect as they could remind many of their Aussie days together. An on-song Johnson would be hard to stop for any opposition.