An IPL XI that could take on the World T20 champions Windies

The defending champions Windies will take on a World XI side at the Lords Cricket ground, in a bid to raise funds for the destruction caused back in the Caribbean due to the devastating hurricane Irma and Maria.

The match is scheduled to be played on May 31st, 2018, days after the IPL final. In this blog, let us extend this concept a bit further and form an all-time IPL XI that could take on the defending champions Windies.

Let's have a look at how the IPL XI would pan out against the belligerent Windies:

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Openers:

#1 David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Warner has been one of the consistent performers in the IPL

Opening the innings is the Australian vice-captain and current Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner. Ever since his debut in 2009, Warner has been of the consistent performers in the IPL.

One of the most successful openers in the IPL, Warner's explosiveness can be an asset to any team. The past two seasons have seen Warner at the peak of his powers, accumulating 510 and 479 runs respectively

Career Stats: Matches: 114 Innings: 114 Runs: 4014 Avg: 40.55 50s/100s: 36/3 S/R: 142.1

#2 Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Virat Kohli slammed four centuries during the 2016 IPL season

Accompanying Warner is the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli.

While Kohli is primarily a middle-order batsman, he has been frequently opening in the IPL for the RCB alongside Chris Gayle.

Kohli slammed his maiden IPL century as an opener in IPL 2016, the season where he proceeded to score 973 runs in 16 innings.

The right and the left combination of Warner and Kohli would be an ideal mix of aggression and swift running between the wickets that will set a tone for the shenanigans of the middle order to take over.

Career Stats: Matches: 149 Innings: 141 Runs: 4418 Avg: 37.44 50s/100s: 30/4 S/R: 129.83

Middle Order:

#3 Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)

Raina recently made his comeback into the Indian side

Powering his way at the No.3 spot is the all-time leading run-scorer in the IPL - Suresh Raina. One of the most prolific and consistent run-scorer in IPL history, Raina has been a cornerstone of CSK's success over the years. Blessed with the ability to maneuver the spin bowlers in the middle overs, Raina can play the sheet anchor role in the side.

Career Stats: Matches: 161 Innings: 157 Runs: 4540 Avg: 34.14 50s/100s: 31/1 S/R: 139.05

#4 Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

Rohit Sharma on his day can maraud the bowlers into submission

The Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma would be an ideal foil at No.4, having been a consistent performer in the middle overs for his franchise.

Just like Raina, Sharma also possesses the talent of taking on the spinners in the middle overs and on his day can maraud the bowlers into submission.

Career Stats: Matches: 159 Innings: 154 Runs: 4207 Avg: 32.61 50s/100s: 32/1 S/R: 130.9

#5 AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Mr 360- AB de Villiers

At No.5 comes 'Mr 360', AB de Villers. With an inherent ability to play shots all around the ground, De Villiers on his day can reduce the bowlers to a mere machine.

He can play both, the role of a power hitter as well as of a sheet anchor as and when the situation demands.

Career Stats: Matches: 129 Innings: 118 Runs: 3473 Avg: 38.16 50s/100s: 22/3 S/R: 148.17

All-Rounder and WicketKeeper:

#6 Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals)

Stokes is one of the best all-rounders in the World at the moment

Arguably, the best all-rounder going around in the world today, Ben Stokes makes his way to our list.

Bought by the Rising Pune Supergiants for a whopping 12 crores, Stokes lit up the IPL with his power-hitting blitz that saw him accumulate 316 runs across 11 innings whilst snapping 12 wickets at an average of 26.33 in the process.

Stokes would perform a dual-role for the side and at his beat would turn out to be an asset against the World Champions, Windies.

Career Stats: Matches: 12 Innings: 11 Runs: 316 Avg: 31.60 50s/100s: 1/1 S/R: 142.98 Wickets; 12 Avg: 26.33 S/R: 22.00 Eco: 7.18

Captain & Wicketkeeper

#7 MS Dhoni

Dhoni is one of the most successful captains in T20 cricket

MS Dhoni, one of the most successful captains in T20 cricket history makes his way as a wicketkeeping batsman and also the leader of the side.

Apart from leading India to the inaugural WT20 back in 2007, Dhoni with his immaculate game-sense and pristine temperament proceeded to transform CSK as one of the leading franchises in the world.

Though his power-hitting blitz is on the vane, Dhoni with a plethora of experience of batting in tough situations coupled with amazing wicketkeeping skills still remains an asset to any T20 side.

Career Stats: Matches: 159 Innings: 143 Runs: 3561 Avg: 37.88 50s/100s: 17/0 S/R: 136.75

Spinners:

#8 Yuzvendra Chahal (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The vile little sensation-Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has grown by leaps and bounds as a wrist-spinner in the past two seasons.

While bowling on a ground as small as the Chinnaswamy stadium, Chahal's strength lies in tossing the ball up whilst inviting the batsmen to go for the big shots.

This quality was epitomised to the hilt in the recently concluded limited over series in South Africa where the vile leg-spinner foxed the batsman with the turn and guile and would prove to be an asset against the power hitters of the Windies.

Career Stats: Matches: 56 Innings: 55 Wickets:70 Avg: 22.41 Eco: 7.9 S/R: 17.01 5W: 1

#9 Mitchell Santner (Chennai Super Kings)

Santner has developed into a handy all-rounder for New Zealand

With a strike-rate of 128.79 and 29 T20I wickets, the sixth-ranked T20I left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner makes his way into the side.

With immaculate control and miserly economy coupled with power-hitting blitz down the order, Santner has developed into a handy all-rounder for New Zealand, but his magnum opus truly arrived in a World T20 game against India in 2016 when he ran through the famed Indian batting line in a barely believable haul of 4-11.

Santner has been picked by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 IPL auctions, and he'd be expected to portray a crucial role in the resurgence of the Chennai based franchise.

Career Stats (T20I) : Matches: 27 Innings: 26 Wickets:29 Avg: 21.38 Eco: 7.14 S/R: 17.97 BBI: 4-11 Runs: 170 S/R: 128.79

Fast Bowlers:

#10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The go-to man of David Warner- Bhuneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the most improved bowlers in the world across all formats of the game.

When Bhuvi first burst onto the scene, he was regarded as primarily as a swing bowler.

However, a dip in form in the summer of 2014 in Australia forced Bhuvi to add an extra pace whilst incorporating few more tricks like slow-cutter, yorkers and most recently the knuckle-ball in his arsenal.

The results were there to be seen as Bhuvi became a pivotal component in the SRH set-up as his purple cap winning performance in the 2016 IPL led the franchise to its maiden IPL title win.

Bhuvi also had a great series in South Africa as his plethora of variations including the knuckle-ball bamboozled the Proteas batsmen to set up a 2-1 series win for India.

Career Stats: Matches: 90 Innings: 90 Wickets:111 Avg: 21.07 Eco: 7.08 S/R: 17.85 5W: 1

#11 Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)

Bumrah has been an asset for MI

Joining Bhuvi to lead the pace attack is Mumbai Indians Jasprit Bumrah. Having lived in the shadow of Lasith Malinga during his formative years, Bumrah, with his slow deliveries to crushing reverse-swinging yorkers at the death, has grown to become an indispensable part both for the Mumbai Indians and the national team.

Bumrah was one of the three players who was retained by the Mumbai based franchise at the 2018 IPL auctions.

Career Stats: Matches: 47 Innings: 47 Wickets: 46 Avg: 30.48 Eco: 8.1 S/R: 22.57 5W: 0