Marco Jansen has turned himself into one of the IPL’s most bankable pace enforcers after five seasons with four different franchises, finally anchoring the Punjab Kings attack in 2025. The 6'8" South African left-armer has already snapped 36 wickets from 35 bowling innings, striking every 20.36 balls—the sort of rapid-fire impact that turns middle overs into minefields. Twice he has run through a line-up to claim three-wicket hauls, and although a maiden five-for still eludes him, an economy of 9.41 on the high-scoring tracks of Hyderabad and Mohali shows he is willing to trade thrift for wickets without flinching. Jansen’s height extracts disconcerting bounce, and he has bowled 733 deliveries for 1,149 runs—numbers that tell the story of a bowler who attacks the stumps rather than just containing. With the bat he remains a handy lower-order striker; 141 runs off 129 balls, including eight fours and six sixes, underline the late-innings muscle he can provide. His highest score of 34 came during a cameo that swung momentum, and a strike rate of 109 keeps scoreboard pressure alive when he walks in. Having started with Mumbai Indians in 2021 and then spending three productive years at Sunrisers Hyderabad, Jansen has now become the spearhead for Punjab Kings. The trajectory is clear—each season he has been entrusted with more overs at the death, and each season the wickets have followed. At 25, the lanky left-arm quick is already on course to become one of the league’s premier pace exponents, and the 2025 campaign could be the stage where he leapfrogs from impact bowler to genuine match-winner.

Ajinkya Rahane IPL journey spans 17 seasons, 183 innings and a mountain of 5,032 runs that have come off 4,025 balls at a brisk strike-rate of 125. The Mumbai-born right-hander has punished bowlers for 514 fours and 123 sixes, crossing fifty 33 times and reaching three figures on two memorable occasions, the highest being an unbeaten 105. After stints with Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, he is back with Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2025. While Rahane has rolled his arm over only once in the league, picking up a solitary wicket in a six-ball cameo that cost five runs, he remains celebrated as one of the league’s most technically sound and consistent top-order batsmen.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.