Best Playing 11 of IPL 2019: The Sportsrush present before you the Best XI of the 12th season of the Indian Premier League.
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After an utter toil between eight teams in 60 matches for the last 50 days, the Indian Premier League has finally come to its culmination. In what was the 12th season of the cash-rich tournament, it witnessed Chennai Super Kings registering their fourth IPL title. Thus, becoming the first-ever team to do so.
IPL 2019 has been eyewitness to several outstanding performances in all the three departments of the game. From Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell’s blitz with the bat to Chennai Super Kings leg-spinner Imran Tahir celebration after dismissing opposition batsmen to Mumbai Indians all-rounder Kieron Pollard taking an exceptional boundary catch, the tournament has seen players thriving across divisions.
With all matches done and dusted now, it is the most apt time to make the ‘Best Playing 11’ of the season.
Best Playing 11 of IPL 2019
Top-order
Having scored 692 runs in 12 matches at an average of 69.20 and a strike rate of 143.86 including one century and eight half-centuries, Sunrisers Hyderabad opening batsman David Warner ended the season as its highest run-scorer. The fact that he achieved the feat despite not playing the full season speaks immensely about his form in his comeback season.
What a final. What a season. Spare a thought for MS Dhoni. His best ever season with bat & may well have defended the title successfully but for that runout. Total class displayed amidst a heartbreaking defeat too. #MIvCSK #IPL
— Raunak Kapoor (@RaunakRK) May 12, 2019
Kings XI Punjab opening batsman Lokesh Rahul was the third-highest run-scorer in IPL 2018. The right-hand batsman bettered his game to finish IPL 2019 as its second-highest run scorer with 593 runs in 14 matches at an average of 53.90 and a strike rate of 135.38. Him playing both the anchor role and also taking on the bowlers was commendable in the season.
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli had a shambolic season as a captain. However, with the bat in hand, he scored 464 runs in 14 matches at an average of 33.14 and a strike rate of 141.46 including one century and a couple of half-centuries.
Middle-order
In the build-up to the season, broadcaster Star Sports had run an advertisement featuring Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Delhi Capitals wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant. Both Dhoni and Pant had a stellar season, finishing as the second-highest and highest run-scorers for their teams respectively.
#CSK’s campaign is worthy of a case study. So much experience and yet they are half as effective without Dhoni. Last year most people thought (including game) that they’ve made the team for one season….and still they’ve made two consecutive finals. 🙇♂️ #IPL
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 12, 2019
Apart from the wicket-keeper duo, Best Playing 11 of IPL 2019 also encompasses the all-rounder duo of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Andre Russell and Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya. Both the dynamic all-rounders dominated the opposition bowling attacks at will throughout the season to the extent that their performance affected the course of the game.
Bowlers
Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal has undoubtedly been the find of the season. In 14 matches, he dismissed 20 batsmen at an average of 17.35, an economy rate of 7.22 and a strike rate of 14.40. Gopal also registered a hat-trick in the tournament which included the wickets of Kohli and AB de Villiers.
ALSO READ: Will MS Dhoni play next year’s IPL?
Having dismissed 22 batsmen in 17 matches at an average of 21.90 and a strike rate of 17.59, CSK new-ball bowler Deepak Chahar stood tall on Dhoni’s expectations in IPL 2019. The right-arm pacer bowling in the powerplay with an economy rate of 7.47 throughout the season tells how well he has performed the job for Chennai.
Much like Warner, Delhi Capitals spearhead Kagiso Rabada didn’t feature in the full season but still left a significant impact. In 12 matches, Rabada picked up 25 wickets at an average of 14.72, an economy rate of 7.82 and a strike rate of 11.28.
Veteran Super Kings leg-spinner Imran Tahir was the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2019. The 40-year old cricketer counted for 26 scalps in 17 matches at an average of 16.57, an economy rate of 6.69 and a strike rate of 14.84. Tahir deceiving the opposition batsmen came good for his team several times in the tournament.
Best Playing 11 of IPL 2019 – 1) David Warner 2) Lokesh Rahul 3) Virat Kohli 4) Rishabh Pant 5) MS Dhoni (c & wk) 6) Andre Russell 7) Hardik Pandya 8) Shreyas Gopal 9) Deepak Chahar 10) Kagiso Rabada 11) Imran Tahir
