Best playing XI of IPL 2024 ft. Virat Kohli, Mitchell Starc
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) thumped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in the IPL 2024 final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. This was a rematch of Qualifier 1 played in Ahmedabad and, amazingly, SRH again beat KKR by the same margin to lift the Indian Premier League title for the third time.
Asked to bowl first by Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders came up with a sensational effort to clean up the opposition for 113 in 18.3 overs. Mitchell Starc and Harshit Rana claimed two wickets each, while Andre Russell picked up three. In the chase, Kolkata romped home in 10.3 overs as Venkatesh Iyer blazed away to an unbeaten 52 off 26.
While it was a disappointingly one-sided encounter, with KKR dominating proceedings, there were fantastic performances from players across franchise during the T20 league. With the tournament coming to an end, we pick the best playing XI of IPL 2024.
Best playing XI of IPL 2024
Openers: Virat Kohli, Sunil Narine
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli, who won the Orange Cap, and KKR all-rounder Sunil Narine, who was named the Player of the Tournament, would be the openers in the best IPL 2024 playing XI.
Kohli clobbered 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.70, hitting one hundred and five fifties. No other player made even 600. It was a pity that Kohli couldn't lead RCB to their elusive IPL triumph.
Narine, meanwhile, was absolutely outstanding for KKR. He scored 488 runs in 14 innings at an average of 34.86 and a strike rate of 180.74, with one century and three half-centuries.
He got Kolkata off to some flying starts. With the ball too, he made a significant contribution, claiming 17 scalps at an average of 21.65.
Middle order: Sanju Samson (c), Riyan Parag, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (wk)
The Rajasthan Royals duo of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag make it to the best playing XI for IPL 2024. RR skipper Samson finished fifth in the list of leading run-getters. He smashed 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47, hitting five half-centuries
IPL 2024 was a breakout year for Parag after disappointing for a number of years. He showed plenty of maturity in tough situations and ended up with 573 runs in 14 innings at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.22, with four half-centuries. His improved showing was arguably the biggest plus for RR from IPL 2024.
Nicholas Pooran was absolutely sensational for Lucknow Super Giants in the finisher's role. With better support from others in the team, LSG might well have clinched a berth in the top-four. Pooran ended the tournament with 499 runs in 14 innings at an average of 62.38 and a strike rate of 178.21. His clean hitting in the end overs made for outstanding viewing.
KKR all-rounder Russell is one of the four players from the franchise in the best XI for IPL 2024. The versatile player claimed 19 wickets with his medium pace at an average of 15.53. He wasn't needed much with the bat but still contributed 222 runs at a strike rate of 185. Russell also contributed in the field with some good catches.
RCB's Dinesh Karthik would be the keeper-batter in the best XI for IPL 2024. In his farewell season, the veteran batter proved that there's still some fight left in him. Despite batting down the order, he smacked a commendable 326 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 187.36.
Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Harshal Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
KKR's left-arm pacer Starc was trolled massively in the first half of the tournament. Having created history at the IPL auction by becoming the most expensive purchase in the T20 league, the Aussie struggled initially.
However, he lifted himself brilliantly towards the business end of the tournament. Starc finished with 17 wickets in 13 matches and was the Player of the Match in Qualifier 1 and the final.
Punjab Kings' Harshal Patel and Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah would be Starc's bowling partner in the combined XI for the season. Harshal won the Purple Cap for his 24 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19.88. Bumrah performed to expectations, with 20 scalps in 13 matches at 16.80, even as MI had a disastrous season.
KKR's Varun Chakaravarthy would be the frontline spinner in the best XI of IPL 2024. The canny leg-spinner finished the tournament as the second-leading wicket-taker, with 21 scalps from 14 matches at an average of 19.14. He turned quite a few games for Kolkata with his shrewd bowling.
Impact Player options: Travis Head (567 runs), Ruturaj Gaikwad (583 runs), Faf du Plessis (438 runs), T Natarajan (19 wickets), Harshit Rana (19 wickets)