Shreyas Gopal

- Shreyas Gopal made his IPL debut in 2014, playing four matches for Mumbai Indians and picked up six wickets

- His breakout IPL season came in 2019, when he claimed 20 wickets in 14 games for Rajasthan Royals at an economy rate of 7.22

- His IPL form has cooled off since but Chennai Super Kings put faith in him and picked him for IPL 2025

Shreyas Gopal came into the Karnataka side as a middle-order batsman who could bowl legspin, and ended up assuming - through a combination of circumstance and happenstance - the lead spinner's role. He took 22 wickets at an average of 18.22 in his first Ranji Trophy season, as Karnataka claimed the 2013-14 title, and followed it up with a hat-trick against Rest of India in the Irani Cup. Those displays spurred Mumbai Indians to bag Shreyas for his base price of INR 10 lakh in the 2014 IPL auction.

Sharp turn rather than accuracy is Shreyas' forte, and Karnataka have tended to use him in short bursts rather than over long spells. While he has consistently chipped in with wickets, his technically correct batting - which brought him two hundreds in his second Ranji Trophy season - seems likely to become his primary suit over time.
ESPNcricinfo staff