Best playing XI of Maharaja Trophy 2023 ft. Karun Nair and Manish Pandey

The Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2023 concluded at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday, with the Hubli Tigers defeating the Mysore Warriors in the final by eight runs.

The Manish Pandey-led Tigers were asked to bat first but piled up 203/7 in their 20 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Mohammed Taha and the skipper himself. In response, Ravikumar Samarth and skipper Karun Nair powered the Warriors along although they eventually fell short agonizingly.

This happens to be Pandey's second title at the helm of a team upon the Karnataka Premier League being renamed to the Maharaja Trophy. He led the Gulbarga Mystics to the cup last year and also walked away with the Player of the Match honors on Tuesday.

A jampacked 17-day tournament saw non-stop action and entertainment aplenty. It threw a number of youngsters into the limelight while also seeing the veterans do what they've been renowned for.

With the Maharaja Trophy 2023 having drawn to a close, let's dive into the best playing XI of the tournament with a few honorable mentions to go with it.

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Openers - Luvnith Sisodia (wk) and Mohammed Taha

If Luvnith Sisodia didn't get you, Mohammed Taha would. That was the story of the Hubli Tigers' maverick opening combination that set up games in the powerplay with one flying start upon another.

Sisodia might have tapered off in his last four outings but still piled up 308 runs at an average of 30.80 and a strike rate of 154.77, with two fifties and a century to his name. He also showed remarkable signs of improvement as a wicketkeeper with a flying one-handed catch against the Gulbarga Mystics standing out.

While Sisodia will don the wicketkeeper's gloves, he will be joined by Taha, the Player of the Tournament at the Maharaja Trophy 2023, at the top. The swashbuckling right-handed batter was intent and panache personified as he racked up 448 runs at an average of 40.72 and a blistering strike rate of 173.64, including six half-centuries and 32 sixes - 11 more than Sisodia who comes next in the list.

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Middle order - KL Shrijith, Karun Nair and Manish Pandey (c),

While Sisodia and Taha grabbed headlines for their pyrotechnics, KL Shrijith was a different class apart in the Maharaja Trophy 2023. The stylish left-hander made stroke-making and six-hitting look far too easy as he waltzed his way to 393 runs at 49.12 and a strike rate of 141.87.

Mysore Warriors skipper Karun Nair topped the run-scoring charts with 532 runs, averaging 48.36 at a strike rate of 162.69. His breathtaking unbeaten 107 off 42 deliveries in the semifinal against the Mystics was one of the knocks of the tournament while also playing the reverse-hit over third man for fun all season.

Tigers skipper Manish Pandey will assume the mantle of captaincy in this XI as well. Brilliant in marshaling his resources and simply at his athletic best on the field, the veteran was also pristine with the bat.

Pandey scored 332 runs at an average of 166 and a strike-rate of 166.83 including a sensational half-century in the final with his leap to save five runs by the boundary ropes bound to be replayed for a long period of time. His running between the wickets was as good as ever with him and Shrijith galloping like cheetahs to keep the scoreboard ticking along.

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All-rounders - Shubhang Hegde, Shreyas Gopal, and Manvanth Kumar L

In what was an otherwise forgettable campaign for the Bengaluru Blasters, Shubhang Hegde was their standout player. The highly-rated left-arm spinning all-rounder was at his consistent best with bat and ball. He scored 228 runs at a strike rate of 127.37 while often finding himself under pressure, while also bagging 12 wickets at a miserly economy rate of 6.52.

Shivamogga Lions skipper Shreyas Gopal was also at his consistent best across departments. Apart from tallying 244 runs at a strike rate of 126.42, he snared 14 wickets with his leg-spin bowling at an economy rate of 7.89 and a strike rate of 17.00.

The find of the Maharaja Trophy 2023 though was Manvanth Kumar L. The 19-year-old all-rounder was an incredible component of the Hubli Tigers' triumph as he topped the wicket-taking charts with 22 scalps at 12.09 apiece and an economy rate of 7.82.

Kumar L operated brilliantly in the middle-overs and the death, getting the ball to skid off the surface rather quickly. His batting numbers - 77 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 130.50 - do not fairly reflect how assured he was under pressure while also turning in pivotal cameos including a five-ball 14 in the final. He has certainly cast himself as a player to watch out for in the future.

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Bowlers - Praveen Dubey, Abhilash Shetty, and Vijaykumar Vyshak

Praveen Dubey bowled with impeccable control throughout the Maharaja Trophy 2023, with the leg-spinner snapping up 13 wickets at 17.76 and an economy rate of 7.21. He was also very handy with the bat while being second only to Pandey on the field in terms of agility for the Tigers.

The Mystics duo of Abhilash Shetty and Vijaykumar Vyshak round off this playing XI, headlining a three-man pace attack in the company of Manvanth. Shetty was the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament although his 22 wickets at an economy rate of 8.40. The left-arm seamer was regularly amongst the wickets, often dealing pivotal breakthroughs in the powerplay and at the death.

Vyshak may have picked up just nine wickets from 11 matches but the Mystics skipper's impact transcends beyond numbers alone. His economy rate of 7.32 is outstanding for someone who largely bowled in the second half of the innings and was one of the better death bowlers of the tournament, giving this lineup a complete look.

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Honorable mentions

While it was difficult to pick just eleven players, it is worth recognizing the contributions of a few others in the Maharaja Trophy 2023.

Ravikumar Samarth, largely known for his prowess in the longer formats, was at his fluent and consistent best for the Mysore Warriors, scoring 422 runs at a strike rate of 141.61.

All-rounders Macneil Noronha of the Mystics and Codanda Ajit Karthik of the Warriors also cast themselves into the limelight. While Noronha scored 283 runs and picked up five wickets with his off-spinners, Karthik tallied 211 runs at a strike rate of just under 150 in addition to accounting for 11 wickets with his medium-pace.

R Smaran, 20, left a mighty good impression with the left-handed batter scoring 236 runs at a strike-rate of 136.41 in the middle-order for the Mystics.

Rounding off this list is 17-year-old left-arm spinner Hardik Raj of the Mystics, who showed guile, control, and outstanding variations in pace to bag eight wickets in nine outings at an economy rate of 7.17. Alongside Manvanth, he emerged as one of the finds of the Maharaja Trophy 2023 and one to watch out for in the future.

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Best XI of Maharaja Trophy 2023: Luvnith Sisodia (wk), Mohammed Taha, KL Shrijith, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey (c), Shubhang Hegde, Shreyas Gopal, Manvanth Kumar L, Praveen Dubey, Abhilash Shetty and Vijaykumar Vyshak.

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What according to you was the best moment of the Maharaja Trophy 2023? Have your say in the comments section below!

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