Best playing 11 with impact sub from Week 8 of IPL 2025 ft. KL Rahul & Ishan Kishan

The 2025 IPL season took off instantly after an eight-day suspension in week eight of the competition. The week started with the four playoff teams - Gujarat Titans (GT), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Mumbai Indians (MI) getting confirmed.

Yet, the matches since have been nothing short of thrilling, with the playoff teams jostling for a top-two finish and the eliminated sides playing party spoilers. As is the case every week, several individual performances stood out from the established stars and other youngsters. While some were match-winning efforts, others ended in heartbreak.

Nevertheless, the time has come to pay tribute to the stars of week eight ( May 18 to 25) by selecting the best playing XI with an Impact Sub.

Openers: Mitchell Marsh and Sai Sudharsan

Mitchell Marsh and Sai Sudharsan were the two openers who impressed most in week eight, overcoming stiff competition from Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The former scored a 39-ball 65 against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a losing effort before slamming his maiden IPL century in the following outing against the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Marsh played a massive role in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), scoring over 200 in both matches, finishing the week with 182 runs at an average of 91 and a strike rate of 176.69.

If Marsh was all about power-hitting, his opening partner in this lineup, Sai Sudharsan, was all class and elegance. The southpaw scored a sublime 108* off 61 deliveries to help GT chase down 200 against the Delhi Capitals (DC).

He remained consistent in GT's next two matches of the week, with 21 and 41. Sai finished the week with 170 runs at an average of 85 and a strike rate of 161.90.

Middle Order: KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Dewald Brevis

DC finally made KL Rahul open the innings, and the rewards were instant, with the veteran batter scoring a 65-ball 112* in their defeat to GT. He also scored a quickfire 35 off 21 in DC's successful chase of 207 against PBKS.

Considering his ability to bat anywhere from 1 to 4, Rahul slots in at No.3 in the best XI of the week after averaging 79 at a strike rate of 171.73 in three games. Ishan Kishan has had a tournament to forget since his brilliant century in SRH's season opener.

However, he won back a few SRH fans with an impressive final week of IPL 2025 for the side. The 26-year-old scored a crucial 35 in their win over LSG, followed by a spectacular 94* off 48 against RCB.

Kishan capped off his season with a rapid 20-ball 29 to provide the finishing touches on SRH's 3-0 week.

Kishan's teammate and T20 superstar, Heinrich Klaasen, confirmed his place in the middle-order of the week's best-playing XI with his extraordinary century last night against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The 33-year-old smashed a brutal 39-ball 105*, following impactful knocks of 47 and 24 against LSG and RCB, finishing the week with 176 runs at an average of 88 and a strike rate of 220.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and South African youngster Dewald Brevis rounds off the middle order. Despite batting at Nos. 5 and 6, the 22-year-old scored 42 and 57 at a combined strike rate of over 206 in the two matches.

Bowlers: Vipraj Nigam, Harpreet Brar, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Anshul Kamboj

DC's Vipraj Nigam had a middling week with bat and ball, yet he fits the role of a lower-order bowling all-rounder the best. His 2/38 in the win over PBKS included the big wickets of Josh Inglis and Prabhsimran Singh.

Nigam also threatened with the bat in a dire situation against MI, scoring an 11-ball 20 after an economical spell of 0/25 in four overs with the ball. PBKS have been well-served by the left-arm spin of Harpreet Brar in their last two outings.

The 29-year-old boasts incredible numbers with five wickets at an average of 12.60 and an economy of under eight.

Meanwhile, the pace trio of Jaydev Unadkat, Anshul Kamboj, and Eshan Malinga round off the best XI of the week. Unadkat picked up four wickets in two matches last week at an average of 16.25 and an economy of 8.12.

His SRH teammate, Malinga, has been a revelation with seven wickets in three matches at an average of 13.71 and an economy of 8.22 despite bowling the tough overs.

CSK's Kamboj has been consistent throughout and finished his season with an impressive final week, picking up four wickets at an average of 8.50 and an economy of 6.18.

Impact sub: Harsh Dubey

The presence of another SRH bowler, Harsh Dubey, as the Impact Sub highlights their incredible week of three wins in as many outings. The youngster picked up five wickets at an average of under 20, including key scalps like Virat Kohli, Rinku Singh, and Andre Russell.

Best Playing XI with Impact Sub from Week 8 of IPL 2025

Mitchell Marsh, Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Dewald Brevis, Vipraj Nigam, Harpreet Brar, Anshul Kamboj, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga

Impact Sub: Harsh Dubey