10 Players to Watch During the 2016 IPL Season

Although the dust has barely settled after the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 on Sunday, India is now bracing itself for a new Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

The ninth year of the competition sees two new teams—Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions—replacing Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, who have been suspended for two years.

The action gets under way on April 9, as defending champions Mumbai Indians host new boys the Supergiants at the Wankhede Stadium.

Here, Bleacher Report takes a look at 10 players to look out for during the upcoming campaign.

Please note: This is not a suggestion these are the 10 best players in the IPL. B/R has instead selected names either involved in the February auction or who have switched teams since 2015.

As ever, we welcome your feedback in the comments section. Feel free to suggest any names to add to the list.

Carlos Brathwaite

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Carlos Brathwaite was the hero for West Indies in the ICC World Twenty20 final.

Team: Delhi Daredevils

Judging from his performance in the ICC World Twenty20 final, Delhi may have picked up a bargain in West Indies' Carlos Brathwaite.

The all-rounder became a hero in the Caribbean when he clubbed four successive sixes off the bowling of England's Ben Stokes, carrying his side to a dramatic four-wicket win in Kolkata, India.

Brathwaite—who will be captained by former India seamer Zaheer Khan at the Daredevils—had already taken three for 34 with the ball in the game at Eden Gardens.

However, he gained worldwide fame for his quartet of maximums against England. West Indies needed 18 off the final over—Brathwaite achieved the feat with two balls to spare.

Jos Buttler

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Jos Buttler was snapped up by Mumbai Indians in the 2016 auction.

Team: Mumbai Indians

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will team up with Australian head coach Ricky Ponting at the reigning IPL champions.

No longer certain of a place in England's Test team, Buttler will be available for the duration of the competition before returning home to play county cricket.

The right-hander fetched a higher price at the auction than former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, per Press Association Sport (h/t SkySports.com).

When you view the 25-year-old's career statistics, it's not hard to understand why.

Buttler holds the record for England's three fastest centuries in 50-over cricket, while his T20 strike-rate at international level is a whopping 140.30 runs per 100 balls.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a new IPL home in Pune.

Team: Rising Pune Supergiants

It will be odd watching Mahendra Singh Dhoni wear an IPL kit that isn't the bright yellow of Chennai Super Kings.

But, with his old franchise banned for two seasons due to betting issues, the India wicketkeeper-batsman was snapped up by Pune to become their new captain.

The 34-year-old knows what it takes to win the competition, having led Chennai to back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011.

While he has lost some of his trusted comrades from the Super Kings (Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo are all now at the Gujarat Lions), Dhoni is experienced enough to cope with the change.

He has scored 2,986 runs in his IPL career at an impressive average of 39.28.

Chris Morris

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Chris Morris showed his value against England on home soil.

Team: Delhi Daredevils

Eyebrows were raised when Delhi paid 7 crores in Indian money (a fraction over $1 million) to secure the services of all-rounder Chris Morris.

The South African has played in the IPL before, spending time with both Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in previous seasons.

He went some way to justifying the high fee with some scintillating displays for the Proteas against England in the one-day series in February, including smashing 62 off 38 balls in the fourth match.

The 28-year-old bats, bowls (he is a right-arm seamer) and also has a wonderful pair of hands. Delhi will hope they can get value for money by making use of Morris in all facets of the game.

Rishabh Pant

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Rishabh Pant impressed for India in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Team: Delhi Daredevils

Rishabh Pant was an in-demand player at February's auction.

According to ESPN Cricinfo, Rising Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi all battled it out to acquire the young wicketkeeper-batsman who impressed for India in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup.

The 18-year-old ended up with the Daredevils for 1.9 crore ($281,200), a hefty sum for someone who has only played two first-class matches to date.

Considering Delhi already boasts Quinton de Kock and Sanju Samson in their squad, Pant may not be required too often behind the stumps.

He may not even get too many opportunities to play at all, but the Daredevils have signed the teenager with one eye on their long-term future.

Mustafizur Rahman

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Mustafizur Rahman impressed for Bangladesh in the ICC World Twenty20.

Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad

Mustafizur Rahman was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing World T20 campaign for Bangladesh.

The left-arm seamer finished the tournament in India with nine wickets, including taking five for 22 against New Zealand in his team's final game in Group 2.

The Sunrisers picked up the 20-year-old at auction, adding a bowler who while not rapid in pace, has a wonderful variety of cutters and slower balls that can bamboozle batsmen.

Rahman—who will have a stint playing English county cricket for Sussex after the IPL—will be able to get plenty of advice from Hyderabad team-mates, and fellow left-armers, Trent Boult and Ashish Nehra.

Yuvraj Singh

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Yuvraj Singh is heading for his third different franchise in the past three seasons.

Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad

Yuvraj Singh is used to going for big money in the IPL. For a third successive auction, the left-handed batsman fetched over $1 million dollars.

However, he has lasted only one season at his previous two stops—Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils—before being released.

Is he destined to become the competition's wandering minstrel?

The 34-year-old should have a point to prove, and not just because of his struggles in the last two seasons of the IPL.

Yuvraj found runs hard to come by during the World T20 for India, managing 52 in four knocks before missing the semi-final defeat to West Indies through injury.

Pravin Tambe

Team: Gujarat Lions

Pravin Tambe's story offers hope to all cricketers in India, no matter what their age.

As Prayaag Akbar wrote in The Cricket Monthly: "Tambe was 41 when he first appeared in an IPL match, and hardly looked a modern-day cricketer, which made his story endearing. But it was his pinpoint leg-spin that really impressed."

He has improved his fitness since that debut in 2013, but he needed to find a new home for the coming season following the suspension handed out to the Rajasthan Royals.

So, one of the tournament's new franchises picked up a wise old head to bolster their ranks.

Gujarat became the first team to pick up a slow bowler at the 2016 auction when they signed Tambe for a knockdown price of 20 lakh ($30,000).

Jaydev Unadkat

Team: Kolkata Knight Riders

Jaydev Unadkat will hope to make a big splash with a new franchise.

The Kolkata Knight Riders paid handsomely to get the services of the left-arm seamer, despite him playing just once in the 2015 edition for Delhi due to a back injury.

He started out with a base price of 30 lakhs ($44,000), but ended up being sold for 1.6 crores ($236,800).

Still only 24, Unadkat told Arun Venugopal of ESPN Cricinfo's how time away from the game due to a stress fracture helped his development, both on and off the field.

The Daredevils will hope to reap the benefits as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last time out.

Adam Zampa

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Adam Zampa is Australia's first-choice slow bowler in Twenty20 cricket.

Team: Rising Pune Supergiants

Rising Pune picked up Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa for a base price of 30 lakh ($44,400).

The signing could prove to be a steal, judging by the bowler's displays in domestic and international action over the past six months.

Zampa claimed 12 wickets at an average of 22.50 for losing finalists Melbourne Stars during Australia's Big Bash League.

His form earned a place in Australia's World T20 squad. While he only took five wickets in four matches at the tournament, the New South Welshman had an economy rate of 6.27 runs per over.

He will have some familiar faces with him at the Supergiants—fellow Australians Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Scott Boland have all been signed by the franchise.

All statistics used in the slideshow were from ESPN Cricinfo.