IPL 2016: Team of the tournament

The juggernaut that is the Indian Premier League has come to its conclusion. After 50 days of frenetic action and 60 games, we have a new champion. Sunrisers Hyderabad lift the IPL 9th trophy as they beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 8 runs.

From action packed scenes to humdingers, from on-field banter to pleasing memories, we have seen it all during this 50-day carnival.

There is little doubt that Virat Kohli has owned this tournament, and he will walk into any team. But there have other players too who have sizzled and lit up the tournament.

Here is the team of the tournament which is a testimony to the players who broke away from the crowd this season.

David Warner (Captain)

The combative left-hander from Australia was the only one who could have given Virat Kohli a run for his money, such was his run-scoring spree this year.

The captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Warner was their best batsman by almost a year. He was like a fulcrum around which the entire team rotated. He scored runs for fun and plundered 848 runs in 17 innings and scored when it mattered the most. Even in today’s final he scored a whirlwind 69 runs.

His best score this season of 93 came in the most crucial match for his team against Gujarat Lions in the qualifier and almost single-handedly pulled his team through to the finals. He even dragged his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan in the initial stages of the tournament as he was struggling with his form.

Apart from this, Warner was also a brilliant captain and was a leader of men. He gave his bowlers the freedom to express themselves and was praised by his bowlers all through the tournament.

An able leader and an inspirational bloke, David Warner was calm all the way but erupted as his team won the trophy.

Virat Kohli

This season will be remembered as Virat Kohli's season. His team was cornered, he was scoring runs, his team romped into the finals, he kept scoring runs. He was probably scoring runs even in his sleep.

Along the way, he scored a small matter of 4 centuries and was almost like a monk at the top of the order. RCB smashed all opponents in from being virtually knocked out they jumped to the 2nd spot and then to the Finals.

In 16 matches he scored 973 runs, just 27 runs away from the magical 1000 runs. All these runs scored at an average of 81.08 and with a strike rate of 152.03.

In the field he was like silk, moving, diving, getting injured and yet giving it everything. Certainly an inspired performance from Kohli, and a season to remember. As a captain, he came into his own and the way he handled his bowlers who were nowhere close to being penetrative with admirable prowess.

AB de Villiers

If Virat Kohli was the knight, de Villiers was the able lieutenant who stuck by and smashed when it mattered the most.

He too scored a century but the innings that will be remembered by all will be the 79 runs he scored against Gujarat Lions in qualifier 1. His team was tottering at 68/6 chasing 158 and he turned it all around all by himself. He had able support from Iqbal Abdulla, but his breath-taking audacity showed everyone why is he is the best batsman in the world currently.

In 16 matches, AB scored 687 runs at an average of 52.84 and with a strike-rate of 168.79.

Even Virat Kohli said that his innings should answer all debates as to who the best batsman is in the world.

KL Rahul (WK)

KL Rahul slipped under the radar and understandably so. In a batting line-up which has Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Shane Watson, Rahul was not much in focus.

But now by the end of the tournament he has made sure people are up and talking about him. He has also made his way into the limited overs squad to Zimbabwe.

Rahul found his form when he opened the batting replacing Chris Gayle and struck immediate form. He scored 3 successive half-centuries and when Gayle came back he dropped down the number 4 but kept his good form going.

In 14 matches he scored 397 runs at an average of 44.11 and with a strike rate of 146.49.

As a keeper was less effective but then he got better as the tournament progressed. A season of reckoning for the Karnataka lad.

Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf certainly rolled back the clock this season. There are so many fond memories of a belligerent Yusuf Pathan smoking bowlers all over the park in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League when he came out to bat for Rajasthan Royals.

Although he has shown glimpses of his form on quite a few occasions, he never quite had the match-winning impact. This season it most certainly was. Coming out to bat in the middle order, Yusuf played match-winning innings and won matches for his team all by his bat. He formed a potent and by all accounts a deadly combination with Andre Russell and effectively sealed games for Kolkata Knight Riders from almost hopeless positions.

Unfortunately, KKR did not make it to the finals, but Yusuf was the shining star for them. In the 15 matches, Yusuf scored 361 runs at an average of 72.20 and with an imposing strike rate of 145.56. He had 3 half-centuries to his name and was not dismissed on 8 occasions.

Krunal Pandya

The elder Pandya has been the find of the tournament this season. He has given a good account of his unbridled talent with both bat and ball.

He was picked up by the Mumbai Indians for a whopping amount of Rs 2 crore and he certainly lived up to his billing, considering the fact that he has not yet played even a single first-class match.

In the 12 matches this season, Krunal scored 237 runs at an average of 39.50 and with a strike rate of 191.12.

With the ball too he showcased his raw talent. In the 12 matches, he picked up 6 wickets and was very tight considering the format and gave away runs at an acceptable economy of 7.57.

His innings of 86 runs off 37 balls will be one of the innings of the season. Certainly a bright prospect has been unearthed.

Chris Morris

Few eyebrows were raised when the South African all-rounder was picked up Delhi Daredevils for Rs 7 crore by the Delhi Daredevils.

Chris Morris, however, proved why he worth the hefty price-tag this season. He was the all-rounder Delhi needed and was brilliant with both bat and ball.

With the bat, he was the finisher every team craves for. In 12 matches he scored 195 runs but his effectiveness was far more than numbers can prove. He scored all these runs with a strike-rate of 178.89 and on more than once occasion gave his team the late boost needed. His highest score of 82 off 32 balls would have been the innings of the tournament had he pulled off an improbable chase for his team. Delhi went down by a solitary run against Gujarat Lions but in one innings he showed why he is valued so high.

With the ball, he was even more effective. With the new ball, he got the zip, pace and bounce off the seam, but he reserved his best for the death overs. Hurling in pin-point yorkers, Morris was unnervingly accurate every time. He picked up 13 wickets in the sojourn and it is just a shame that his team could not make it through to the playoffs.

It is no coincidence that Delhi lost their momentum when they 'rested' Morris in one the matches, and then they just stalled.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

This season has once again brought to the fore why bowlers win you matches more often than not, more so in the shortest format.

Sunrisers Hyderabad has been without the remotest of doubt the best bowling attack this IPL. They have a plethora of fast bowlers who have just gone from strength to strength, and they have been led very well by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The swing bowler found new wings this season both with the new ball and then found another cog in his bowling by being a banker at the death overs.

The Uttar Pradesh boy picked up 23 wickets in 17 matches with an average of 21.30 at an economy rate of 7.42. He was the purple cap holder.

His form will be very heartening for the Indian selectors going ahead into a gruelling season.

Yuzvendra Chahal

A season which could not have been scripted better for the young leg-spinner from Haryana. He is the second highest wicket-taker this season and finds his place in the Indian squad for Zimbabwe.

The bowling attack of Royal Challengers Bangalore was under incessant scrutiny all the way through, and even as their batting was bulldozing opponents, the bowling let them down considerably.

However, Chahal was the shining streak for them and it will not be an understatement to say that the form of Chahal bailed RCB on many occasions. He is a thinking leg-spinner and has on many occasions stated that he pre-empts the movement of the batsman and bowls accordingly.

On a Chinnaswamy surface and outfield, he has been a standout performer and very consistent.

In 13 matches this season he has picked up 21 wickets at an average of 19.09 and with an economy of 8.15.

Leg spinners are always a wicket-taking option and the emergence of Yuzvendra Chahal will be music to the ears of Indian selectors.

Dhawal Kulkarni

The right-arm swing bowler from Mumbai was the most unsung hero for the Gujarat Lions this season. He bowled superbly well throughout the season and picked up early wickets for his team.

The spell he bowled against the Royal Challengers Bangalore should have been enough to book a final berth on most days, but then AB de Villiers stood in the way and unfortunately Gujarat did not recover from his assault.

He was a banker for captain Suresh Raina both with the new ball and then towards the end of the innings. In the 14 matches this season, Kulkarni picked up 18 wickets at an impressive average of 20.22 and at an economy rate of 7.42.

The spell he bowled against Royal Challengers Bangalore saw him pick up 4 wickets for just 14 runs. Certainly a season to remember for the lanky fast bowler.

Mustafizur Rahman

Ever since Mustafizur made his debut he has been only moving up the ranks and has been earning praise from all over.

The emergence of the fast bowler from Bangladesh has been one of the stories this year and without a doubt, he has been the cynosure of all eyes this season of the IPL.

Nicknamed 'The Fizz', the young Turk has befuddled almost all with his variations. He has almost a dozen tricks up his sleeve and pulls them out almost on demand. The yorkers, the cutters and then the fast balls have been a menace for all the batsmen around.

He has formed a potent combination with Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the death and Sunrisers Hyderabad just like that boasted of two of the best fast bowlers this season.

In the 16 matches this season, Mustafizur has picked up 17 wickets with an economy of 6.90.

Bright future beckons!