IPL 2019: Mid-season analysis - The best overseas XI
There have been 34 matches played so far in this edition of the IPL and much like in previous years, we have been seeing overseas players making a huge impact on their teams' performance.
The Purple Cap (for the player with the highest number of wickets) and the Orange Cap (for the player with the highest runs) has been held by a South African and an Australian respectively.
Let us look at the best overseas playing XI as per their performance in this season till now.
Openers: David Warner (SRH) & Chris Gayle (KXIP)
David Warner has been exceptional with the bat this year. He has scored 450 runs from eight games at an average of 75. During the last game against Chennai Super Kings, he scored a 50 off 25 balls, when others found it difficult to score runs even at a-run-a-ball. The Orange Cap holder is an easy pick for the opening spot.
The 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle, has 352 runs from eight games at an average of 50.28. He stands fourth in the top run-getters list. When he gets going, there is no safe place for bowlers to bowl, which makes him the ideal partner for Warner.
Position 3 & 4: Jonny Bairstow (SRH) & AB De Villiers (RCB)
Even though the ideal position for Jonny Bairstow is the opening slot, playing at number three will not make a difference to him with the kind of form he is in. With 365 runs from eight games, he stands third in the top run-scorers list.
Out of the four games that Sunrisers Hyderabad have won, Bairstow was the Man Of the Match on two occasions. He will play at the number three spot.
The legendary South African batsman, AB De Villiers will play at number four. He is having a good season despite the struggles of his team. He has scored 307 runs from eight games at an average of 51. His ability to attack or rotate the strike according to the situations of the game is exceptional.
Position 5, 6 & 7: Jos Buttler (RR), Andre Russell (KKR) & Jofra Archer (RR)
With 311 runs from eight games, Jos Buttler has been the backbone of Rajasthan Royals' batting this season. His 43-ball 89 against the Mumbai Indians was a treat to watch. The English batsman will bat at number five.
If a vote is held to select just one player from any of the eight teams, the entire vote will go to this man from Jamaica; Andre Russell. He is the major reason behind all the success Kolkata Knight Riders has achieved this season. He has 312 runs from eight games at a strike rate of above 200. These extra-ordinary numbers makes him the number six batsman.
Chris Morris is having a good season with the ball, as he took 11 wickets from seven games at an average just below 20. His best performance came against the SRH as he took three wickets for just 22 runs. His wicket-taking ability places him in the number seven position.
Bowlers: Jofra Archer (RR), Rashid Khan (SRH), Kagiso Rabada (DC) & Imran Tahir (CSK)
The West Indian born all-rounder, who decided to ply his trade in England, comes in at the number eight position. He has had a good season with 10 wickets from eight games at an average of 21. During the game against KXIP, Jofra Archer was magnificent with the ball as he finished his spell with 4-0-15-3.
Rashid Khan has managed to scalp eight wickets from the eight games he played till now. During the high scoring first game against the Rajasthan Royals, Khan was the only bowler with an economy of six or less. He also had a last minute cameo with the bat and made sure his side ended victorious. He is our number nine bowler.
Imran Tahir is an obvious choice for the overseas XI. With 15 wickets from nine games at an impressive average of 13, the 40-year old veteran spinner from South Africa has been pivotal in the successful journey of CSK this season. He is our number 10 bowler.
The number 11 spot goes to the Purple Cap holder, Kagiso Rabada. The South African seamer has taken 19 wickets from nine games, far more than any other bowler this season. His deathly accurate yorkers and bumpy bouncers have troubled batsmen across all teams, which makes him eligible for the number 11 position.