No cricket calendar is complete without the Indian Premier League, with the biggest competition in Twenty20 club cricket. The competition will see the latest and greatest players in the T20 game coming together to battle for supremacy.
While players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and JaspritBumrahare staples of the Indian game, which three foreign players are the ones you should be looking out for this year?
Ben Stokes – Chennai Super Kings
Gold Rate
25 July 2025
Ben Stokes is one of the premier names in all formats of the game of cricket. Stokes has been the main man for England over the last few years and was rewarded for his success as he became the captain of England’s Test team in place of Joe Root.
Despite being the main man in Test cricket, few see Stokes as a traditional Test player, or a traditional cricketer at all. The all-rounder is doing his best to revolutionise the longest format of the game by showcasing and championing an explosive style of cricket, even in the longest format.
This has seen Stokes play an all-action style of cricket in all formats of the game that has only helped him become a more coveted prospect in the game of cricket. Playing for the Chennai Super Kings, Ben Stokes will ply his trade alongside IPL legends MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, while he also has England teammate Moeen Ali alongside him too.
If any team lets Stokes get in, then he can cause untold damage with the bat too. He also provides a handy prospect with the ball, with his fast and aggressive bowling making him a real threat in the field, while he is prone to the spectacular when out in the deep too.
Lockie Ferguson – Kolkata Knight Riders
Lockie Ferguson is one of the premier fast bowlers in the game of cricket. Able to hit speeds well in excess of 90mph, Ferguson has played for Rising Pune Supergiant and the Kolkata Knight Riders among other sides, and he has proved to be an invaluable asset.
On pitches in India that are more prone to spin, having an asset that does not necessarily need the pitch to be playing ball is huge. This is something Ferguson brings in spades. Pace is dangerous in the game of cricket, and it can quite often prove the difference on pitches that are not giving much help to the bowler.
However, quick bowling can be dangerous to the side seeking to use it. A slight touch off the bat can see a 95mph delivery go flying towards the boundary, while if a player is seeing the ball like football and they can middle the delivery, then big maximums are on the cards. Conversely, if a batter is looking to accelerate the scoring with big hits, fast and accurate yorkers can help to peg a player back in their crease, while the ‘you miss, I hit’ mantra is what fast bowlers were brought up on. While Ferguson has gone under the radar at times, this could prove to be his tournament.
Jos Buttler – Rajasthan Royals
Jos Buttler has been the premier player in the shorter formats of the game of cricket for years, and for good reason. The England wicket-keeper is one of the most explosive players in the game, capable of turning a match on its head in an instant.
His time with England has brought huge success, with World Cup triumphs in the 50 over and 20 over game, including as the captain of the latter. What sets Buttler apart from many other players is his ability to score runs on tricky surfaces. While some players try to force big hitting or shrink into their shells when the ball is talking or the pitch is slow, Buttler is adept at working out how and where he can score runs. Whether this is by taking the intelligent ones and twos or finding the gaps in the field rather than trying to go over it, Buttler is just a run scoring machine.
Add to this his exceptional ability behind the stumps, and you have got one of the best all-rounders in the game, and arguably the most destructive player with bat in hand. The Royals ability to retain Buttler bodes well for them this year and it no surprise that leading Indian betting sites are making them real contenders to be crowed IPL champions.
