S Joseph IPL 2024: Lucknow Super Giants’ untested pace option who rolled his arm in a single high-pressure outing, sending down the full four-over quota and finishing with 0 for 47. The 24-ball spell cost 11.75 runs per over, a number that masks the raw pace and swing that encouraged the think-tank to blood him against top-order heavyweights. With no wickets to show yet, the Saint Lucian quick’s career graph is still at base camp, but the franchise’s willingness to throw him straight into the deep end signals a long-term project. Zero centuries, fifties, fours or sixes underline that Joseph is a pure-bred bowler whose future value lies in knocking stumps, not clearing ropes. Expect the 2025 mega-auction chatter to centre on whether Lucknow retain the 22-year-old as their emerging Caribbean speedster or roll the dice again.

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.