Australian speedster Nathan Ellis has quietly become one of the IPL’s most reliable death-over specialists, translating five seasons of experience with Punjab Kings into a fresh 2025 chapter with Chennai Super Kings. Across 17 bowling innings the right-arm quick has claimed 19 wickets, twice ripping through line-ups to finish with three-wicket hauls and once touching a career-best 4-fer. Operating at a strike-rate of 19.89 balls per wicket and an economy of 8.67, Ellis forces batters to take risks every 20th ball while keeping the run-flow under nine an over—gold-standard numbers for a middle-overs enforcer. The story deepens when you see how he has evolved year on year. After debuting with Punjab in 2021, Ellis steadily climbed the pecking order, delivering 378 balls of high-pressure yorkers and clever change-ups that cost just 546 runs. The raw tally of 19 wickets is backed by consistency: no five-wicket flash-in-the-pan, just disciplined execution that has seen him finish an innings with at least three scalps on two separate occasions. With the bat Ellis is an emergency option—five innings, 19 runs, one towering six—but Chennai didn’t buy him for fireworks with the willow. They invested in the 19 dots he forces every three overs and the subtle cutters that have already accounted for 19 IPL dismissals. As the Super Kings chase another title, Nathan Ellis’s pinpoint death bowling and proven record of breakthroughs make him the silent assassin behind the spin-heavy Chennai attack.

Faf du Plessis has become one of the most bankable IPL openers across 13 seasons and four franchises, culminating in his 2025 stint with Delhi Capitals. The South African has stacked up 4,773 runs at a strike rate of 135, carving 439 boundaries and clearing the rope 174 times—numbers that paint the picture of a batsman who keeps the scoreboard in perpetual motion. With 39 half-centuries from 147 innings, he has built consistency into aggression, while his unbeaten 96 remains the tantalising high-water mark just short of a maiden IPL ton. From Chennai Super Kings’ yellow to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s red and now Delhi Capitals’ blue, du Plessis has turned every jersey into a run-making statement, proving that adaptability and class travel well in T20 cricket.

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