The fateful Eight: Dhoni, Karthik and others to watch out for in the playoffs

(Clockwise from Left) Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kane Williamson, Jofra Archer and Rashid Khan

T20 2018 league stage has finally ended and after 56 league matches Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Rajasthan have qualified for the playoffs and will battle it out for the coveted T20 2018 title.

T20 2018 has lived up to its expectation and as usual marquee players have lived up to their billing and some unknown players have also sparkled with the tournament being fairly good enough.

Let's have a look at 8 players to watch out for playoffs that begin today:

Kane Williamson. All pictures/AFP

1. Kane Williamson: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson came into the tournament amid Australian player and Hyderabad captain David Warner's ball-tampering controversy. After David Warner's suspension from T20 2018, Kane Williamson had big boots to fill and the Kiwi player has performed his role both as batsman and captain admirably. Kane Williamson has so far scored 661 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 134.98 and has already hit eight half-centuries.

Kane Williamson has also marshalled his resources well and players like Siddarth Kaul, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma have performed well. The Hyderabad captain has also proved that you don't necessarily need to be like Chris Gayle or Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be successful.

Rashid Khan

2. Rashid Khan: Afghanistan's teenage sensation Rashid Khan (19 years of age) has proved that talent has no barrier and in T20 2018 has proved his class yet again. Rashid Khan has bowled really well throughout the tournament (except when Chris Gayle went after him) and currently has picked up 16 wickets in 14 matches. Rashid Khan's main strength is to pick up wickets while also not giving too many runs. (economy rate: 7.20).

Hyderabad's rise to the top has been credited to Kane Williamson's stunning batting but Rashid Khan's leg-spin has also played an important role. If Hyderabad wants to go deep into the tournament then a lot will depend on Rashid Khan. However, knowing this Afghanistan cricketer, he would be relishing the challenge amid big stakes.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Former Indian captain and Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni once again proved that ‘form is temporary, but class is permanent'. MS Dhoni, during T20 2018, has been in vintage form and has silenced his critics in style.

MS Dhoni has scored 446 runs in 14 matches, striking at 162.59, hitting three half-centuries. The ‘Thala' has been finishing games once again and after having a couple of disappointing seasons for Pune, Mahendra Singh Dhoni in T20 2018 is leading by example. If Chennai have to win the title then it would be down to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his resurrection as a player.

Ambati Rayudu

4. Ambati Rayudu: When you think of Chennai, players such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, and Dwayne Bravo come to mind. But during this T20 2018 season, a certain cricketer by the name of Ambati Rayudu has stolen the limelight and become the go-to player for Chennai.

Ambati Rayudu has struck 586 runs in 14 matches and hit one century and three half-centuries. Ambati Rayudu has batted in every position and his adaptability has added great depth to the Chennai team. Ambati Rayudu has also received great praise from coach Stephen Fleming and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The success of Ambati Rayudu is a great example of perseverance and patience as well as reassures the fact that there is no substitute for hard work.

Krishnappa Gowtham

5. Krishnappa Gowtham: Rajasthan have played inconsistent cricket, but due to some luck they have made it through the playoffs. For Rajasthan, Jos Buttler has been the pillar of strength and his absence (Test series against Pakistan) will be a big blow for the Ajinkya Rahane-led team. One player who has impressed is Karnataka's Krishnappa Gowtham. K Gowtham was purchased by Rajasthan for Rs 6.2 crore and has not let the team down with his performance. Krishnappa Gowtham has bowled economically and has batted very well under pressure.

Krishnappa Gowtham has so far played 14 matches, scoring 117 runs (strike rate-205.26) and has also picked up nine wickets. Rajasthan would be hoping that Krishnappa Gowtham strikes form at the business end of the tournament and helps Rajasthan become champions for the second time.

Jofra Archer

6. Jofra Archer: West Indies and T20 cricket is synonymous with each other and we have another player from the Caribbean making a mark in this T20 2018 league. West Indian Jofra Archer (though he wants to qualify and play for England) had a breakthrough Big Bash League season in Australia and impressed many franchises. Rajasthan took the punt on unknown Jofra Archer and after missing the early part of the tournament due to a side strain, Jofra Archer has performed commendably for Rajasthan.

Jofra Archer has picked up 13 wickets in nine matches and bowls with a pace that makes life difficult for the opposition. Jofra Archer is also a handy batsman down the order and in the absence of England all-rounder, Ben Stokes lot will depend on Jofra Archer to get Rajasthan over the line.

Dinesh Karthik

7. Dinesh Karthik: After the mega-auction, it was found that Kolkata were apparently the weakest franchise and didn't even have a captain ready. But, cricket is not played on paper and Kolkata have surprised quite a few and lot of credit has to go to Dinesh Karthik. The Kolkata captain has been playing internationally since 2004 and after his heroics in the Nidahas Trophy final, people are finally taking notice of this Tamil Nadu player.

Dinesh Karthik has led Kolkata right from the front and also used his team's talent to the best. With the bat, Dinesh Karthik has scored 438 runs in 14 matches at an average of 54.75 and has often played the role of a finisher to perfection. Dinesh Karthik comes across as a calm and cool cricketer and this will play a huge role in the next stages.

Sunil Narine

8. Sunil Narine: T20 cricket is all about variation and trying out new things. West Indian Sunil Narine came to prominence with his weird hairdo and mystery bowling. Sunil Narine, until a few years ago, was more known for his bowling than his batting. But, T20 2018 has seen Sunil Narine taking his batting to another level and has been one of the mainstays of Kolkata line-up.

Sunil Narine has scored 327 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 189.01 and with Australian Chris Lynn has given Kolkata fast starts. Sunil Narine's bowling might have faded with plenty of tinkering and modification, but still is a reliable bowler and in T20 2018 with 16 wickets to his name. Kolkata will be hoping for Sunil Narine to turn up on the big day and deliver his magic one more time.

Also Read - T20 2018: These 5 Uncapped Indian Players Have Stolen The Show!

Catch up on all the latest T20 news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates