While cricketers have always relied on their skill sets, some have utilized their height as an extra advantage and have played an important role for their respective teams.
With the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) just around the corner, we’ve made a list of the 8 tallest players who will feature in the upcoming season of the cash-rich league.
These giants of the game are giants off the field as well. While all the players on this list are overseas, most of them are bowlers (and understandably so!), some names might be as expected, some could amaze you!
Here are 8 tallest players who will feature in upcoming IPL 2021:
Special Mention: Ishant Sharma (6 feet 3 inches)
8. Pat Cummins (6 feet 2 inches)
Standing at 1.92 m (6 feet 2 inches), the lanky Australian fast bowler, Pat Cummins, is currently the no.1 ranked bowlers in Test cricket. Cummins was resigned by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping 15.50 crores during the IPL 2020 auctions after he was released by the Delhi Capitals.
Despite not having the best of seasons, especially considering his reputation as a marquee fast bowler, KKR decided to retain Cummins ahead of the IPL 2021 auction last month. After bagging just 12 wickets in 14 outings last season, Cummins will hope to improve his numbers from last season.
7. Ben Cutting (6 feet 2 inches)
Ben Cutting, also standing at 1.92 m, will join his compatriot Cummins at KKR this season. The former SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) allrounder enjoyed a brilliant Big Bash League (BBL) season and was one of the favourites to get picked at the IPL auction. He scored 280 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 40.
His stats, however, in IPL haven’t been up to the mark so far. After failing to find a buyer last season, Cutting has found a new lifeline in the form of KKR, as far as his IPL career is concerned. But, the question still remains whether Cutting will get a nod over Andre Russell in the playing XI.
6. Chris Morris (6 feet 4 inches)
Standing at 1.96 m (6’4”), South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris last month created history after he became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL.
Morris, who was released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the IPL 2021, was bought by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a whopping amount of INR 16.25 crore in the mini-auction in Chennai.
So far, Morris has played 70 games in his IPL career, scalping 80 wickets at an economy rate of 7.81. RR will be his third franchise in as many seasons (DC in 2019, RCB in 2020).
After his stint with DC and RCB came to a sour end, Morris will hope to be third time lucky in IPL 2021.
5. Kieron Pollard (6 feet 4 inches)
West Indian allrounder, Kieron Pollard, standing at 1.96 m (6’4”), has been with Mumbai Indians through thick and thin. After failing to win the elusive trophy in his first three seasons, Pollard could achieve a historic 3-peat in the upcoming season if Mumbai somehow manages to win the title again.
Though his bowling has been on the wane, Pollard is still one of the deadliest batsmen in the shortest format of the game. He is adored by the Mumbai fans and big Trinidadian will look to set things straight again in the 14th season.
4. Josh Hazlewood (6 feet 4 inches)
A regular feature for Australia across all three formats, Josh Hazlewood is known for his pace, bouncers and consistent performances. He is also one of the tallest players in the world which makes him an obvious format across formats.
Josh Hazlewood was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL Player Auction ahead of the last season which was played in the UAE. He, however, managed to play just three games for MS Dhoni-led side.
Hazlewood, 30, certainly has the skill sets and experience to succeed in the cash-rich league. It will be interesting to see how many games will he play in the upcoming 14th season.
3. Jason Holder (6 feet 6 inches)
Standing at 6’6”, Jason Holder is the third tallest player who will feature in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The West Indian all-rounder is likely to be a regular in SRH’s playing XI, having impressed in the latter stage of the tournament last season.
2. Marco Jansen (6 feet 7 inches (approx))
At the 2021 IPL auction, when Marco Jansen’s name popped up, a lot of fans were surprised to hear the name. Not a lot of people knew about the 6 feet 7-inch all-rounder back then.
Jansen was bought at his base price of INR 20 lakh by the defending champions who have a knack for scouting young talents from across the globe and also help them become global stars.
More interestingly, not many of us might know that Jansen toured India with the South Africa U-19 team in 2019. He also received his maiden call up for the senior team during the recently-concluded tour of Pakistan.
1. Kyle Jamieson (6 feet 8 inches)
Standing at a height of 6 feet 8 inches, Kyle Jamieson surely has an intimidating presence on the cricket field. The 26-year-old also has the tendency to swing the new ball a long way, and his high release point makes it even more challenging for the batters.
Jamieson, who had a base price of Rs 75 lakh, attracted bids from many popular franchises including, DC and Punjab Kings (PBKS). RCB, however, eventually acquired his services for a whopping INR 15 crore, making him the second-most expensive player in the IPL 2021 auction. H
Interestingly, he is the tallest player to have ever featured in the history of IPL.