Travis Head has been Australia’s stand-out performer at the IPL this season despite a first-ball duck in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s final regular season game against Punjab Kings. Head was the third-highest run-scorer in the regular season with 533 runs from 12 innings, including a century and four fifties at a strike-rate of 201.13. His opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, also impressed, surpassing 350 runs while striking at over 200. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, Head had the second-highest total batting impact across the tournament, behind Virat Kohli.
Jake Fraser-McGurk had an extraordinary debut IPL season, scoring 330 runs from nine innings with four half-centuries at a strike-rate of 234.04. His performances included two 15-ball fifties and another off 19 balls, making him a valuable asset for Delhi Capitals.
In a tournament dominated by batters, Pat Cummins excelled with the ball and as captain. He ranked equal 13th on the wicket-takers list with 15 wickets, boasting one of the best economy rates among fast bowlers. Cummins also made crucial contributions with the bat and demonstrated impressive leadership skills despite never having led in T20s before the IPL.
