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All-time Indian Premier League XI

Siddharth Nair
Published

Virat Kohli disturbed due to no physical activity by 1/3rd of Indians in the last one year

Over the last decade, the IPL has quickly become one of the biggest and most popular sports leagues all over the world.

We are less than a week away from the mega IPL auction, as the world will shift their attention towards Bengaluru, where eight IPL franchises will battle it out for some of the best players in the world.

The auction is always a very exciting event for fans, as the unpredictable and dynamic nature of the auction guarantees a couple of jam-packed days of action.

After the auction, everyone will be looking forward to April 7th, as Mumbai Indians will host Chennai Super Kings in the first match of the season.

Over the years we have seen some incredible players light by the IPL, as their performances have become the stuff of legends. Here we look at an all-time IPL XI!

Chris Gayle

The legendary West Indian has been a fixture in the IPL since day one, as Chris Gayle quickly established himself as the premier T20 batsman in world cricket.

Chris Gayle scored 3626 runs in 101 IPL games including five centuries and twenty-one half centuries.

With a strike rate of 151.20 and a batting average of 41.20, Gayle has been one of the most destructive players to have ever played the game.

Gayle already has two orange caps in his cabinet, with the only missing piece being the IPL trophy. The big man will hope that he collects at least one IPL trophy before he finally calls it a day.

David Warner

The Aussie dynamite has had a wonderful time in the IPL, as he has lit up grounds all over India over the years.

Warner has scored 4014 runs at an average of 40.54 with a strike rate of 142.13, as the Aussie has often single handedly won matches for his team.

Warner is also an IPL winner with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, as the Aussie led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to a famous win in 2016.

Virat Kohli

For the longest time, Virat Kohli could not replicate his international form on to the IPL stage.

Kohli was trying to establish himself in the RCB side for the first three years, as the youngster was trying to make a name for himself.

But all that changed in 2016, as Kohli scored four centuries and amassed 973 runs en route to the orange cap. With 4418 runs at an average of 37.44 with a strike rate of 129.82 in the IPL, Kohli will definitely find himself in this all-time XI.

Suresh Raina

The leading run scorer in IPL history, Suresh Raina is a bonafide IPL legend.

With 4540 runs to his name, an average of 34.13 with an impressive strike rate of 139.09, Raina has always been brilliant in this league.

Raina also has 25 wickets to his name, which makes him all the more indispensable to his side.

Rohit Sharma

The Mumbai Indians skipper will definitely find a place in this XI, as Rohit has played his part in MI’s tremendous success over the last decade.

With 4207 runs with an average of 32.61 and a fair strike rate of 130.89, Rohit is the third highest run scorer in IPL history.

The only point of contention in his selection will his position in this batting order!

MS Dhoni (c)

Is there really a question in this selection?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won two IPL trophies with CSK, and has also reached the final four other times.

Dhoni’s 3561 runs, with an average of 37.88 and a strike rate of 136.75, is all the more impressive considering he comes lower down the order for his team.

And then there is his captaincy. A no-brainer really!

Dwayne Bravo

For some reason, Bravo has been criminally under rated over the years, as the West Indian has often provided both runs and wickets, in addition to being brilliant in the field for his skipper.

Bravo has 122 wickets at an economy of 8.15, as he was wonderful for all his IPL teams over the years.

Harbhajan Singh

The turbanator has been a fixture for Mumbai Indians over the last decade, as Harbhajan has won several matches all on his own for MI.

With 127 wickets at an economy of 6.95, Bhajji has often been the man who turned the game for Mumbai over the years.

His hard hitting with the bat also comes in handy, as Harbhajan will be an invaluable asset to this team.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvi’s rise in stature over the last few years as been sensational for the Uttar Pradesh pacer.

With 111 wickets at an economy of 7.08, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has often been a star performer for his side.

He was instrumental in SRH’s IPL success a couple of years back, as Bhuvi quickly became one of the premier limited overs bowlers in world cricket.

Amit Mishra

Talking of under rated bowlers, Amit Mishra has some how never been given the credit that he richly deserves.

Mishra is the second highest wicket-taker in IPL history, and the most successful spinner in the league’s history.

With 134 wickets at an economy of 7.41, Amit Mishra will be extremely unfortunate to miss out on a place in this starting XI.

Lasith Malinga

For so long the standard bearer for fast bowlers, Lasith Malinga will lead the bowling attack for this all-star IPL XI.

With 154 wickets at an economy of 6.86, Malinga has been the best bowler in IPL history by some distance.

Malinga has 20 more wickets than his nearest competitor, as the Sri Lankan established himself as an IPL legend with the Mumbai Indians.

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