Last Updated on 7 years by Charbel Coorey
The IPL 2018 Final is upon us, and with the inevitable talk on social media about how long the tournament is, one thing that can’t be denied is how exciting the tournament has been. From superb individual performances to a magnificent race to the playoffs that involved a number of teams, putting together the best XI of the tournament is no easy feat.
In this cricket opinion piece, I will list my top XI for the tournament. Feel free to share your thoughts!
1. KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab)
KXIP’s second half of the season was a nightmare, but KL Rahul was the shining light. This awesome talent hit 659 runs at 54.91, with a SR of 158.41. For an opening slot in the team of the season, KL Rahul is a given.
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| KL Rahul was incredible in IPL 2018 |
2. Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals)
Jos Buttler had a slow start to the tournament, but when he was shifted to opener, he was incredible. He hit five half centuries in a row, which included three consecutive man of the match awards, and single-handedly kept RR’s hopes alive of a playoffs spot in the key matches.
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| Jos Buttler was the perfect opening option for RR |
3. Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
There is no doubt that Kane Williamson has one of the best batting techniques in the world. He plays the ball late, and is so elegant on the eye. However, his performance in IPL 2018 has been simply brilliant, and would need something amazing from Ambati Rayudu to take the orange cap away from Kane. Ahead of the final, he has 688 runs at 52.92, with a SR of 143.33. Superb stuff.
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| Kane Williamson was superb right throughout the tournament |
4. Ambati Rayudu (Chennai Super Kings)
Excellent tournament for Rayudu, whom I simply can’t leave out of this side. He was especially superb against SRH this season, scoring an unbeaten 100 towards the end of the season, and has a chance to reach 600 runs for the season in the final. A key part of CSK’s strong batting line up.
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| Can’t keep Ambati Rayudu out of this team |
5. Rishabh Pant (Delhi Daredevils)
India’s 20 year old superstar. Holder of the tournament’s highest score (128), Rishabh Pant was a shining light in DD’s disappointing season, and has now given their fans plenty of hope for the future. He has hit the most fours and sixes out of any player, and with 684 runs at 52.61 with a SR of 173.60, Pant was one of the first players who came to mind when thinking about IPL 2018’s best XI.
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| Rishabh Pant celebrates a century against SRH |
6. MS Dhoni (c & wk – Chennai Super Kings)
CSK’s return to IPL after two years in the wilderness was a special time for their fans, and MS Dhoni has been key in ensuring it has been a successful return. He has led his team brilliantly, and his finishing has been MS Dhoni of old in this tournament. For players with over 400 runs, he easily had the highest average (75.83), with a SR of over 150.
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| MS Dhoni has led his team brilliantly |
7. Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)
It was a disappointing end to a very good tournament for KKR, but that takes nothing away from Andre Russell’s superb tournament. His 316 runs were accompanied with a SR of 184.79, and picked up 13 wickets even with concerns over his hamstrings. He was a key reason KKR went as far as they did in IPL 2018.
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| Andre Russell: so much power |
8. Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Another player who was key to KKR’s good tournament. Sunil Narine was good at the top of the order, giving his team plenty of fast starts, finishing with 357 runs at a SR of 189. His tournament also included 17 wickets at an economy rate of 7.65, which is an excellent return.
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| Sunil Narine: key player with both bat and ball |
9. Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
In one of the most incredible all-round performances in IPL history against KKR in Qualifier 2, the wonderful Rashid Khan hit 34* off 10 balls, and then took 3/19. In a way, this highlights how important Rashid Khan is to SRH, and he has had a good tournament. He has a chance to win the purple cap, with 21 wickets at a brilliant economy rate of 6.78. He is still 19!
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| Rashid Khan: superstar |
10. Andrew Tye (Kings XI Punjab)
Holder of the purple cap, AJ Tye was another shining light in KXIP’s disappointing end to the season, and enhanced his T20 reputation further. 24 wickets at 18, with an economy rate of 8 an over is deserving of a place among IPL 2018’s elite.
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| AJ Tye: a good season for disappointing KXIP |
11. Umesh Yadav (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
While his death bowling wasn’t always the best, there is no doubt Umesh Yadav had a great tournament. He bowled with great pace and control, and reached the 20-wicket mark in a disappointing campaign for RCB.
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| Yadav was superb with the ball in IPL 2018 |
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So, is there anyone you would take out from this this team? Who should be included? It’d be great to get your thoughts!
Thanks for reading.
