Xavier Bartlett burst onto the IPL stage in the 2025 season with Punjab Kings, immediately stamping himself as a pace bowler to watch. Over four bowling innings the 24-year-old Queenslander sent down ten tight overs, claiming two key wickets at a brisk strike-rate of 30.00. While his economy of 9.6 runs per over shows room for tighter lines, Bartlett’s ability to break partnerships when it matters is clear—he has already produced one one-wicket burst that shifted momentum in PBKS’ favour. With the bat Bartlett showed flashes of lower-order hitting, remaining unbeaten on 11 off 15 balls in his only appearance, striking at 73 and finding the boundary once. Though modest, those runs underlined his value as a genuine all-round option. Fresh off a breakout Big Bash campaign, Bartlett’s first IPL stint has set the stage for bigger returns. Expect the right-arm quick to add to those two scalps and become a core cog in Punjab Kings’ 2025 title push.

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.