IPL 2018: The best Indian XI of this season
This was arguably one of the most competitive seasons of IPL. There were no underdogs as each of the teams were capable of defeating the opposition on their day. The competition was so tough that the hard-fought battle for the spots in the playoffs ended on the very last day of the league stage.
The playoffs too produced some fantastic cricket as a lot of matches went down to the wire. The comeback legends, Chennai Superkings emerged as the winners in the finals against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The fans witnessed some individual brilliance too, with players, especially the young Indian cricketers, putting up some spectacular performances.
Now that the IPL is over, it is a good time to reflect on these performances and pick a team that contains the top Indian performers of IPL 2018.
Openers
KL Rahul
KL Rahul set the tone for the rest of the season in his very first match by hitting the fastest IPL fifty. He did not look back since then, as he kept on piling runs.
Rahul scored 659 runs at an outstanding average of 54.91 and a healthy strike-rate of 158.41. Unfortunately, Rahul was a lone warrior in the KXIP batting line-up and KXIP failed to reach the playoffs. But Rahul's effort will be remembered by the fans for a long time.
Ambati Rayudu
Ambati Rayudu was one of the major surprises of the tournament. The stylish right-hand batsman played some glorious innings for CSK and was pivotal in their title victory.
Rayudu, who batted both in the top order as well as in the middle order, scored 602 runs at a fantastic average of 43.00 and a healthy strike-rate of 149.75. For his spectacular performances, he was rewarded with a place in the national side and will look to continue his good form in international cricket too.