The fab five of IPL 2017

Jaydev Unadkat (Supergiant)
One of the lynchpins in Supergiant’s incredible run this season, it turned out to be a memorable IPL for the left-arm pacer after disappointing stints with Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore. His wicket-taking ability, with slower ones and cutters, won him many admirers. His first spell – 2-0-5-2 —  in the final helped Pune dictate terms.  

Nitish Rana (Mumbai Indians)
A lesser-known entity, the 23-year-old batsman started his campaign with a bang as he three half centuries in his first six innings. Though Rana has been with Mumbai since 2015, his first appearance in the league came only at the back-end of the 2016 season. Rana’s recent exploits didn’t go unnoticed as former Mumbai Indians coach Ricky Ponting said the left-handed batsman could make India debut soon.

Rahul Tripathi (Supergiant)
Another unheralded cricketer, Rahul announced his arrival with a 52-ball 93 against Kolkata in a crucial league match. The knock came after he earned a promotion to open the innings along with Ajinkya Rahane. A Pune-based cricketer, Rahul has a reputation for whacking the ball out of the park in local circles. The ever-smiling Rahul, who was bought for 10 lakh, proved to be a great bargain.

Washington Sundar (Supergiant)
The teenager from Chennai rose to the occasion when Pune Supergiant were desperately looking for a hero in the Qualifier 1. His three-wicket haul including the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard stunned Mumbai Indians. The fact that skipper Steve Smith used him in the Powerplay suggested the enormous faith the Australian had on the rookie, who was snapped up by Pune, only at the last minute, as a replacement for injured R. Ashwin.

Sunil Narine (Knight Riders)
The West Indian has made it to this list solely for his batting exploits this season. When KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir promoted Sunil Narine as opener, the decision would have surprised many. But it proved to be a coupe. Narine pummeled bowlers with his pyrotechnics and helped KKR win matches with his batting prowess. He even scored the joint-fastest fifty of the tournament off just 15 balls.