Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: CricBlog’s IPL 2023 Team of the Tournament | Who makes the IPL 2023 team of the tournament?
The 2023 season is arguably the best ever edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Packed with entertainment, thrilling finishes and wonderful performances, the season offers a brilliant opportunity to sketch out the ‘Team of the Tournament’.
Without further ado, let us take a look at our picks for what appears to be the most impressive side that could be made from the latest season of the IPL, where CSK emerged victorious in thrilling fashion.
1. Faf du Plessis (C) (OS)
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper demonstrated some unreal consistency with the bat this season. He aggregated 730 runs after 14 matches with an average and strike rate of 56.15 and 153.68 respectively, which included eight half-centuries. He held the Orange Cap after the conclusion of the group stage.
2. Shubman Gill
The Orange Cap winner and second-most runs ever in a season with 890. Shubman Gill was outstanding in IPL 2023, coming alive towards the backend of the season where he struck three centuries in five matches. This includes the world class 129 against MI in Qualifier 2.
He was impeccable in terms of steering the chase and cruising his team to victories, and thus pips the magnificent Yashasvi Jaiswal for this spot.
3. Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav kicked off his IPL campaign on a slightly uncertain note but he ended up notching 605 runs at a magnificent strike rate of 181.13. He gradually got in the groove and so did the Mumbai Indians (MI) as the 32-year-old hit five fifties and a century to help spearhead their victories in multiple important games in this campaign.
4. Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube has had a breakthrough season this time around, scoring 418 runs at a strike rate of 158.33 in 14 innings. He hit 35 sixes along with 12 fours and took game to the opposition in the middle-overs by dominating against both spinners and pacers. He was key in CSK’s triumph.
5. Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh starred in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He hit 474 runs including four half-centuries and also pulled off that heist against GT earlier on in the season. Rinku showed great composure, match awareness and striking ability to really emerge as a clutch middle-order player this year.
6. Heinrich Klaasen (wk) (OS)
Heinrich Klaasen, the shining light in a horror SRH season, hit 448 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 177.07. This included a superb ton against RCB as well.
Incredibly, Klaasen struck 264 runs against spin in IPL 2023 at an average of 132 and strike rate of 191.3.
7. Ravindra Jadeja
Rockstar Jadeja. The CSK and India all-rounder hit a six and four off the final two balls to seal a record-equalling fifth IPL title for Chennai. In the same game, he took the all-important wicket of the firing Shubman Gill.
Throughout the season, Jadeja was regularly in the wickets. He finished wicketless just three times, and took all of his 20 wickets in the important middle overs. While he didn’t always get going with the bat, he delivered when it mattered most.
8. Rashid Khan (OS)
IPL 2023 was Rashid Khan’s most prolific IPL season, with his 27 wickets smashing his previous best of 21 back in 2018. While his economy (8.23) was higher than usual, Rashid was able to deliver wickets at different stages of the innings to ensure GT were in strong positions in most of the matches.
17 of his scalps came between overs 7-16. Eight came in the death overs, and two in the powerplay. The mantra is if you take Rashid Khan on, be prepared to risk your wicket.
9. Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla has had incredible impact on the Mumbai Indians (MI) bowling unit this year. With doubts over the depth of the attack, Chawla used all his guile and experience to finish with 22 wickets at an average of 22.50 and economy of 8.11.
He, Rashid Khan and Ravindra Jadeja is a lethal trio in the middle overs in this team.
10. Mohammed Shami
The GT speedster finished with the Purple Cap with 28 wickets at a strike rate of 13.92. Shami was sensational both up front as well as in the backend of the innings, and time and again continued to display his utility even in the shortest format of the game.
11. Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj alone assumed the bowling responsibilities for RCB, scalping 19 dismissals in 14 games at an economy of 7.52. He was extremely efficient in the powerplay overs, with ten coming in the powerplay. He will be a force to reckon with along with Shami at every stage of the bowling innings.
Impact Player
Matheesha Pathirana
Bowling at the death is a tough ask. Bowling at the death in the IPL is a tougher ask. But, Matheesha Pathirana was a key reason for CSK’s success this season, with “Baby Malinga” holding his nerve magnificently throughout the season.
Pathirana took 18 wickets between overs 16 and 20 in this IPL. However, the economy rate of 8.05 is elite, which wins him a place as the Impact Player in the IPL 2023 team of the tournament.
