5 overseas players in IPL whose national boards might be eyeing tournament closely ahead of T20 WC 2024

Fans are enjoying the action and thrill of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024; the tournament is underway with some amazing performances from the batters and bowlers of all the participating teams. Both young and experienced Indian players in the tournament have impressed the fans and experts with their performances while the overseas cricketers have also risen on the occasion and shown amazing and impressive talent.

Some of the young and emerging overseas talents have lived up to the expectations of both the fans and the franchises they are playing for. But this edition of the IPL is also going to be important to all the teams in international cricket as the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is set to commence on June 1, 2024, just within a week after the end of the ongoing IPL 

With said that, here we’ll have a look at 5 overseas players in the current season whose national cricket board might be keeping a close eye on their performances ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Here’s a look at 5 overseas players in IPL ‘in focus’ for T20 World Cup 2024

1. Gerald Coetzee - MI 

The young South Africa pacer Gerald Coetzee attracted the eyeballs for his sensational performances in the ODI World Cup 2023. He scalped 20 wickets in 8 innings of 8 matches with an economy rate of 4.06. later, he was picked by the Mumbai Indians franchise in the IPL 2024 mini-auction for an amount of INR 5 crores.

In the two matches he has played so far for MI in IPL 2024, he has scalped 3 wickets with a best performance of 2/27. The SA cricket board must be watching Coetzee in IPL very closely to acquire his services in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.

2. Cameron Green - RCB

Last year in the Indian Premier League 2023, the 24-year-old Aussie all-rounder made his debut for Mumbai Indians in the tournament. He played 16 matches and batted brilliantly, scoring 452 runs with an amazing average of 50.22, hitting a century and 2 half-centuries.

Later in the IPL 2024 mini-auction, Green was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a big amount of INR 17.50 crores. In the IPL 2024 so far, the Aussie all-rounder has played 3 matches and scored 54 runs, including a best score of 33 runs. Besides this, he has also claimed two wickets with the ball. Australia might be hoping for the best out of Cameron Green for RCB in the ongoing IPL 2024 in their quest for an all-rounder in the T20 World Cup.

3. Rachin Ravindra - CSK 

The young New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra is appearing in the first IPL in his cricketing career, he was bought by the five-time champions, CSK for an amount of INR 1.80 crores during the IPL 2024 mini-auction. He had a record-extending campaign for New Zealand with the bat in the ODI World Cup 2023.

In the ongoing edition of IPL, Rachin has scored 85 runs in 3 innings of 3 matches with an average of 28.33, with a highest score of 46 runs. The Blackcaps management must be following CSK’s every match to get their potential opener for the T20 World Cup in Rachin Ravindra.

4. Heinrich Klaasen - SRH

The explosive Proteas batter Heinrich Klaasen left everyone awestruck with his swashbuckling performances in the ongoing 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. He was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 mini-auction for the same price of INR 5.25 crores, which they bought him during the IPL 2023 mega auction.

He has batted with an amazing and aggressive batting approach in the IPL 2024 so far, scoring 167 runs in just 3 innings of the 3 matches with a sensational average of 83.50, hitting two blistering half-centuries. He is going to be a ‘go-to’ middle-order striker for South Africa in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

5. Matheesha Pathirana - CSK 

The young Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana made his IPL debut in the 2022 edition for Chennai Super Kings; he could play only 2 matches in IPL 2022, picking 2 wickets; but he got good chances to display his talent last year in IPL 2023, playing 12 matches, and scalping 18 wickets with a best performance of 3/15.

In the current season of the tournament, he has scalped 4 wickets in 2 innings of the 2 matches he has played for CSK. Sri Lanka will be hoping Matheesha Pathirana stays away from injury as he is expected to be the strike pacer for them in the T20 World Cup.