IPL 2023: Four West Indies players to watch out in Indian Premier League season 16

Indian Premier League will be taking the centre stage from March 31 as ten teams square off for the ultimate glory.

West Indies players are synonymous with IPL. From the western island countries, there have been giants of the game who have honed the jerseys of several IPL franchises over the years, and have conquered.

From the universal boss Chris Gayle to Mumbai's own Kieron Pollard and Chennai's 'Champion' Dwayne Bravo - some stalwarts of the T20 game have run the show in the IPL in the yesteryears. But there are still many big names who will be hoping to continue their merry way in the IPL.

There is the Kolkata Knight Riders duo of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell - who are part of the KKR team for a decade now. We won't include the KKR duo in this list as they always are two important players to keep an eye on.

Apart from them, there are a few more players to watch out for from the Caribbean islands this year-

IPL 2023: West Indies players to keep an eye on

Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals)

Shimron Hetmyer is with the Rajasthan Royals since 2022. The swashbuckler was roped in by the Royals and he paid dividends with some decent batting displays.

Hetmyer scored 314 runs last season at a fantastic average and was the fourth-highest run-getter for the Royals. But he was left out of the WI T20 World Cup squad for missing the flight and hasn't played for them since.

The 26-year-old featured in the ILT20 in the UAE and was fantastic for Gulf Giants, playing a key part in their title-winning season. The southpaw will be a vital cog in the Royals' side and will definitely be a player to watch out this year.

Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants)

Nicholas Pooran was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad before the last auction. But there were no shortage of takers as Pooran attracted an aggressive bidding war when his name came up.

Lucknow Super Giants ended up getting Pooran for a mammoth price of INR 16 crore, and the player will be taking field this year with a massive price tag.

Pooran's performances will be closely scrutinized more because of his price tag, and the southpaw needs to do better this time around. He scored 306 runs for SRH last season in an underwhelming season.

For LSG, Pooran can play in the middle order and will get enough freedom to build his innings given their squad depth. The West Indies batter is a destructive player, a proven match-winner. Apart from his batting, his wicketkeeping abilities makes Pooran a key part of the team and there is no doubt eyes will be on him this year.

Rovman Powell (Delhi Capitals)

Rovman Powell's main strength is his hard-hitting batting and ability to muscle the ball over the ropes. Delhi Capitals used him in the middle order as a finisher and yielded decent results as the player scored 250 runs.

Powell will have a big role for DC in this IPL, especially with the injury of Rishabh Pant. The Windies batter is a destroyer on his day, but needs consistency with the bat this year. Also, he bowled just one over last year and will expect to bowl a bit more.

Powell managed only 189 runs in the PSL while playing for Peshawar Zalmi, but batted at a lofty strike rate of 167. DC fans will be hoping for some stormy batting from Powell this year as well.

Kyle Mayers (Lucknow Super Giants)

Kyle Mayers will be playing for Lucknow Super Giants, as the LSG franchise roped him in for INR 50 lakh in the auction.

The left-handed batter has been one of the elite performers for the West Indies in the last year or so. Mayers, 30, has 408 T20I runs to his name at a decent strike rate, and can roll his arms with some decent medium-pace bowling.

Although Mayers was not a headline acquisition, the West Indies players can emerge as one of the top players this year. Mayers will have the opportunity to showcase his raw hitting power, and his multifaceted role makes him one player to watch out for in IPL 2023