IPL 2018: Picking an all-time best IPL XI
There are only two weeks to go until the start of the IPL. As many people look ahead to what will unfold in the upcoming season, it is also a suitable time to reflect on the bygone years.
Indeed, the IPL has seen some truly incredible performances over the years. Some players have performed consistently well over the course of the tournament's history and deserve recognition.
In light of this, I have decided to select an all-time best IPL XI, taking into account players' performances across every season. Rohit Sharma captains the side and MS Dhoni takes the gloves in this star-studded XI.
Openers
#1 David Warner
Left-handed Aussie opener David Warner has scored the most runs (4,014) in the IPL for an overseas player. Overall, this puts him fifth on the list of the highest tournament run scorers and he has played in an incredible 114 matches, showing the wealth of experience he has accumulated. Warner averages in excess of 40, which is the second highest of all time (for batsmen who have played in over 50 IPL games).
The Sunrisers Hyderabad star has won the orange cap in two separate years – in 2015 and last year. In 2016, Virat Kohli claimed the orange cap with a breathtaking haul of 973 runs in the season but Warner still kept pace with an impressive 848. Warner also has the most IPL fifties out of any batsmen in the competition.
#2 Virat Kohli
India’s captain Virat Kohli has scored the second most IPL runs of all time, behind Suresh Raina. He has hit an impressive four hundreds in the IPL, with only West Indian powerhouse Chris Gayle having more (five). Kohli accumulated a record-breaking 973 runs in the 2016 season, which was the highest ever in the competition's grand history.
In Virat's last seven seasons he has averaged below 40 only three times. Since he has an IPL career strike rate of around 130 and a career batting average of more than 37, Kohli is essential in an all-time IPL XI.