IPL debutants who set the stage ablaze in the league phase

2. Chris Woakes

Like his countryman Stokes, Woakes too was acquired for the first time in the IPL. The English all-rounder was snapped by 2-time champions KKR to give their side the right balance. He played all but one game this season for his franchise and finished with 17 wickets. He was Gautam Gambhir’s go-to-bowler on many occasions.

The only concerning aspect about Woakes’ brilliant debut season was his economy rate which hovered over 9 runs an over in the first stage of the IPL. However, he adapted brilliantly during the second stage of the tournament and got it down to 8.77 which is acceptable if you are picking wickets as a fast bowler.

The 28-year old will be disappointed with his efforts with the bat lower down the order. Woakes has a tremendous ability with the bat but an average of 11.5 and strike rate of below 100 this year hardly highlights his talents. To be fair to him, he batted way too low down the order and had very few balls to play to make an impact.