The ninth edition of the Indian Premier League reached its conclusion on Sunday with Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the grand finale at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In the end, the Hyderabad franchise tasted its maiden IPL triumph by virtue of their winover RCB by 8 runs in an edge-of-the-seat contest. As the nation resumed its normal schedule the following dayafter being in frenzy of a cricketing extravaganza which lasted for 51 days and stretches across 10 venues, we present to you a fantasised squad comprising of 15 gifted players who looked the most impressive through the tournament. The task was as difficult as nailing jelly to a tree since we had to choose from a pool of 191 players among whom some enjoyed a rich vein of form while others struggled to cope with the intense competition that was on offer. After looking at the pros and cons of all the players, we have compiled a team which is listed below.
1. DAVID WARNER (SRH) (CAPTAIN)
It seems that theSunrisers Hyderabad captain has vouched to rewrite the Biblical story of ‘David and Goliath’. A batting talisman in the guise of a 5 feet 7 inches tall Australian, the 29-year old has gone from strength to strength since bursting onto the scene in 2009. The winner of the orange cap in 2015, Warner couldn’t pilot his team into the playoffs last season, crumbling in the wake of the knockouts. This season though, he turned things around by leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to its maiden IPL title. Interestingly, the Australian vice-Captain had decided that he would stop consuming alcohol temporarily in a bid to enhance his fitness after going through a poor run of form during the Ashes in England a year ago. The self-imposed year-long booze ban ended on Sunday when he joined his teammates to celebrate their title triumph. Assuming the mantle of being the leader of SRH’s batting department, the left-handed opener from New South Wales amassed 848 runs from 17 games at an average of 60.57 this season to finish second in the top run-getters’ list behind Virat Kohli. He also struck 88 fours (most by any player in IPL 9) and 31 sixes over the course of the 51-day long tournament. Warner not only impressed everyone with his smart on-field tactical changes but also his consistent batting display, which rescued his side from arduous situations on multiple occasions; as is evident from his knocks of 93* in the second qualifier (against Gujarat Lions) and 69 off 38 balls in the final(against Royal Challengers Bangalore). His exemplary captaincy thereby, earns him the honour to lead this star-studded side.
Stats- Matches 17, Runs 848, HS 93*, N.O 3, Avg.- 60.57, S/R- 151.42, 9 fifties.
2. VIRAT KOHLI (RCB)
No matter how much praise you lavish on this man, nothing can encapsulate the relentless fortitude that he has been exhibiting on the 22 yards in recent times. From being adjudged the ‘Man of the Tournament’ in the ICC World T20 two months back to being named the MVP of IPL 2016, Kohli has won several accolades in his 8-year long career, except for the highly coveted IPL trophy. Royal Challengers Bangalore came within a whisker of winning the title this time around but had to settle with the second place in the end as Sunrisers Hyderabad overwhelmed them by 8 runs to lift its maiden IPL trophy in Bangalore on Sunday. Kohli has been in the form of his life, advocated by his tally of over 970 runs in the recently concluded edition of the IP Land the RCB supporters waited with bated breath to see their Captain end their painful drought for a trophy.But it was not to be as the home fans witnessed the players from the opposition camp take to the podium. Despite finishing as runner-up, the 27-year old needs to be credited with installing a never-say-die-attitude in his team, counting on which they achieved the improbable feat of winning 6 consecutive games to make the final. That Kohli played the latter half of the tournament with 7-8 stitches in his webbing goes to show the kind of determination and grit this man can bring to the table. His tally of 973 runs from 16 games at an average of 81.08 made him the possessor of the ‘Orange Cap’. Prior to IPL 9, Kohli didn’t have a single triple figure score to his name in T20s but has finished the season with 4 such centuries; a glaring testimony to his near-superhuman consistency of late. Besides notching up signifi cant scores in almost every match RCB played this season, Kohli also slammed 38 sixes; a feat unsurpassed by no one else in IPL 2016. It is needless to say that he and Warner would form a dream opening pair if at all there happens to be one.
Stats- Matches 16, Runs 973, HS 113, N.O 4, Avg.- 81.08, S/R- 152.03, 4 hundreds, 7 fifties.
3. ROHIT SHARMA (MI)
A winner of three IPL titles (for DC in 2009 and for MI in 2013 and 2015), Rohit Sharma came into the tournament as the captain of the defending champions, Mumbai Indians which emerged victorious last season. Even though, Mumbai Indians were nowhere near as strong this year, Rohit enjoyed a reasonably good IPL season on the personal front. Having scored 489 runs from 14 games at a modest average of 44.45 and at a strike rate of 132.88, the Mumbaikar took his side across the finish line almost single-handedly on more than one occasion. The fact that the rest of the batting unit failed to step up to the plate during crunch situations affected their tournament hopes big time, which hindered them from advancing beyond the league stages of the tournament. Rohit’s amassment of runs hasn’t been uniform through the season. In seven out of the 14 games he batted first, he could only manage 95 runs at a substandard average of 13.60. On the flipside, his willow yielded 396 runs at a startling average of 99 while chasing. With the rest of the batting line-up virtually revolving around him, opposition bowlers would eye to take command of the games by scalping his wicket; which in turn would result in MI capitulating under pressure more often than not. It should not be overlooked that MI were deprived of playing their last few games at home, owing to the prevailing conditions of drought in the state of Maharashtra.
He did unearth some bright talents such as KrunalPandya and NitishRanabut overall, it was a mediocre season for Mumbai Indians in general and Rohit in particular.
Stats- Matches 14, Runs 489, HS 85*, N.O 3, Avg.- 44.45, S/R- 132.88, 5 fifties.
4. AB DE VILLIERS (RCB)
Known around the world for his ability to put the bowlers to the sword every time he steps on the field, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers did his reputation a tonne of good by clocking up 687 runs from 16 games at an imposing average of 52.84 and at a strike rate of 168.79 for RCB this season. Instrumental in RCB’s dramatic upsurge at the business end of the tournament, the Protea ODI and Test skipper lent admirable support to captain Virat Kohli umpteen times during the tournament and ended up finishing third on the leading run-scorers list. On 14th May 2016, de Villiers brought up his first century of IPL 2016 and third ton of his IPL career as he clobbered 10 fours and 12 sixes en route to 129* off 52 balls against Gujarat Lions at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. He shared a 2nd wicket stand worth 229 runs Virat Kohli,to which the latter contributed 100 runs. Riding on the back of centuries from these two star players, RCB drubbed Gujarat Lions by 144 runs in a lop-sided clash. He perished for just 5 runs in the all-important final against SRH. Who knows? A prolonged stay in the middle could have tilted the scales in favour of the home side.
The 32-year old also brought his terrific fielding skills to the fore, nabbing 19 catches in 16 games which won him the award for the ‘fielder of the tournament’. Amusingly, his closest competitor David Miller trails him by 9 catches in this regard.
Here’s hoping his prolific partnership with Kohli yields rich dividend for this side as well.
Stats- Matches 16, Runs 687, HS 129*, N.O 3, Avg.- 52.84, S/R- 168.79, 1 hundred, 6 fifties.
5. QUINTON DE KOCK (DD) (WICKET-KEEPER)
One of the finest talents to have emerged in the international arena in recent years, Quinton de Kock exerted enormous impact on Delhi’s Daredevils campaign this season. In a side which is saturated with top order batsmen, de Kock cemented his place from the outset and was assigned to perform the dual role of opening the batting and donning the gauntlets. Under the supervision of Rahul Dravid and stewardship of Zaheer Khan, Delhi Daredevils demonstrated remarkable improvement from the previous years and looked in contention for a play-off berth for a major part of the season before stumbling at the back end of the tournament. He led the charge with his effusive knocks and remained the backbone of the DD batting line-up throughout the season. The 23-year old South African brought up his maiden IPL century in Match 11 where Royal Challengers Bangalore squared off against Delhi Daredevils in Bangalore. Chasing a stiff target of 192 set by the home side, de Kock rose to the occasion and guided his team to a 7-wicket win. Unfazed by the loss of two early wickets, he along with Karun Nair built a third wicket partnership of 134 runs and saw the team home. In his knock of 108 off 51 balls, he hit 15 fours and 3 sixes. Besides shining resplendently with the bat, he affected 4 dismissals when behind the stumps.
Stats- Batting- Matches 13, Runs 445, HS 108, N.O 1, Avg.- 37.08, S/R- 136.08, hundred, 3 fifties.
Wicket-Keeping- 2 catches, 2 stumpings.
6. YUSUF PATHAN (KKR)
In an interview given to our website earlier this month, the 33-year old all-rounder from Baroda said that he sees a different Yusuf Pathan in the mirror nowadays. No wonder he emerged as one of KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir’s biggest trump cards this season. Making rapid strides in the field of batsmanship, Pathan remained unbeaten eight times in IPL 9, compared to the 5 not outs he recorded last year. KKR’s top order, which saw the team throughseveral times in the germinal stages of the tournament, started to fade away as the tournament approached its back end. Shouldering the burden of a fragile middle order, he along with Andre Russell steadied the ship on numerous occasions by pulling their side out of deep waters.
All in all, the senior Pathande monstrated immense maturity in the recently concludedIPL which required him to sacrifice his aggressive instincts and assume a more sensible role, which worked quitewell for Kolkata Knight Riders.His knocks of 60* (29) against RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, 37* (18) against RPS at the Eden Gardens and 52* (34) against SRH at the Eden again, played key roles in helping the Knights secure playoff berths.For a person who walks out to the crease at number 5 or 6 in majority of games, scoring 361 runs from 15 games at an average of 72.20 speaks volumes ofhis newfound confidence. His average of 72.20 is the second highest by any batsman (behind Kohli) and highest by any KKR player in IPL 2016.All those runs came at a strike rate of 145.56 which happens to be the 13th best strike for any player this season. Entrusted with the task of finishing games, his impressive track record also comprises of 13 sixes and it amply illustrates the kind of impact he had on specific situations. Despite boasting of encouraging stats in the bowling facet, Gambhir’s underutilisation of Pathan, the spinner baffled most experts. With Yusuf set to play for the Abahani Limited in the DPL in Bangladesh, he still harbours hopes of making a comeback into the Indian limited overs team.
Stats- Batting-Matches 15, Runs 361, HS 63*, N.O 8, Avg.- 72.20, S/R 145.56, 3 fifties.
Bowling- Overs 6, Wickets 1, Bowl. Avg.- 33, Eco.- 5.50.
7. ANDRE RUSSELL (KKR)
Yusuf’s partner in crime, Andre Russell has already become a heartthrob in Kolkata; thanks to his remarkable efficacy in all the three departments of batting, bowling and fielding. MVP of IPL 2015, Russell carried his glorious T20I form into the month and a half long tournament, turning out his mojo on the crowds and making good use of the long handle in times of crisis. In the 12 games he played for KKR in 2016, his bat produced 188 runs at an average of 26.85 and at a strike rate of 164.91.
He did a shade better with the ball, having picked up 15 wickets at an average of 19.40 and an economy rate of 7.97. The 29-year old seam bowling all-rounder from Jamaica proved to be a boisterous match-winner for his side and received the ‘Man of the Match’ award thrice for his valiant contributions to the team’s cause in the departments of batting and bowling. Following are his few match-winning performances which made him the recipient of three ‘Man of the Match’ awards this season.
- 3/24 (3 overs) against DD at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
2. 1/24 (4 overs) and 39 (24_ against RCB at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
3. 16* (10) and 4/20 (4 overs) against KXIP at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
It wouldn’t be wrong to infer that his absence from the KKR line-up in the wake of the crucial eliminator adversely affected their fortunes in the tournament.
Stats- Batting- Matches 12, Runs 188, HS 39, N.O 1, Avg.- 26.85, S/R- 164.91, 0 fifties.
Bowling- Overs 36.3, Wickets 15, BBM 4/20, Bowl. Avg.- 19.40, Eco.- 7.97.
8. BHUVANESHWAR KUMAR (SRH)
After losing his way for a brief period of time, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar came out on top in the recently concluded edition of the IPL. With 23 wickets from 17 wickets at an average of 21.30 and an economy rate of 7.42, he powered his team through the finals and took over the reins of spearheading the SRH bowling unit after the team lost Ashsish Nehra midway owing to a hamstring injury. Kumar has always been an immaculate exponent of swing bowling who possesses the rare ability to swing the ball both ways but it’s the addition of the Yorker to his existing repertoire which turned him into a fearsome death bowler and gave the batsmen no room to open their arms in the dying stages of the games. Thanks to his standout display with the ball for Sunrisers Hyderabad, the winner of the Purple Cap secures his place in this elite team.
Stats- Matches 17, Overs 66, Wickets 23, BBM 4/29, Bowl. Avg.- 21.30, Eco.- 7.42.
9. YUZVENDRA CHAHAL (RCB)
(Pic Source: BCCI/IPL)
From being a chess prodigy who represented India in theUnder-12 World Youth Chess Championship in Greece in 2003 to earning a call-up into the Indian cricket team 13 years later, Yuzvendra Chahal has indeed come a long way. Representing the clan that was once expected to be hunted, the wily leg-spinner has now become the hunter. Chahal proved to be a vital cog in the wheel for Virat Kohli’s team as he picked up 21 wickets from 13 games at an average of 19.09 and a decent economy rate of 8.15. What’s most impressive about Chahal’srecent upswing is the fact that he played most of his games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, a ground where the bowlers are generally thrown in the kitchen sink by rival batsmen. Bowling largely on RCB’s home ground, he returned an economy rate of 8.15 which by modern standards could be deemed highly commendable. Having outfoxed opposition batsmen on numerous occasions over the course of the tournament, his ability to provide crucial breakthroughs made him the ‘blue-eyed boy’ of captain Kohli. Purchased for his base price of Rs. 10 lakh at the 2014 IPL auction, the 25-year old leg spinner from Haryana will attract lot of eyeballs whenIndia will tour Zimbabwe for a limited-overs series in June under the captaincy of M.S Dhoni.
Stats- Matches 13, Overs 49.1, Wickets 21, BBM 4/25, Bowl. Avg.- 19.09, Eco.- 8.15.
10. DHAWAL KULKARNI (GL)
(Pic Source: BCCI/IPL)
Well, here’s a trivia for all you. Who was the bowler to get ViratKohli out for a duck after 51 T20 innings? It’s DhawalSunil Kulkarni from Mumbai.
Playing for Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016, the 27-year old right arm pacer bagged 18 wickets from 14 games at an average of 20.22 and a noble economy rate of 7.42. He was the unsung hero of Gujarat Lions and played a huge part in the team’s march to the playoffs in its debut season. Kulkarni who has the knack of picking up crucial wickets in the first six overs, proved his mettle with the new ball by bagging 4 wickets (second most by any bowler) in the powerplay this time around. In the 1st Qualifier between Gujarat Lions and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kulkarninearly staged an upset as he wreaked havoc in the RCB camp by scalping their first three wickets with just 25 runs on the board. Eventually RCB got to the target of 159, riding on the back of an astounding AB de Villiers half-century but Kulkarniwas lauded for returning with career best figures of 4-1-14-4. He has been picked in the second string Indian squad for the tour of Zimbabwe in July and hopefully he will use the opportunity to lead the Indian pace attack to good effect.
Stats- Matches 14, Overs 49, Wickets 18, BBM 4/14, Bowl. Avg.- 20.22, Eco.- 7.42.
11. SANDDEP SHARMA (KXIP)
One of the budding talents in the realms of Indian cricket, Sandeep Sharma has blossomed into a fine seambowler while playing for the Kings XI Punjab. He made his international debut on the tour to Zimbabwe last year but is unlucky to miss out on a spot in the national team this time around. The 23-year old seam bowler from Punjab shot to prominence after he picked up 12 wickets for the triumphant Indian team in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2010. With 15 scalps from 14 games at an average of 24.40 and an economy rate of 7.61, Sandeep showed his prowess as a prudent swing bowler this season. For a team faced with a litany of problems, the right arm pacer’s ascendancy was one of few positives in their campaign. His best figures of 2/11 in IPL 9 came against Mumbai Indians in Visakhapatnam and he features in the 8th position on the list of the highest wicket takers of the tournament.
Stats- Matches 14, Overs 50, Wickets 15, BBM 2/11, Bowl. Avg.- 24.40, Eco.- 7.61
RESERVES
MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN (SRH), AJINKYA RAHANE (RPS), GAUTAM GAMBHIR (KKR) & SHANE WATSON (RCB)
For a tournament which spans over 50 days, having strong bench options is a pre-requisite. Since we could include only 11 players in the main team, some highly proficient cricketers such as Ajinkya Rahane, Gautam Gambhir, Mustafizur Rahman and Shane Watson had to miss out. However, they will add to the depth of what is already a splendidly nuanced team; courtesy their outstanding performances in the ninth edition of the highly acclaimed tournament.
Even though he is at the nascent stage of his career, 20-year old Mustafizur Rahman took the tournament by storm by bagging 17 wickets from 16 games at a miserly economy rate of 6.90. Mustafizur has been dominating the headlines since bursting onto the scene last year with valiant contributions to two major ODI series victories of Bangladesh against India and South Africa respectively. The novicebowled like a champion in his debut IPL season, as he went about his business of rattling the stumps and inducing fear in the minds of batsmen with his noxious cutters and threatening yorkers which proved detrimental in helping SRH claim its maiden IPL title. Hailing from the Bangladeshi village of Tetulia, Mustafizur is the first overseas players to receive the ‘Emerging Player of the Tournament’ award. With age on his side, the lean pacer could go on to become a world beater if he works hard on honing his skills.
Playing for a team which was skating on thin ice for a major part of the tournament, Ajinkya Rahane pulled the fat out of fire and saved his teammates’ blushes many a times as he stacked up 480 runs from 14 games at an excellent average of 43.63 and at a strike rate of 126.94 with 6 fifties and a top score of 74. In an edition which was mostly dominated by batsmen, Rahane finished as the seventh highest run scorer of the tournament.
Leading run scorer for KKR this season, Gautam Gambhir got his name etched on the score sheet on multiple occasions. After suffering from a slump in form in 2015, the KKR captain bounced back this season, scoring 501 runs from 15 matches at a fair average of 38.53 and at a strike rate of 121.89 with 5 half-centuries and a highest score of 90*. The open-chested stance came in handy for the 34-year old left handed opener as he returned to form and turned out to be a catalyst for his side at the top of the order. One of the few reasons why KKR stumbled a wee bit towards the business end of the season was because the opening pair of Gambhir and Uthappa failed to get the team off to flying starts in the last few league games. Even though he has been ignored by the selectors for the upcoming tours to Zimbabwe and West Indies, a string of consistent scores in domestic cricket might see him force his way back into the Indian team in the near future.
Although Shane Watson’s crafty medium pace helped pitchfork RCB to victory many a times this season, the 34-year old Australian all-rounder failed to deliver the goods when it mattered the most by conceding 61 runs from his 4 overs in the summit clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bangalore. Despite the fact that his batting form gradually weaned away as the tournament progressed, he proved his worth with ball by picking up 20 wickets from 16 games at an average of 24.25 and an economy rate of 8.58. With the bat, he amassed 179 runs at a shabby average of 13.76 and at a strike rate of 133.58 with 36 being his highest score. Since RCB’s top order is packed with explosive batsmen, Watson was sent at no. 5 or 6 on most occasions; a slot where batsmen generally don’t get enough time to settle on the crease. One of the key members of the RCB team which stormed into the finals, Watson becomes an essential fixture for whichever team he plays for and rightly deserves a place in this fictional squad.
This brings us to the end of this feature. We hope you enjoyed reading it and we thank you for sparing some time from your busy schedules.