The action in Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL 2019) is all set to begin. The lucrative T20 league enters its 12th season and since its inception has provided some quality cricket and yes, entertainment as well. Initially, there were reports that the upcoming edition of IPL will be held overseas, just like in 2009 and 2014, as around same time Lok Sabha elections will be held in India. However, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) decided to hold the upcoming season of IPL in India and will make sure that there is no match in the city going for the polls. IPL 2019 Schedule in PDF: Download VIVO Indian Premier League 12 Full Timetable With Fixtures, Matches, Team and Venue Details.

The IPL 2019 will be followed by the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which starts in May, and before the mega tournament, it will be the last assignment for the Indian players. While Indian captain Virat Kohli has said that the performance in IPL will have no impact on World Cup selection, but some of the players will be keen to dish out impressive performances for the greater good.

Every team is packed with quality cricketers and before the IPL 2019, franchises had an opportunity to fine-tune their squads. While some went for a major overhaul, teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) filled the few vacant spots. Meanwhile, ahead of the IPL 2019, we try to list out a player from each franchise, who we think will be key to the team’s fortune.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Shubman Gill made his IPL debut last year. After the U-19 Cricket World Cup last year, all eyes were on Gill as he made his debut for KKR. The youngster played 13 matches for Knight Riders and scored 203 including a half-century. The right-hander has since then improved as a batsman and has even played two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for India. He has been regular with his Punjab team in the domestic cricket. This season, Gill is all set to take a major role in Knight Riders’ batting department.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Shimron Hetmyer is a promising Windies batsman who has already made positive impressions at the international level. The left-handed batsman will be making his IPL debut this year. Hetmyer has already cemented his place in the Windies team and is highly regarded as a batsman. VIVO IPL 2019: Famous Run Outs From the Past Seasons of Indian Premier League (Watch Videos).

Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Sam Billings has played 21 matches in IPL since making debut in 2016. Though he has not been handed many chances. He has returned to England T20I side and recently against Windies he scored 87 off just 47 balls while batting at six. Super Kings could use him regularly in the upcoming season as a finisher along with MS Dhoni.

Mumbai Indians (MI): Mayank Markande rose to prominence last year as he made his debut. He was quite effective for Mumbai Indians and picked 15 wickets. Markande recently made his debut for India against Australia though he went wicketless. The 21-year-old spinner is all set to play the role of a lead spinner in the team, though Mumbai have Jayant Yadav in their ranks as well.

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP): Varun Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, emerged as the costliest uncapped player at the IPL 2019 auction. He was picked by Kings XI Punjab for INR 8.4 Crores. The spinner is known to have seven variations in his bowling armoury and with Ravi Ashwin in KXIP squad, the duo can prove to be a deadly combination.

Rajasthan Royals (RR): Ashton Turner caught eyeballs during the recently concluded India vs Australia ODI series. The right-hander scored match-winning unbeaten 84 off 43 balls and helped Australia chase down record 359. However, before his breathtaking knock at the international stage, the aggressive middle-order batsman had managed to impress Rajasthan Royals scout. VIVO IPL 2019: Unbelievable Catches From the Past Seasons of Indian Premier League (Watch Videos).

Delhi Capitals (DC): Sandeep Lamichhane last season become the first player from Nepal to play in the IPL. The Nepal spinner played just three matches. However, after his maiden stint in IPL, Lamichhane participated in Carribean Premier League (CPL), Big Bash League (BBL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). He has been quite a performer in these leagues and the new-new-look Delhi team will be tempted to use the Nepal cricketer for the full season.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Khaleel Ahmed, just like Shubman Gill, made his mark in the U-19 World Cup and then earned an IPL contract. However, last season, Khaleel managed to play just one match. Since then the fast-bowler has represented India in eight ODIs and nine T20Is. He has had a decent outing with the Indian team and Sunrisers will be keen to use his services for most of the IPL 2019.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2019 05:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).