IPL 2019: Best Overseas XI of the season
IPL 2019 was special in many ways. For starters, this was the first time the tournament was scheduled ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup. The scheduling meant certain teams not allowing certain players to participate, some players pulling out themselves to stay fit and fresh, and some other teams calling their players early for preparations.
All of this meant the IPL was without stars such as Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch. Other stalwarts like Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Steven Smith and Jofra Archer left towards the later stages of the tournament for national duties.
However, despite all these factors, IPL 2019 will go down as one of the most closely contested seasons ever. Moreover, there was no shortage of entertainment from the available overseas stars. In fact, both the Orange Cap and the Purple Cap were won by foreigners - David Warner and Imran Tahir respectively.
Here, we look at the best overseas XI from the season:
Openers: David Warner (c) , Jonny Bairstow
David Warner has undoubtedly been the best overseas batsman in the history of the IPL. Not only that, he has also been one of the best batsmen in the league ever since he has donned the SRH jersey.
For SRH, Warner has scored 500-plus runs every season he has played. This season he became the only player to win the Orange Cap thrice, with 692 runs from 12 games at an average of 69.20 and strike rate of 143.86.
His successful stint included a scintillating hundred against the Royal Challengers Bangalore and 8 fifty plus scores in the other 11 games. Warner is also the captain of this side, having won the title as skipper in 2016.
Warner's opening partner Jonny Bairstow wreaked havoc in his debut IPL season. The pair stitched together as many as four century stands. Their success meant SRH were the team with least wickets lost in the powerplays.
Bairstow had to leave for national duties midway through the tournament. But by then, he had already smashed 445 runs from 10 games at an average of 55.62 and strike rate of 157.24. His century against RCB was accompanied by two fifty plus scores.