The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been arguably the greatest T20 tournament on the planet since its inception in 2008. The standard of cricket has been top notch and the tournament has been the breeding ground for youngsters from both India and overseas to rub shoulders with some of the best players in the world.
With another edition of the IPL still a fair way to go, all 10 franchises have already announced their retentions and several expected names made the cut. However, some big names were missing from the retention list, which provides a different sort of dynamics to the upcoming IPL auctions.
Over the years, the blend of Indian and overseas talents has been phenomenal and it's been heartening to see how they have gelled together for the betterment of the team. The foreign players have always been a major attraction in the league and have fetched massive sums in the auctions.
More often than not, the foreign players have the backbone of most of the franchises. With that, let us have a look at the best overseas XI of IPL history.
Openers - Chris Gayle and David Warner
Gayle is arguably the greatest T20 batter to have ever graced the game of cricket. He started his IPL career with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2008 but couldn't quite make a significant impact. He was roped in by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2011 and there was no looking back.
He also plied his trade for the Punjab Kings. Gayle has scored 4965 runs in 142 matches at a strike rate of 148.96. He is also the third-highest century maker in the competition with six tons to his name. Meanwhile, another left-hander, David Warner finds himself partnering Gayle at the top of the order.
One of the most explosive batters when he broke into the scene in 2009. He has shown phenomenal consistency in his IPL career and is currently the leading overseas run-getter in IPL history. Warner started his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) before captaining the SunRisers Hyderabad to their maiden title in 2016.
He was released by SRH ahead of the 2022 edition and since then he made a return to the Delhi Capitals squad. He has scored 6565 runs in 184 games at a strike rate of 139.77, including four centuries and 62 fifties.
Middle order and all-rounders - Jos Buttler, AB de Villiers, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo
Another swashbuckling top-order batter who has a stellar IPL record is Jos Buttler. He penned down an emotional note after he wasn't retained by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2025 edition. He is a phenomenal striker of the ball and is currently one of the finest white ball batters.
Buttler started his IPL career with the Mumbai Indians but made a name for himself with the Rajasthan Royals. He has scored 3582 runs in 107 IPL matches at a strike rate of 147.52, including seven centuries and 19 fifties. One of the finest all-format batters, AB de Villiers will occupy the fourth spot in the batting order.
Known as Mr 360, De Villiers was an internal part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) until his retirement in 2021. He literally tormented the opposition bowlers during his illustrious IPL career. The South African is also the second-highest overseas run scorer in the tournament history, with 5162 runs at a strike rate of 151.68.
Another stalwart of the franchise circuit, Kieron Pollard should walk into any playing XI in the shortest format. The incredible ball striker was bought by the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the 2010 IPL season and went on to ply his trade for MI for the next 13 years until his retirement after the 2022 season.
He was the backbone of MI for more than a decade and scored 3412 runs in 189 matches at a strike rate of 147.32. Another West Indies stalwart who walks into any T20 team is Andre Russell. He is someone who can literally slaughter any bowling attack and is a match-winner par excellence.
He started his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) in 2012 but it was KKR which gave him the opportunity to express. He has remained a loyal servant of the franchise and has played a pivotal role in KKR winning three IPL trophies with his all-round exploits.
Another Caribbean all-rounder who should walk into any T20 playing XI is Dwayne Bravo. The bowling all-rounder was the go-to bowler for MS Dhoni for the majority of his IPL career.
Bravo is the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of the tournament, picking 183 wickets in 161 games. He is also more than a handy batter lower down the order and lends an ideal balance to the team.
Bowlers - Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Dale Steyn, Lasith Malinga
Spin wizard Rashid Khan is one of the finest young white ball players going around. Ever since making his international debut, he has translated his success in the franchise circuit as well. Starting his IPL career for the SunRisers Hyderabad in 2017, Rashid bagged a truckload of wickets during his association with the franchise.
He was roped in by the Gujarat Titans ahead of the 2022 season and has been an integral member of the franchise since then. He has bagged 149 wickets in 121 matches at an average of 21.82. Rashid and Sunil Narine bowling in tandem in the shortest format can be a nightmare for any batting line-up.
Like his Caribbean teammate Andre Russell, Narine was never released by the Knight Riders since his signing back in 2012. He is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the history of the league, with 180 wickets in 177 matches at an average of 25.39.
Besides his exploits with the ball, he played a pivotal role with the bat at the top of the order during KKR’s triumphant campaign in 2024. Former South African speedster Dale Steyn will be the penultimate name on the list.
Arguably the greatest right-arm fast bowler of the modern generation, Steyn on his day had the ability to dismantle any top-class batting lineup. In his 95-match IPL career, he picked 97 wickets at an economy rate of 6.91.
Arguably the greatest T20 fast bowler of all time, Lasith Malinga could be the first name while picking any T20 XI. His slingy action made life difficult for the opposition batters.
However, Malinga was much more than just his action. His accuracy and ability to consistently bowl Yorkers and slower deliveries made him an integral member of the Mumbai Indians. He has bagged 170 wickets in 122 games at an average of 19.79.
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