Last Updated on 9 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Opinion: IPL 2020 Team of the Tournament | Which players make the best XI of the IPL 2020 Tournament?
The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League concluded and ever-dominant Mumbai Indians clinched their fifth title in a comprehensive victory over the Delhi Capitals. Like every other campaign, this season put forth some commendable individual performances, interestingly from individuals whose impact surpassed their far more prominent international counterparts.
To pick a team of any tournament is a slightly challenging task, given the plethora of players that one has to pick from. In this XI, we have tried to pick a team of players whose performances carried some real impact for their respective teams. Statistics can be a bit misleading at times and hence it is rather better to rely on gut instincts whilst making choices of this sort. Without further ado, let us elaborate on the players who make the cut in this XI.
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1. Shikhar Dhawan
It was perhaps one of the easier choices to make, as Shikhar Dhawan truly reinvented his stature in the shortest format of the game this season. His consecutive centuries against Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab were preceded by back-to-back half-centuries against Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. Dhawan amassed a couple of 50s in the last four games of the campaign as he rounded up the season at 618 runs with strike-rate of 144.73 and average of 44.14. Dhawan notched the most fours (67) in IPL 2020, further signaling his ability to shoot up the scoring rate in the first six overs.
2. Ishan Kishan (wk)
Though KL Rahul finished as the top run-scorer of the season, he donned the role of an anchor more often and that seems to have dented the overall influence he could have had on the team. Rahul scored runs at a rate of 129.34. He registered a strike rate of less than 120 in seven of his 14 innings, which is quite underwhelming for a player of his caliber. Though Rahul crossed the 20-run mark in his last four innings, his maximum strike rate in those four matches was 112.20 against the Rajasthan Royals in Punjab’s penultimate game. It is understandable that Rahul took up this role considering the strategy of the team but it seemed that he could have carved a much better impact with a slight shift in approach maybe.
Hence, Ishan Kishan makes it to the XI as an opener. Though the southpaw from Jharkhand batted at number four for the majority of the tournament, he did open the innings on four occasions in Rohit Sharma’s absence. In those matches, Kishan notched 202 runs that included two half-centuries at a strike rate of 145.32. The 22-year-old is capable of batting from the start due to his innate ability to utilize the pace of the bowlers and clear the ropes at will. Anyways, with 516 runs at an average of 57.33 and strike rate of 145.76, Kishan deserved to be inducted to this team. Moreover, he bagged the most sixes (30) in the tournament and his slot in this XI allows him to bat for a longer duration of time and subsequently create much more of an impact in the innings.
3. Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav made a stellar statement this season, more prominently against the skipper of the Indian national team in the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Yadav seems to have honed his skills and bettered his temperament as he enhanced to become more dependable and dynamic for the defending champions. The batsman scored 480 runs at an average of 40 and strike rate of 145.01. He bagged 61 fours, which is laudable considering that he batted in the middle-overs on most of the occasions. That shows that player’s ability to carve out gaps and instill further momentum in the innings even during the occasional dull middle-overs.
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4. AB de Villiers
Ab de Villiers continued to excel for RCB, as the former South African batsman remained ever so critical to their fortunes in the middle order. De Villiers scored 454 runs at an average of 45.40 and a stellar strike rate of 158.74. His range of shots and batting ability seems to be undeterred staying in the sidelines for quite a long period of time. Some might rightly argue that he needed to stretch that innings in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad until the end. But, the ex-Delhi Daredevils player’s performances as a whole in the season cannot be discarded solely due to that. De Villiers fits seamlessly in this lineup, and seems appropriate to carry forward the approach that this batting order would imbibe in the innings.
5. Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis’ contributions with the bat and the ball were invaluable for the Delhi Capitals this season. He emerged as a truly proficient finisher with a brilliant ability to send the ball over the ropes towards the fag end of the innings. Stoinis did encounter a lean phase in the middle stages of the tournament, but that can be compensated with the efficient bowling alternative that he can be when needed. He scored 352 runs at a strike rate of 148.52 that included three half-centuries throughout the course of the season. Having caused 13 dismissals in 29.4 overs, Stoinis also had the fifth best bowling strike rate in the tournament. An all-rounder like him is truly an asset for any T20 side, which explains his inclusion in this XI.
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6. Hardik Pandya
Though Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl, he proved out to be arguably the best Indian finisher in the tournament. His six-hitting ability remains intact despite a lengthy layoff. Though he took time to pick up his performances, the all-rounder managed to clear the fence conveniently once he got in the groove. He had a strike rate of 178.98 along with an average of 35.12, which results in a BASRA (Batting Average + Strike Rate) of over 200; a feat is rarely achieved by any batsman. Pandya scored 25 sixes and 14 fours and his abilities can be aptly optimized in this batting order.
7. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja’s performances with the bat were a pleasant surprise this time around, as many questions are raised about his abilities to score sixes otherwise. Jadeja sent the ball over the fence on 11 occasions, as he scored 232 runs at a strike rate of 171.85. The southpaw showed awareness to dissect gaps and deftly cut the ball to bag boundaries too.
He took only six wickets though, but his performances with the ball perhaps improved as the tournament approached its conclusion. The off-spinner bowled nine overs at an economy rate of 6.33 and took two wickets in his last two matches. Anyways, he will share the fifth bowler’s burden with Stoinis in this team so the duo can bowl a couple of overs each maybe according to the situation of the game.
8. Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan maintained an economy rate of 5.37 in the 64 overs that he bowled in 16 matches this season. Furthermore, the leg-spinner took 20 wickets and bowled the third-most dot balls (168) in IPL 2020. On some occasions, batsmen like Shane Watson and Rahul Tewatia seemed to have worked him out but Khan was wily with his length and pace, and hardly gave the batsmen room or the opportunity to get under the ball and send it over the ropes. The consistency that the player from Afghanistan has developed with respect to his bowling ability is incredible, and worthy enough to be the third foreigner in this lineup.
9. Jofra Archer
It was a tossup to choose one between Jofra Archer and Kagiso Rabada. However, the Rajasthan Royals’ pacer’s superior dot ball percentage (52.39) and economy rate (6.55) propelled him to this XI. Archer bowled the hard lengths well and it was difficult to get away with his deliveries at any stage of the innings. He was a wicket-taking option throughout the 20 overs and could have possibly fared even better with another pacer supporting him from the opposite end. Furthermore, both Archer and Khan can use the long handle well and will add depth to the batting order.
10. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah didn’t really start the tournament on a bright note, but he was back bowling at his best soon. The pacer seemed to have regained the zip, the incisiveness in his bowling that was lacking in India’s last international assignment against New Zealand in February. Bumrah took 27 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 6.73 that included two four-wicket hauls. He will partner Archer at the start and in the end, ensuring that a flurry of wickets fall in both critical phases of the innings.
11. Yuzvendra Chahal
We had to pick either Yuzvendra Chahal or Kolkata’s breakthrough star Varun Chakravarthy. Chahal has sustained a sense of steadiness in his outings that only a few bowlers can. Definitely, the pitches this time around suited him more than the flat decks at Chinnaswamy and the leggie displayed laudable adaptability to take 21 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 7.08. Chahal topped the charts in terms of most wickets taken by a spinner but the economy rate that he did so was more glaring and praiseworthy. Furthermore, he seems to have honed a fine googly too, that adds more variety to his creative armory.
Note: There are no definite captains in this lineup, so we will rather make AB de Villiers the skipper of this XI. He has had prior experience of doing so at the international level too and will possibly marshal his troops well.
Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter today.
