One of the reasons why cricket is such an engaging game is because it is a team sport and it allows participation and heroics of more than one player. There are some players who are expected to perform with the bat and ball regularly while there are players who can literally turn the match on its head in just a matter of a few overs. 

Players like these are absolute match-winners and each team, while making their first XI, try to make sure that they have players such as these. T20 cricket is a funny game, there could be a player who scores 100 of 60 balls, but then is robbed off victory because some guy scored a quickfire 10-ball 35 from the opposition. 

In simple words, some players are tasked with the responsibility of anchoring the match for their side, while you will find some players given a specific role to play at several important stages during the match. As the IPL 2021 is about to begin on April 9, let us take a look at-

X-Factor Players from each team in IPL 2021

1. Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The big West Indian is one of the most dangerous batsmen in the T20 format. He is one player who has always brought his best game to the IPL. He is certainly the X-factor for the Kolkata Knight Riders, which is also the reason why the franchise has stuck with him even when he hasn’t had the best seasons, as far as performances are concerned. 

In the 2020 season, Russell’s form with the bat was slightly underwhelming. He could only manage 117 runs from the 10 innings which he played. But, KKR would remember the 2018 and 2019 season, where he was a key member of their batting unit and had produced many match-winning performances. 

In the 2019 season, he scored 510 runs with an average of 56.66 and a strike rate of 204.81. On top of these numbers, he contributes with the ball as well. On any given day, Russell can give his captain four overs. Even though he has been expensive at times with the ball, he has a knack of picking wickets. His IPL strike rate is around 18, which means he picks a wicket in every three overs.

2. Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

‘The Big Show’ didn’t have a season to remember in 2020 when he turned up for Kings XI Punjab (now renamed as Punjab Kings). However, his performances for Australia were enough to pull his bid to a massive 14.25 crores. Royal Challengers Bangalore got him on board, hence solidifying their middle-order with Maxwell’s addition. 

Even though Maxwell’s IPL numbers aren’t something that he can look at and be proud of, his ability to change matches at will has got enhanced with time. In T20Is, he has scored 1780 runs with an average of 31.79 and a strike rate of 158.93. In addition to this, he has three centuries in T20Is. Even in the recent T20I series against New Zealand, he was in supreme form with the bat, scoring 70 runs in a match off just 31 balls. 

Maxwell’s addition will allow Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to play a different role in the RCB team. On the other hand, Maxwell can be their dedicated finisher and try to take the attack on the opposition as the team looks for runs in the death overs. Additionally, Maxwell is a handy off-spinner as well. He can give a captain at least two overs every day and also pick up crucial wickets at times. 

3. Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians)

In the last couple of years, Hardik Pandya has evolved a lot as a cricketer. His exploits in the ODIs and T20Is along with the IPL has made him one of the feared batsmen in the shortest format. He has the ability to change the game towards his team with some big shots. However, the maturity he has shown with the bat in recent times is something that makes him the X-factor of Mumbai Indians. 

The right-handed batsman can bat at any given position in the line-up, which tells you how much impact he can create in this Mumbai Indians side. His ability to score quickly towards the end of the innings and launch an attack on the bowler can be the difference between a final score of 150 and 170. In a T20 match, this difference could be match-winning for any team. 

In addition to this, Pandya is a more than handy bowler for his captains. He has variations with the ball which can be deceiving for the batsmen. Last season, he played as a pure-batsman, but before that in 2018 and 2019, he had got 32 wickets altogether. And coming back to his batting stats, his strike rate in the 2019 and 2020 seasons have been 191.42 and 178.98 respectively. 

4. Sam Curran (Chennai Super Kings)

There are some players who score runs regularly and take wickets on a constant basis. However, there are some players who get rid of the best batsman in the opposition team or put pressure on the best bowler. Sam Curran is a special player, who has the ability to do either of those two things. 

In county cricket, the left-arm seamer has had a lot of success with both bat and ball, especially in the shortest format of the game. He has shown that he can be a handy all-rounder and when his team is in trouble, he can be trusted to pull them from the situation. In the last season as well, when CSK won their six matches, Curran had played a small but significant role in the wins. 

As CSK hopes for a better season this year, Curran who picked up 13 wickets and scored 186 runs for them in the 2020 season, would be once again in the forefront. His role in the team is quite specific and MS Dhoni is a master of handling players with ability. Curran would be the X-factor for CSK, taking center stage at crucial junctures in the game. 

5. Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals)

Rishabh Pant hasn’t done anything wrong in the last few months. After getting dropped from the white-ball squad of India, the talented wicketkeeper batsman has made his roaring comeback, on the back of some match-changing performances in red-ball cricket. Seeing his form with the bat, Delhi Capitals fans would be upon their feet, hoping for something similar in the IPL. 

Pant didn’t have the greatest of IPL season in 2020, which was also one of the reasons behind his axing from ODI and T20I teams. He managed 343 runs at an average of 31.18, but he did seem to have found some form with the bat in the final, where he scored 56 runs off 38 balls. In addition to this, fans would remember the 2018 and 2019 season, where Pant was at his best. 

In the 2019 season, we saw him scoring 488 runs, while in 2018, he had run havoc on opposition bowlers, scoring 684 runs with a strike rate of 173.60. If he brings his A-form to this tournament, Delhi would be confident to better their runners-up finish from the 2020 edition. He will bat in the middle-order, where his role would be quite crucial and could be the decisive factor. 

6. Nicholas Pooran (Punjab Kings)

The 25-year-old West Indian has been in high demand in T20 leagues across the globe. The left-handed batsman can produce the match-turning innings in the middle order. Pooran has the ability to time the ball as sweetly as anyone ever can. His IPL exploits were one of the highlights of the season, as far as Punjab’s team was concerned. 

In the 2020 season, he ended with 353 runs with an average of 35.30 and a strike rate close to 170. If he is at his very best for more than six overs, he has the ability to score a quick fifty and take the match completely away from the opposition. This is what makes him an exciting player to watch and certainly the X-factor in the Punjab team. 

He also played a season of the Big Bash League 2020-21, where he represented Melbourne Stars. In the six matches which he played for the Stars, he managed 127 runs with a strike rate of 170. 

7. Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals)

Ben Stokes is one of the best all-rounders in international cricket currently. If there is any player who can impact the match with both the bat and the ball, it has to be Ben Stokes. The English all-rounder has shown IPL fans what he is capable of during his debut season with the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants in 2017. 

During that season, Stokes had scored more than 300 runs with the bat and also took 12 wickets with the ball. But, with time, his role in T20s has evolved. He has shifted more towards being a batting all-rounder. However, this could be really advantageous for his franchise, who desperately need someone to take responsibility with the bat and also deliver a few overs with the ball. 

Stokes’ batting form was good last season when he joined towards the end of the tournament. He managed to score 285 runs in eight matches with the bat with an average of 40.71 and a strike rate above 142. As of matter of fact, he also scored a match-winning century last season. Royals would hope that he continues his form. 

8. Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

If anyone is tasked with making a T20 team right now and asked to have one spinner in their line-up from around the world, more often than not, they will choose Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan leg-spinner is one spinner who has troubled most of the batsmen, who has faced him. In the IPL as well, he has looked to dominate the batsmen. 

However, his biggest strength over the years has changed. Initially, giving him your wickets was the way but as batsmen have started to adjust with his spin and mystery, they have resorted to not give him wickets and managed to quietly go past his overs. This is a huge advantage of Sunrisers Hyderabad, as they can be assured of at least four overs, which won’t be that expensive. 

In the last season, Khan’s economy was 5.37. He also managed 20 scalps during the course of the season. Another factor with which he can turn the match towards his team is with some crucial runs in the lower order. His strike rate in T20 cricket is close to 150 and in an ideal scenario, his contribution can be the difference between the winning team and the losing team.