South African opener Matthew Breetzke made his IPL debut with Lucknow Super Giants in the 2025 season, injecting fearless intent into the top order during his sole visit to the crease. Facing 12 balls, the 25-year-old raced to 14 runs at a brisk strike rate of 116, showing immediate comfort against both spin and pace. In that short stay he split the off-side rope with a crisp four and cleared the long-on fence with a calculated six, hinting at the boundary-clearing power that has marked his domestic T20 career. Although the knock ended at 14, it remains his highest score in the tournament’s history—so far. With zero half-centuries and no hundreds recorded yet, the numbers tell the story of a talent still waiting for the long-format IPL innings that his talent promises. Bowling-wise, Breetzke has not been called upon, so every metric—wickets, economy, strike rate—reads a clean slate, reinforcing his primary identity as a frontline batter. Entering the Lucknow Super Giants set-up for the 2025 campaign, the right-hander brings the reputation of a 130-plus strike-rate basher from South Africa’s SA20, ready to translate domestic fireworks into IPL glory. Fantasy managers and fans alike will watch closely when the 2026 mega-auction rolls around, eager to see if Breetzke can turn one promising cameo into a season-long run feast.

Hardik Pandya IPL career story: 11 seasons, 2749 runs at a 146 strike-rate, 148 sixes, 10 half-centuries Hardik Pandya has been one of the Indian Premier League’s most explosive batting all-rounders since his 2015 debut with Mumbai Indians. Across 140 innings he has unleashed 2,749 runs off just 1,871 balls, translating to a fearsome strike-rate of 146—the sort of number that turns middle-overs into match-winning passages. He has cleared the ropes 148 times and found the boundary another 207 times, underlining why captains post straight long-on and deep mid-wicket for him from ball one. His highest score of 91 and ten half-centuries show he can both finish innings and anchor them when required. While Pandya’s primary currency is runs, he has also delivered 78 wickets in 107 bowling innings, including one five-for and five three-wicket bursts. Operating at an economy of 9.18 and a strike-rate of 20.87, he often bowls the difficult overs at the death, trusting his cutters and the slower ball. Having represented Mumbai Indians for eight of his eleven campaigns and captained Gujarat Titans to the 2022 title, Pandya’s dual-skill value has made him a marquee name every mega auction.

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