IPL 2018: IPL XI that can beat IPL champions CSK

After 60 exciting matches which were spanned over a period of 7 weeks, the 11th edition of world’s most lucrative league came to a close with a super entertaining final played between literally the two best sides in the league. A final that promised fun, entertainment and heartbreaks for some while joy for others, was indicative of the helluva ride that saw the men in yellow emerge as the winners after such a fiercely competed tournament.

In their seventh appearance in an IPL final, the experienced lads from Chennai proved to be too good for the spirited Orange Army led by an inspirational skipper in Kane Williamson. It was a complete team effort from Dhoni and his boys as they went onto bag the championship for the third time in the history of the league, the joint highest with Mumbai Indians.

After such a stupendous task, we take a look at the IPL XI from the tournament that can give this CSK side a run for their money:

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Openers

KL Rahul and Sunil Narine

There couldn’t be a better opening combo other than that of KL Rahul and Sunil Narine. The class of Rahul and Narine’s ability to go after the bowlers can prove to be the perfect foil for any batting side upfront. It has been a tournament to remember for both the opening batsmen where they have taken the attack to the opposition in the powerplay overs.

KL Rahul bamboozled bowling attacks at will to count on most of the opportunities in the league. The Karnataka born-lad was a lone warrior for the Kings XI Punjab as he carried his side’s batting prowess in the entire tournament. He registered runs in upwards of 650 with an astonishing strike rate of 158 to make it as the most successful season for him in the history of the league.

His partner, on the other hand, had cherished every moment of opening the batting for his side. Narine has provided his side with the much-needed flourish at the top as he also boasts to be the third highest run scorer for KKR in this season after Dinesh Karthik and Chris Lynn.

Middle-Order

Kane Williamson(C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik(WK)

The likes of Kohli, Williamson, Pant, and Karthik, form the core of the team with still some firepower to follow in the lower order.

Kane Williamson, also the orange cap holder in this season, has enjoyed the best of his two months in this year’s IPL. The Kiwi skipper was the pillar in that batting line up for the Sunrisers. He re-discovered himself as a batsman especially after he was given the responsibility to lead the side in Warner’s absence.

Virat Kohli, the RCB skipper was once again rendered helpless after his side’s dismal performance in the season. But this didn’t stop him from coming good in the as he scored 530 runs to be the highest run-getter for the men in red in the edition. It was yet again his class and the extension of shots from Test cricket that helps him muster those runs with utmost ease.

Rishabh Pant, the emerging player of this year’s IPL has now managed to draw an image for himself even after a poor show from his side. The highest Indian run scorer in this tournament, Pant looked a completely different player after some of his failed outings in the Indian colors. He scored 684 runs at a staggering strike rate of 174 including a 128* in a losing cause.

Dinesh Karthik, the KKR skipper was under enormous pressure after he was a handed over the captaincy of a new franchise. But the veteran has impressed one and all with his decision making, well supported by his batting to don the role of a finisher for the men in purple. Dinesh has managed to score 498 runs in the 16 games to be the highest run-getter for his side.

All-Rounder

Hardik Pandya

One of the retained players for the defending champions, Hardik Pandya was a key member to the Rohit led-side. It was a season to add more value to the side and repay the faith shown by the franchise in him. It was an above average season for the younger of the Pandya brothers but he shouldered responsibility both with bat and the ball.

In his 13 outings with the ball, Hardik looked a much-improved bowler as he bagged 18 wickets to be the highest wicket-taker for his side. However, as much as he came good with the ball, his form with the bat dipped as he failed to finish some of the closely contested games that proved to be too costly for Mumbai as they failed to qualify for the playoffs. Hardik scored 260 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 133, not justifying the standards set by him in the previous editions.

Spinner

Rashid Khan

The young leg spin continued to astound each one of us with his knack of picking wickets at some of the most decisive moments of the game. A trump card for his skipper, Rashid was one of the most valuable T-20 players in the league. His exploits with the ball are hidden to none but the maturity at such a young age is helping him seek appreciation from some of the legends of the game.

With 21 wickets in the 17 games, Rashid was the leading wicket taker for Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the absence of Bhuvneshwar in some of the matches, Rashid was the spearhead of the bowling attack and the go-to man for the skipper. It was riding on some of his priceless contributions that saw Hyderabad reach the IPL finals before they succumbed to defeat in one of their remarkable campaigns.

Pacers

Andrew Tye, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav

It is always a daunting task in hand for the bowlers to even curtail the flow of runs in a game that is mostly played by the batsmen. However, the likes of Yadav, Bumrah and Tye have been instrumental in riding their luck to be counted as one of the most successful bowlers in the league.

Andrew Tye, the purple cap holder with 24 wickets in this year’s season, proved to be worthy for the Kings XI Punjab. Despite a terrible second half of the league, Kings from the North featured some of the best individual performances in the league. Tye featured in every game for the Kings and was by far their most dependable bowler. His ability to bowl slower balls is yet a weapon for him.

For Jasprit Bumrah, one of the most highly rated limited overs bowlers, it was a season that was proved good for him on the individual level. After a poor start in the season, Bumrah regained his form back mid-season to finish with 17 wickets in his 14 outings with the ball. However, his efforts weren’t just enough to take his side to the playoffs stages.

Umesh Yadav produced one of the most notable performances in the league. He bowled quick and unleashed fire in his bowling. The RCB spearhead managed 20 wickets in the entire season to finish with most wickets for the red army. It was an impressive season on a personal note as he bagged most wickets for himself in any IPL season.