The 2021 edition of the IPL currently stands suspended. This announcement came on 4th May due to the increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the bio bubble. BCCI has made the right call by suspending the tournament for the time being. The health and safety of the player and staff are of utmost importance currently. We were at the halfway stage of the IPL. Some teams have done extremely well while some have just blown hot and cold.
There have been some stand out players who have had outstanding performances up until this point. Many of them have played match-defining knocks or bowled match-changing spells that have turned the tables in their team’s favour. Here we look at the team of the best performers till the middle stages of the league.
There are just so many names that stand out but we cannot pick everyone. We will look to find the perfect balance between bat and ball. There will be one wicketkeeper and no player will bat out of position in the lineup. This team consisted of 4 foreign players. It has batting depth till number 8 and 5 proper bowlers with one part-time 6th bowler who can give a few overs when needed. The fielding of this team is at the top level. Some of them are the best fielders in the world. It is an extremely balanced team with all the bases covered.
Also Read: IPL 2021 Stands Suspended As Of Now, Confirms BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla
IPL 2021: Mid-Season Team Of The Tournament
Shikhar Dhawan (Delhi Capitals)
This man just picks himself into any team’s IPL playing 11this year. He was having one of the best IPL seasons in his career. Having scored 380 runs at an extremely healthy strike rate he has been Delhi’s best player this season. The Indian opener has single-handedly won many games for the franchise.
He is also currently the Orange Cap holder. He has scored 3 fifties in the tournament. His partnership along with Prithvi Shaw has just flourished. Shikhar Dhawan has a BASRA of 188.55. He played quite a few games at Chennai where scoring was difficult but he made it look so smooth and easy.
KL Rahul(C) (Punjab Kings)
The Punjab Kings captain has been the best player for his team. He scored 331 runs from 7 matches before he was forced to pull out of the tournament. Punjab Kings have a frail middle order and therefore he was forced to play cautiously quite often.
He played many match-winning knocks for his team and that kept Punjab in the hunt for the playoffs. They looked like a completely different team without him. He has a BASRA (Batting average+strike rate) of 202.41 which happens to be better than Shikhar Dhawan. KL Rahul was certainly having a great tournament.
He will also be captaining this team. Even though Punjab weren’t cruising per see but KL Rahul has been a responsible captain.
Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)
The Rajasthan Royals captain has taken over the captaincy of the men in pink. With added responsibility comes added pressure, but Sanju Samson thrives in that pressure. He absolutely enjoys his time out in the middle. He was one of the centurions of Rajasthan Royals this year.
Sanju Samson currently ranks 5th on the list of the players with the most number of runs this season. His strike rate is much better than both the openers. He strikes at 145.78 and has a BASRA of 191.94. His ability to strike the ball is what differentiates him from others.
He can hit sixes at will. Sanju Samson has been the reason Rajasthan had a ray of hope this season.
Rishabh Pant (WK) (Delhi Capitals)
We have another new captain who has done well with the added responsibility. Rishabh Pant has shown us why he is the perfect number 4. He has matured over the years and plays according to the situation. He plays cautiously whenever needed and is also able to hit the long ball when his team needs.
What more do you need from your number 4. Other than his batting ability he also will be the wicket-keeper in this team. Rishabh Pant was previously criticized for his keeping skills but has improved by leaps and bounds. He is in the form of his life and Delhi were at the top of the table under his captaincy.
AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
What can we say about MR 360 himself He just walks into every team. ABD has taken up the role of the finisher for RCB this year. He certainly has lived up to his reputation. Having scored 207 runs batting down the order is a feat that only he is capable of achieving.
He won the game for RCB against Mumbai. He provided them with a superb finish on two occasions where he took the bowlers to task. It is hard to imagine an IPL team without this man. Not only is he a superb entertainer but is also extremely consistent.
He boasts of a marvellous strike rate of 164.28. AB de Villers was the main reason why RCB was doing well since the beginning of the tournament.
Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)
The one name synonymous with the Mumbai Indians is Kieron Pollard. The big man has delivered time and again for the defending champions and again this year he showed us why he is so important for Rohit Sharma’s team. He can hit the ball a long way back.
Pollard single-handedly won the game for his team against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings. He has a strike rate of 171.42. Kieron Pollard is the man you want in the center when you need a few sixes at the end of the innings. In the case of slow pitches, he can give the team two or three overs as a part-time sixth bowler.
He is very effective on these kinds of wickets.
Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)
Ravindra Jadeja has been in the form of his life in these last few years. This year we saw him timing the ball better than ever. His bowling has always been his strength. In these last few years, we can see how he has evolved into a proper all-rounder. He smashed 37 runs against the purple cap holder Harshal Patel in the 20th over against RCB.
Ravindra Jadeja is a person who can be called a 3-dimensional player. Not only does he contribute with the bat and ball but his fielding is second to none. He pulls off such miraculous run-outs and catches that leaves all of us in awe. His economic rate is as low as 6.70.
He performs whenever his team needs him the most. The CSK all-rounder walks into any side as he provides the much-needed balance a team needs.
Chris Morris (Rajasthan Royals)
The South African all-rounder had a huge burden on his shoulders when the tournament started. Chris Morris had to live up to his price tag of 16.25 crores and boy did he do it well. He has been Rajasthan’s standout bowler at the death.
Whether it comes to stopping the run flow or picking up wickets, Morris is the man you want in your team. His bowling strike rate of 11.14 is better than almost everyone in the tournament showing us why he is such a valuable player to have. He picks wickets at regular intervals and maintains pressure on the opposition. He leads the Rajasthan Royals attack from the front.
Apart from his bowling prowess he can also tonk a few at the end of the innings thus extending the batting line up of the team. He is another player who is bankable when his team needs him.
Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
SunRisers Hyderabad had a poor outing this season. The team seemed to not string together as a unit. Among all this chaos there was one bright light dawning upon all of us. It was Rashid Khan and his brilliant bowling. The leg spinner from Afghanistan is the man with a golden arm.
He picks up wickets regularly and also concedes at an economy rate of 6. This guy is an IPL legend and he showed us again why he is one of the most feared leg spinners. His economy rate of 6.14 is second to none. Batters to this day tend to struggle against him.
Whatever we talk about him does not do justice to his skill and his contribution.
Avesh Khan (Delhi Capitals)
This man has been a revelation for all of us. He started his campaign by dismissing MS Dhoni. Since then he has never looked back. Young Avesh Khan is second on the list of leading wicket-takers this year. He has a decent economy of 7.70 and bowls well at any stage of the game.
The pacer can get a few wickets at the start with the new ball and also helps to restrict the run flow at the death. His strike rate is 12.85 showing us that he gets a wicket for his team very often. Irrespective of whether the tournament continues or not, Avesh Khan will always remember this season as it was in 2021 that he came into the limelight.
Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)
This man is a gem not only for his franchise but also the whole country. The numbers that he produces often don’t do justice to the impact he has during the game. He picked up 6 wickets only but he did so while conceding runs at the economy rate of 7.11.
It is important to remember that he conceded just a few runs while bowling the most difficult overs in the innings. He bowled 2 overs at the death without giving away too many. Apart from the one bad game he had against CSK, he was just the best.
Rohit Sharma’s go-to man whenever Mumbai needed a wicket was Bumrah and he always delivered. He is an asset for every team he plays for.
Notable Mentions
Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The purple cap holder was certainly in the mix of things since the beginning of the tournament. He has picked 17 wickets currently. Harshal missed out due to his high economy rate of 9.17. He started his campaign brilliantly troubling the batters with his slower balls and reverse swing but in recent games, he seems to have lost the plot.
He is going for too many runs at the death and the batters have found him predictable which is why he is going for runs.
Rahul Chahar (Mumbai Indians)
The young leggie has been the lead wicket-taker for Mumbai this season. He has 11 wickets in 7 matches for the boys in blue. He narrowly missed out because he has picked up only 1 extra wicket as compared to Rashid Khan.
Rahul Chahar has bowled at an economy rate of 7.21 which is a little higher than Rashid and therefore he missed out by a hair.
Moeen Ali (Chennai Super Kings)
The CSK all-rounder was promoted up the order by MS Dhoni and management. He has bloomed at that number 3 position. Last year CSK were unable to score in the middle overs but Moeen Ali’s promotion has solved their conundrum.
He can be a great replacement for Sanju Samson in this team at number three as he also bowls a few overs when need. He missed out mainly due to the lack of overseas slots as only 4 are allowed.
Also Read: Ravindra Jadeja Responds After Harsha Bhogle Calls Him “Sir Jadeja”