IPL 2018: Five Most Popular Overseas Players in India

Cricket is more than just a sport in India. Yes, you heard it right. It is an emotion, a religion and the cricketing idols produced by the country are often worshipped.

Before the start of successful Indian Premier League (IPL), it may be stated that India wasn’t a very friendly place to tour, as the crowd really got behind their players and even brilliance from the opposition wasn’t enjoyed due to the biased fans.

However, with the onset of franchise league cricket, we already saw Matthew Hayden represent Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Shahid Afridi donning the jersey of Deccan Chargers (now defunct).

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As a result, the cricketing star began to feel the warmth of the crowd rather than nerves, while playing in front of them.

Slowly and Steadily, India became one of the favourite places to visit for these players, and the admiration now is mutual.

Here the top five famous cricketing personalities from abroad in terms of popularity in India:

AB de Villiers:

Wherever this modern masters steps onto the field, it is a matter of assurance that AB de Villiers would receive a standing ovation and a deafening cheer from the jam-packed stadium.

From Mumbai to Kanpur, and his adopted hometown at Bengaluru, AB is one of the most popular foreign entities in India.

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It is largely due to his freak 360-degree strokes and superhuman efforts on the field that helped him to gain popularity in this part of the world.

Unfortunately, there would not be any of de Villiers in India as the star recently called it quits from the game.

Chris Gayle:

The Universe Boss is next in line when it comes to the popularity of overseas players in India.

Gayle has conquered all the top franchise leagues in the world and is one of literally the living legends of Twenty20 cricket.

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Therefore, he receives an equal amount of respect and adulations from crowds in India, due to his stature in world cricket, antics off the field, and flamboyant nature.

Dwayne Bravo:

Dwayne Bravo brings the typical Carribean flair into the IPL. Couple with his infectious ‘Champion Dance’ and ‘Run the World’ moves, Bravo is an instant hit amongst the Indians.

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Bravo is famous around the corners of Chennai and other parts of the country. Owing to his pragmatic approach over the years, since the inception of IPL, Bravo entertained many.

Rashid Khan:

Slowly creeping up the ladder of International cricket, and also winning hearts of several Indians with his undeniable talent. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan’s popularity in India is on the rise.

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Rising against the tide, this year of IPL belonged to Afghanistan’s teenage sensation. He entertained with both bat and ball, and even in the field. Thereby, increasing his popularity exponentially.

Glenn Maxwell:

Photo Credit: BCCI/IPL.

The only difference between Glenn Maxwell and AB’s freak style of play is that the former misses more than the latter hits. Having said that, on a given day, Maxwell can be destructive with his unorthodox and powerful strokeplay.

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Fondly known as Maxi, who often is well amongst the crowd in India.

The Victorian turned out to be an exception from Australia, who is favourite amongst any masses in the cricketing nation.