<p>Be it Shaun Marsh's brilliance in the inaugural season, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers' towering sixes at the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=chinnaswamy%20stadium">Chinnaswamy Stadium</a>, Lasith Malinga's toe crushing spells, Keiron Pollard's unbelievable catches and Andre Russell's unmatched brute power, overseas superstars have given plenty of memories and joy to fans across franchises and seasons in the Indian Premier League (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=IPL">IPL</a>). </p>.IPL 2026 | From MS Dhoni to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Here are the youngest and oldest players set to play this year.<p>This season, too, there are exciting overseas players who could set the league on fire. </p>.<p>The Afghan left-arm wrist spinner could prove to be vital for the Chennai Super Kings after pacer Nathan Ellis was ruled out due to injury. </p><p>Ahmad impressed with 24 wickets in 14 matches and remained one of the few bright spots for the franchise in an otherwise sorry season. Another exciting prospect from CSK is the South African batter Dewald Brevis. </p>.<p>Hetmyer has been with the Rajasthan Royals since 2022 and has been the designated finisher for the franchise. With him batting at No 3 for West Indies and doing well, a promotion in the absence of Sanju Samson would not be surprising. </p><p>In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, Hetmyer smashed 19 sixes and registered a 19-ball half-century for West Indies, proving he's in great form. </p>.<p>The old warhorse of Kolkata Knight Riders returns as a key figure yet again. Nairne would be vital for the team's fortunes with the absence of international bowlers like Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana. </p><p>His mystery spin and pinch hitting abilities have made him a legend of the franchise. The West Indian remains the only player with three Most Valuable Player awards</p>.<p>Nicholas Pooran had a stellar start to previous season for the Lucknow Super Giants. However, as the tournament progressed, he fizzled out. The upcoming edition provides another opportunity for the hard hitting left handed batter to prove his six hitting prowess. </p><p>In a team that is dominated by hard hitters, the addition of the West Indian will only make the batting stronger. </p>.<p>Travis Head has been among Australia's top performers across formats this decade. Together with Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, the southpaw forms one of the most destructive top orders in the season. </p><p>With a depleted bowling, SunRisers Hyderabad will be dependent on Head's explosive starts at the top of the order. </p>.<p>Tristan Stubbs has been a pillar of Delhi Capitals' middle order for a couple of seasons. His explosive batting has given DC an edge, especially in the death overs. He has struck at over 170 in the last two seasons. </p><p>This season, he will be paired with fellow South African David Miller in the lower middle order. </p>.<p>Will Jacks had a stellar World Cup, winning four Player of the Match awards for England. He made worthy contributions with the bat down the order and bowler economical spells to help his team storm into the semi-final.</p><p>Jacks has already proved his prowess in the IPL, having smashed a century while playing for RCB in the 2024 season. </p>.<p>Glenn Phillips has been on the sidelines of the Gujarat Titans squad for two seasons. However, this season could prove to be a breakout year for the New Zealand batter.</p><p>He was in excellent form for the Kiwis in the lead up to the World Cup, while he also contributes with the ball and is one of the best in the world when it comes to fielding. </p>.<p>The tall all-rounder from South Africa has been in purple patch for the past 18 months. He can swing the ball both ways with the new ball and can use variations and extra bounce at the death. Jansen can also swing hard to provide strong finishes apart from handling collapses if needed. </p>.<p>Jacob Bethell recently became one of the youngest captains for England. The left-hander smashed a stunning century in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup final against India. </p><p>The youngster might not start or feature in all matches for RCB but he could make a massive impact if given opportunities. </p>
<p>Be it Shaun Marsh's brilliance in the inaugural season, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers' towering sixes at the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=chinnaswamy%20stadium">Chinnaswamy Stadium</a>, Lasith Malinga's toe crushing spells, Keiron Pollard's unbelievable catches and Andre Russell's unmatched brute power, overseas superstars have given plenty of memories and joy to fans across franchises and seasons in the Indian Premier League (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=IPL">IPL</a>). </p>.IPL 2026 | From MS Dhoni to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Here are the youngest and oldest players set to play this year.<p>This season, too, there are exciting overseas players who could set the league on fire. </p>.<p>The Afghan left-arm wrist spinner could prove to be vital for the Chennai Super Kings after pacer Nathan Ellis was ruled out due to injury. </p><p>Ahmad impressed with 24 wickets in 14 matches and remained one of the few bright spots for the franchise in an otherwise sorry season. Another exciting prospect from CSK is the South African batter Dewald Brevis. </p>.<p>Hetmyer has been with the Rajasthan Royals since 2022 and has been the designated finisher for the franchise. With him batting at No 3 for West Indies and doing well, a promotion in the absence of Sanju Samson would not be surprising. </p><p>In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, Hetmyer smashed 19 sixes and registered a 19-ball half-century for West Indies, proving he's in great form. </p>.<p>The old warhorse of Kolkata Knight Riders returns as a key figure yet again. Nairne would be vital for the team's fortunes with the absence of international bowlers like Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana. </p><p>His mystery spin and pinch hitting abilities have made him a legend of the franchise. The West Indian remains the only player with three Most Valuable Player awards</p>.<p>Nicholas Pooran had a stellar start to previous season for the Lucknow Super Giants. However, as the tournament progressed, he fizzled out. The upcoming edition provides another opportunity for the hard hitting left handed batter to prove his six hitting prowess. </p><p>In a team that is dominated by hard hitters, the addition of the West Indian will only make the batting stronger. </p>.<p>Travis Head has been among Australia's top performers across formats this decade. Together with Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, the southpaw forms one of the most destructive top orders in the season. </p><p>With a depleted bowling, SunRisers Hyderabad will be dependent on Head's explosive starts at the top of the order. </p>.<p>Tristan Stubbs has been a pillar of Delhi Capitals' middle order for a couple of seasons. His explosive batting has given DC an edge, especially in the death overs. He has struck at over 170 in the last two seasons. </p><p>This season, he will be paired with fellow South African David Miller in the lower middle order. </p>.<p>Will Jacks had a stellar World Cup, winning four Player of the Match awards for England. He made worthy contributions with the bat down the order and bowler economical spells to help his team storm into the semi-final.</p><p>Jacks has already proved his prowess in the IPL, having smashed a century while playing for RCB in the 2024 season. </p>.<p>Glenn Phillips has been on the sidelines of the Gujarat Titans squad for two seasons. However, this season could prove to be a breakout year for the New Zealand batter.</p><p>He was in excellent form for the Kiwis in the lead up to the World Cup, while he also contributes with the ball and is one of the best in the world when it comes to fielding. </p>.<p>The tall all-rounder from South Africa has been in purple patch for the past 18 months. He can swing the ball both ways with the new ball and can use variations and extra bounce at the death. Jansen can also swing hard to provide strong finishes apart from handling collapses if needed. </p>.<p>Jacob Bethell recently became one of the youngest captains for England. The left-hander smashed a stunning century in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup final against India. </p><p>The youngster might not start or feature in all matches for RCB but he could make a massive impact if given opportunities. </p>
