Picking the best playing 11 of MLC 2023 ft. Quinton de Kock and Trent Boult

The inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket concluded on Sunday, July 30, with MI New York clinching the trophy with a seven-wicket victory over Seattle Orcas in the summit clash.

Chasing 184, skipper Nicholas Pooran led the way for New York with a barnstorming unbeaten 55-ball 137* that blew the Orcas away. The chase was wrapped up in just 16 overs at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

MLC 2023 saw plenty of engrossing performances, both from an individual and a team perspective. Packed stadiums and buzzing atmospheres headlined the event, which has proved to be a shape-shifter as far as cricket in the USA is concerned.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐋𝐂 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒! 🔵🏆

MI New York! 👏

📸 MLC

#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/Jw06egN3pS

With the inaugural edition coming to a close, it's time to look back at the best playing XI of the season.

We attempt at picking the same while keeping in mind the condition of no more than six overseas players in the XI. Unsurprisingly, it wears a strong New York and Seattle Orcas presence, with plenty of standout performers from the two sides.

Here's a look at the best playing XI of MLC 2023:

Openers - Quinton de Kock (wk) and Nauman Anwar

QUINTON DE KOCK GOES BIG... THRICE!🔁

Quinton De Kock takes on debutant Jessy Singh for THREE SIXES in the 15th over! 💚

1⃣2⃣0⃣/3⃣ (14.4) pic.twitter.com/ubaHuKuqfu

The Seattle Orcas pair of Quinton de Kock and Nauman Anwar will don the same role at the top in this playing XI as well.

De Kock finished second on the run-scorers' charts, with 264 runs at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 197.47. He tallied three half-centuries, including two of them in the playoffs. The 30-year-old will don the wicket-keeper's gloves in this side.

De Kock's right-handed opening partner Anwar might not have set the stage alight in the playoffs but was instrumental in getting his team off to quick starts. He ended with 191 runs from seven matches at an average of 27.28 and a strike rate of 120.12.

Middle Order - Shayan Jahangir, Nicholas Pooran (c), Heinrich Klaasen and Corey Anderson

Nicholas Pooran led MI New York in style in the final! 🔥😍

#Cricket #Pooran #MLC pic.twitter.com/J6Rz2NHl7p

Shayan Jahangir didn't boast a huge set of scores as such, but he was consistent in piling up crucial cameos for MI New York in MLC 2023. Having tallied 164 runs at a average of 23.42 and a strike rate of 119.70, he occupies the No. 3 spot in this XI.

Jahangir's skipper Nicholas Pooran headlines a solid engine room that also features Heinrich Klaasen and Corey Anderson. Pooran topped the run-scorers' charts with 388 runs, averaging 64.66 at a blistering strike rate of 167.24. He will also captain this playing XI.

Klaasen was at his brutal best with the bat for the Orcas, clobbering 235 runs at an average of 58.75 and a strike rate of 197.47. His stunning unbeaten 110 against New York was one of the best knocks of the tournament.

San Francisco Unicorns may have failed to qualify for the playoffs, but Corey Anderson was consistently destructive with the bat. He struck at a rate of 145.03 and racked up 190 runs while leading the run-scorers' charts at one point in the tournament.

Bowlers - Imad Wasim, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammad Mohsin, Trent Boult and Cameron Gannon

Thunder Boult in MLC 2023 ⚡🔵

#MLC #Cricket #Boult pic.twitter.com/4JBCKbXhMu

Imad Wasim joins Anderson in the all-rounders department of this playing XI even though he didn't have too much do with the bat in MLC 2023. He was excellent with the ball and ended as the best spinner with 10 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.33.

Mohammad Mohsin was one of the finds of the season, with his wrist-spinners being instrumental in Texas Super Kings making the playoffs. He might have been expensive on the odd occasion, but his impact was undeniable as he finished with nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.52.

His teammate Gerald Coetzee joins Trent Boult and Cameron Gannon in a three-man pace attack. Coetzee charged in with sheer pace and used his variations effectively to finish with eight wickets at 15.75 apiece and an economy rate of 8.40.

Gannon was the joint second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament. He bagged 11 wickets at 17.36 apiece, extracting extra bounce owing to his height and keeping batters quiet in the process.

Boult emerged as the bowler of the tournament beyond doubt, snaring 22 scalps at 10.36 apiece and striking once every 8.40 deliveries. He never went wicketless even once while also bagging 15 wickets in the last four games that MI New York played.

Best playing XI of MLC 2023: Quinton de Kock (wk), Nauman Anwar, Shayan Jahangir, Nicholas Pooran (c), Heinrich Klaasen, Corey Anderson, Imad Wasim, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammad Mohsin, Trent Boult, Cameron Gannon.

Who would you have in your playing XI of MLC 2023? Have your say in the comments section below!

Also read: England's playing XI from Stuart Broad's Test debut - where are they now?