IPL 2023: Moeen Ali to David Willey - which English stars will feature in Indian Premier League 2023?

We are only a few days away from the start of the Indian Premier League where T20 stars from around the globe will flock in order to enjoy one of the most explosive tournaments in the world that is franchise cricket. The IPL is very often a bouncing board from which young Indian stars make names for themselves on the big stage.

However, it is not just young, up-and-coming Indians who benefit from this platform, but international white-ball cricketers also use their IPL careers to help firm up places in their home squads. With a summer full of franchise cricket still to play, as well as an ODI World Cup not too far away, here are all the English stars to look out for as the IPL gets under way on Friday...

Chennai Super Kings - Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali

Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali will both form part of the CSK squad this year and while this is a returning spot for Ali, 2023 will mark the first time England’s red-ball captain will be in the squad. India’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is also in the CSK roster and fans have commented that it feels as if ‘Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’ are in the same team. In 2020, Stokes was playing for the Rajasthan Royals and hit 200 runs at an average of 40.71.

As for his England companion Moeen Ali, the spinner’s best IPL year was in 2021 which was the same year CSK lifted the trophy. He scored 260 runs at an average of 25.50. Last year, the England all-rounder scored 177 runs and took eight wickets at an average of 19.75.

Delhi Capitals - Phil Salt

This will be Phil Salt’s first year at the IPL and it comes after a very successful period of white-ball cricket for the Welsh-born batter. Salt was part of England’s successful series against Pakistan, in which he top scored in one fixture with 87, as well as forming the squad which went on to win the T20 World Cup in Australia.

He has an average of 20.53 in his 17 innings for England and was recently part of the Pretoria Capitals where he had a strike rate of 152.56.

Lucknow Super Giants - Mark Wood

Mark Wood is not just England’s fastest bowler (sorry Jofra Archer...) but he is consistently the world’s fastest on the speed gun. He previously formed part of the CSK set-up but in 2022, was bought by the then new side, Lucknow Super Giants, in a deal worth £735,000.

Unfortunately, he has been consistently plagued with injury and his IPL career has so far consisted of just one match in 2018 where he went for 49 off his four overs and scored just one run. However, the Durham paceman has a T20I record of 45 wickets from his 28 matches with an average of 18.46 - his lowest across the formats.

Mumbai Indians - Jofra Archer

Such is the talent of Jofra Archer that the IPL’s most ferocious squad bought the English fast bowler in a year they knew he wouldn’t even be able to play. This year will be Archer’s first year at the IPL since 2020 due to injury which has kept him out of action for nearly two years.

In 2018, Archer was bought by the Rajasthan Royals and he took 46 wickets in 35 matches for the side. His best season came in 2020 when he took 20 wickets in just 14 games. All eyes are set to be on the Barbados-born bowler with expectations high for his great return.

Punjab Kings - Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran

Sam Curran was the most expensive player in this year’s IPL and was snapped up by the Punjab Kings following a tremendous T20 World Cup in which he took the most wickets for England as well as being named Player of the Tournament. Three of his 13 wickets went for just 12 against Pakistan in the final and his new IPL side bought him for £1.85m. Curran’s most successful IPL was in 2020 when he took 13 wickets and scored 186 runs although his best figures came in 2019 when the Zimbabwean born all-rounder took 4/11.

Liam Livingstone enjoyed a phenomenal resurgence in 2021 following the success of the Hundred and is now a staple in the England white-ball side when injury allows. He has featured in three IPLs with last year seeing him take six wickets and make 437 runs at an average of 36.42. Livingstone is one of the hardest hitters in the game and has the added threat of bowling both off and leg spin.

Rajasthan Royals - Joe Root and Jos Buttler

2023 marks Joe Root’s first year in the IPL and he will team up with fellow Englishman Jos Buttler to make up part of the 2022 finalists squad. While Root initially went unsold in the primary auction, he was later bought by the Royals. He has not played a T20I since 2016 but was once known for being one of the best all-format cricketers in the business. In the 2016 World Cup he racked up 249 runs at an average of 49.80.

Buttler was the 2022 IPL’s highest run scorer and, on occasion, single handedly changed the course of the game for the Royals. He scored 836 runs with a high score of 116 and average of 57.53. The England white-ball captain scored nearly 250 more runs than anyone else.

Royal Challengers Bangalore - David Willey and Reece Topley

David Willey will play his second year for RCB after previously playing for CSK in 2018. He has only taken three wickets in his IPL career but has proven himself to be a useful lower order batter and in 2022 achieved an economy of just 6.55.

Standing at over two metres tall, Reece Topley is one of the most powerful bowlers in England’s set-up and has changed matches with just a few balls. In his 22 T20Is for England, he’s taken 22 wickets at an average of 29.50 with career best figures of 3/22. He has also established himself as a confident franchise player featuring for the Oval Invincibles, Melbourne Renegades and Islamabad United.

Sunrisers Hyderabad - Harry Brook and Adil Rashid

Harry Brook has enjoyed one of the best winters across the globe in the world of cricket. In all three formats the England newcomer has excelled. In his six Tests, he has scored over 800 runs at an average of 80.90 and in his 20 T20I fixtures, he has scored 372 runs, averaging 26.57 and top scoring with 81*. Sunrisers paid £1.3m for Brook and all eyes will be on the 24-year-old to see how he fares in what is sure to be the first of many IPL campaigns.

The England sensation will be joined by fellow white-ball teammate Adil Rashid. Rashid has played just one IPL match but is ready for a much longer season with the Sunrisers. He is ranked fourth in the T20 bowling rankings and has taken 95 wickets in his 91 innings for England at an average of 25.83.