Six players to watch in IPL 2012

He is the prototype of the freelance Twenty20 star. Chris Gayle is much is demand for his destructive hitting, capable of demoralising bowlers. The stand-and-deliver method is his forte, making him one of the biggest entertainers of the shortest form of the game. Gayle's availability is due to his long-standing dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board. He hasn't played an international match for a year, though a recent agreement with the WICB suggests that he could be back for West Indies soon. However, he has committed to the full season of IPL 2012 for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He ended last season as the tournament's highest run-getter with 608 runs in 12 games with two centuries. He slammed 37 off one over against Kochi Tuskers Kerala, which was one of the highlights of the tournament.

The young allrounder himself would have been surprised to hear that he was the most expensive buy at the auction. Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers pursued him and it went to the secret tiebreaker. Chennai eventually bought him for more than US$2 million. Jadeja is one of the emerging allrounders in one-day cricket. He played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala last year, making 283 runs at a strike rate of 124.12, and taking eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.26. His fielding was a bonus. He wasn't at his best in the Australia one-dayers, but a return to Indian conditions should make him hungrier.

Virat Kohli finished the last IPL as the second-highest run-scorer, after Gayle, with 557 runs in 16 games. He was identified as a star in the making back in 2008, but his stock had skyrocketed over the last year, thanks to his ODI performances. He was the leading one-day batsman of 2011, and was the best thing to come out of an otherwise shoddy away season for India. With three hundreds in his last four ODI innings, including a belligerent 183 against Pakistan, he will be the Indian batsman to watch. He thrives under pressure, especially in chases.

Another sought-after Twenty20 freelancer like Gayle, Pollard's big hitting has taken him places. In recent months, he has responded to his critics by finally showing potential for West Indies. Pollard proved his doubters wrong with two ODI centuries, most recently against Australia. He's especially strong on the front foot. He scored only 146 runs in 16 matches in IPL 2011, but was often sent down the order with little time to build an innings. Going by his recent form, Mumbai would want to push him up the order to maximise his potential.

The Australian allrounder is among the best in limited-overs, provided he stays fit. He made an impact in the CB Series on returning from injury, scoring a fifty and picking up seven wickets in five games. He's a dangerous puller of the ball, so bowlers should refrain from bowling short. Rajasthan Royals would like to use him during the death overs, given his ability to bowl stump-to-stump and slower balls. He scored 330 runs and took six wickets in 11 games last season. He should walk into the line-up after his duties with Australia, in the West Indies.

The million-dollar foreign player in this auction. The Sri Lankan captain was bought by Delhi Daredevils for US$1.4 million after Kochi Tuskers Kerala became defunct. It's a significant purchase for the wooden-spoon holders of last season. A once formidable team was depending too much on Virender Sehwag at the top. Jayawardene, an enterprising T20 opener himself, will give Sehwag the support he needs. He's in sound batting form, having made an iconic 180 in Sri Lanka's Test win against England in Galle. The one problem he would have to tackle is fatigue.