Australia players in IPL 2021: Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson look to excel

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League gets underway on Friday, April 9 as defending champions Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening fixture at Chennai. The franchise-based T20 competition has emerged to be a significant platform for international players where they can prove their mettle in the shortest format. Ahead of the much-anticipated season, here we take a look at the prominent names from Australian cricket who are scheduled to feature in this year's marquee event. 

Australia players in IPL 2021

Steve Smith (Rajasthan Royals)

The prolific run-scorer was unsurprisingly released by the Rajasthan Royals side ahead of the IPL 2021 auction earlier this year. While former RR captain was bought by Delhi at a modest price of INR 2.2 crore, an impressive season this year could fetch him a lucrative contract next year in the mega-auction. DC head coach Ricky Ponting had hinted about Smith batting in the top 3 for the team in his conversation with cricket.com.au. With his captaincy experience, Steve Smith is also expected to guide newly appointed skipper Rishabh Pant in the competition.

Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

After an underwhelming season with the Kings XI Punjab (rechristened as Punjab Kings), the cricketer's IPL career got a new lease of life as he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2021 auction at Chennai. The swashbuckling batsman has established himself as a force to reckon with in white-ball cricket. The player's exploits in the shortest format have made him a top attraction in the Indian Premier League as well. The all-rounder's salary for the season is set at INR 14.25 crore and he will be keen to justify his hefty price tag with a stunning performance. Here is the complete RCB squad for IPL 2021:

RCB squad: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Finn Allen (wk), AB de Villiers (wk), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, K.S. Bharat.

Jhye Richardson IPL 2021 (Punjab Kings)

The 24-year-old Australian speedster will ply his trade for the KL Rahul-led Punjab Kings in the upcoming season of the cash-rich league. The Jhye Richardson IPL 2021 base price was set at INR 1.5 crore, and the franchise signed the player for a whopping INR 14 crore after winning an intense bidding war against the likes of Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Being one of the top-paid cricketers of the PBKS squad, there will be an added pressure on the talented youngster as he looks to make an impact with his bowling performances. 

David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) 

Australia's dynamite opener David Warner is the only player from the country who will lead an IPL franchise in the upcoming season. The SRH captain has been one of the star performers in the T20 competition. With 5254 runs to his name in 142 matches, he only lags behind Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina in the list of the top run-scorers. The Hyderabad-based franchise won its maiden IPL championship title under the leadership of Warner in 2016, and the southpaw will look to come up with a dominant performance this year for his team. 

Other notable Australia players in IPL 2021

• Marcus Stoinis - Delhi Capitals 
• Patt Cummins - Kolkata Knight Riders 
• Chris Lynn - Mumbai Indians 
• Andrew Tye - Rajasthan Royals
• Adam Zampa - Royal Challengers Bangalore 
• Riley Meredith - Punjab Kings 

How to watch IPL 2021 in Australia

Fans in Australia can catch the live telecast of the IPL 2021 matches on the Fox Sports Network. The live streaming of the games will be made available on Kayo Sports. Viewers can also relish the live-action on OTT video network YuppTV.