Kevin Pietersen picks his IPL 2022 XI; Dinesh Karthik, Rashid Khan left out
After two months of grueling action, Gujarat Titans (GT) were crowned the champions of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday May 29 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Hardik Pandya and Co. thrashed the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets in front of the home crowd to win the silverware.
With the tournament done and dusted, many pundits picked and chose the best XI in the league and former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen also joined the bandwagon. The 41-year-old made some surprising choices while picking his XI in a chat with Betway Insider.
Pietersen picked Jos Buttler and Quinton de Kock as the openers. The Rajasthan opener has had a breathtaking campaign, finishing as the highest run-scorer with 863 runs, including four centuries. De Kock was also impressive for debutant Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), amassing over 500 runs.
KL Rahul, who continued his excellent run with the bat scoring 600+ runs, was picked as the No.3 batter. Kevin Pietersen went with Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya at No.4. The 28-year-old all-rounder led the team from the front, scoring 487 runs.
The cricketer-turned-commentator picked power-hitters Liam Livingstone and David Miller for the No.5 and 6 positions. While the Lancashire cricketer displayed his brute power, Miller was a different beast in IPL 2022. The southpaw chipped in with telling contributions whenever required by his team, including an important unbeaten 32 in the low-scoring final.
Kevin Pietersen picks Ashwin and Tewatia as spin bowling all-rounders in IPL 2022 XI
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The South African-born cricketer added depth, picking Ravichandran Ashwin and Rahul Tewatia in IPL 2022 XI. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner has had a stellar campaign, averaging 27 with the bat along with 12 scalps under his belt.
The English cricketer picked Purple Cap winner Yuzvendra Chahal as the specialist spinner in the side. Chahal has been superb throughout the season, returning with 27 wickets at an average of below 20.
Pacers Umran Malik and Josh Hazlewood completed Pietersen's best XI. The SunRisers Hyderabad fast bowler won the Emerging Player of the Season award. Umran was also rewarded with a national call-up for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.
Dinesh Karthik, who played a brilliant role as a finisher for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, did not find a place in Pieterson's side. Afghanistan's stellar spinner Rashid Khan was also missing from the pick.