Photo Gallery: 5 IPL debutants who can make their presence felt this season

Shimron Hetmyer made his international debut less than two years ago but has emerged as a vital performer for the Windies during this short period with quality performances. Hetmyer failed to make his presence felt for the Windies during the 2016 U-19 World Cup. However, he has compensated for that with his performances at the senior level. His attacking batting has made sure he is a batting mainstay for the Carribean team. Hetmyer was one of the leading run-scorers during the recent tour of India, with his ability to smash sixes effortlessly drawing praise. Hetmyer has also been a vital contributor for CPL side Guyana Amazon Warriors, emerging as the leading run-scorer for the franchise and the third overall in the 2018 edition of the tournament. Hetmyer scored 440 runs in 12 innings, at an average of 40, combined with a strike rate of almost 150 helping his side reach the final of the tournament. He will be looking to continue in the same vein for Team Bangalore, alongside the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@ICC)

Varun Chakravarthy, the uncapped spinner from Tamil Nadu was the surprise package of the auction. The cricketer ended up becoming the most expensive buy of the season with a whooping price of Rs 8.4 crores, alongside Jaydev Unadkat. Chakravarthy will be sharing the Team Punjab dressing room with his fellow Tamil Nadu teammates and spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Murugan Ashwin. The 27-year old, left his career in architecture to pursue cricket. Chakravarthy was the pick of the bowlers for his side Siechem Madurai Panthers, who won their maiden TNPL title in 2018 after not being able to win a single game in the first two seasons. His economy rate of 4.07 was the best in the tournament. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@TNCricketAssociation)

Sam Curran's match-winning performances for England during the Test series against India in 2018 were hailed as the difference between the two sides. His performances in the T20 format have been noteworthy as well. Curran has picked 42 wickets in 46 innings for his domestic side Surrey, with a half-century under his belt as well. Team Punjab splurged Rs 7.2 crore on acquiring his services after the cricketer set a base price of Rs 2 crore. The all-rounder will be expected to make a difference for the franchise which is yet to lift the trophy so far. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@englandcricket)

Shivam Dube had a base price of Rs 20 lakhs in the auction. But after a surprisingly intense bidding war, his price went up to Rs 5 crores before being finally bought by Team Bangalore. The franchise will hope that this Mumbai lad can provide them with some much-needed balance. The cricketer was in the news on the eve of the auction, following the 5 sixes he smashed in an over during a Ranji clash for Mumbai against Baroda. The explosive left-handed batsman is also a quality bowler, as evident from his performances for Mumbai who otherwise had a dismal domestic season. (Photo Courtesy: PTI)

Nicholas Pooran, the hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman from Trinidad has made an impact in recent times for the Windies. His performance against India during the 3rd T20I at Chennai in November nearly took the game away from the hosts, if not for a Shikhar Dhawan classic. Pooran has been a consistent performer in domestic T20 leagues like CPL, Mzansi Super League and BPL as well. The cricketer will be looking to show his class in the IPL for Team Punjab, who have purchased him at a price of 4.2 crores. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@windiescricket)