IPL XI vs PSL XI: The best of both leagues
The third season of Pakistan Super League concluded less than two weeks before the start of this year's Indian Premier League. While Islamabad United were crowned as champions for the second time in three years of PSL, the Chennai Super Kings lifted the IPL trophy third time in their ninth season.
While cricket returned to Pakistan for the last three matches of PSL which were played in Karachi, Chennai Super Kings winning the tournament coming back after a two-year exile gave the much-needed happiness to millions of fans who were waiting for their favourite franchise to return.
The debate among fans as to which league is better might never end. But here we have tried to list the best XI players of both the leagues in the recently concluded tournaments. This is in no way a comparison between the leagues but it is just a celebration of their success.
PSL: Openers - Luke Ronchi, Kamran Akmal
Luke Ronchi was brilliant for the Islamabad United as he provided good starts on a regular basis. In spite of starting the tournament poorly, he came back strong and scored five half-centuries in the last seven matches that he played this season. In total, he made 435 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 182.00 and was the highest run-getter of the tournament. The crucial half-centuries from the player of the tournament in Qualifier and Finale helped Islamabad United clinch their second title in three seasons.
Opening the batting for Peshawar Zalmi, Kamran Akmal often gave his side quick starts which on most occasions took the game away from the opposition. For the second consecutive year, Akmal was among the top run-getters of the tournament. He bettered his last year's run tally of 353 by scoring 425 runs in 12 innings. The dashing opener helped his side go into the playoffs with a superb 61-ball 107, which was also the only century of the tournament.
IPL: Openers - KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu
Individually, KL Rahul had a great tournament but was let down by his team when it mattered the most. Rahul was the third highest run-scorer of the tournament with 659 runs from 14 innings with a strike rate of 158.41. He scored 6 half-centuries in the tournament. In his very first match of the tournament, he broke the record for the fastest half-century in IPL history as he reached 50-mark in just 14 balls.
Ambati Rayudu was instrumental in Chennai Super Kings' title-run this season. Rayudu, who never scored more than 400 runs in any of the previous IPLs, scored 602 runs in this year's tournament. Even his strike rate,149.75, saw a steep rise compared to that of previous seasons, 126.16. In addition to the three half-centuries, he scored an unbeaten hundred against the runner-ups Sunrisers Hyderabad in the league stage.