IPL 2018 XI that can take on Windies in the Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge at Lord's

Cricket is a global sport and those who love following the game live it each day. It, therefore, comes naturally to people associated with the sport to help each other in times of need.

In testing times for the Windies board, when they barely are able to sponsor their team and have a full strength side competing for major competitions, hurricanes Irma and Marina struck the Carribean shores in August 2017 wrecking havoc in the island nation.

The damage to life and property was immense and so much that affected areas are still recovering. The ICC, not for the first time, has raised their hand to lend financial support to help rebuild cricket stadiums in the Windies that faced the climatic brunt.

Enter captio — The proceeds from the match will be used for the renovation of the affected stadiums

A T20 match, given the name Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge, which has been conferred with international status has been decided to be played between the World T20 Champion Windies team and ICC's Rest of the World XI.

The proceeds from this match, which will be played at the iconic Mecca of Cricket- The Lord's, will go towards the restoration and renovation of the five affected stadiums in the Carribean islands.

With the match scheduled to be played on the 31st of May, 2018, just four days after the Champions for IPL 2018 are decided, let's have a look at a team combination of the best performers from this season's Indian Premier League who could give the World Champions a run for their money.

Note: Windies players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine could have made decent cases to be a part of IPL 2018's Best XI but they have not been considered since they will be a part of their country's team.

Note: Stats and figures have been updated till 24th May 2018.

Openers

KL Rahul

Rahul has proven to be the best opener in this season of IPL

When Lokesh Rahul was acquired by Kings XI Punjab for a whopping ₹11 crores this season, there were huge expectations and responsibility of turning the team's past misfortune, riding on his shoulders.

At the end of 14 games, although his team finds itself pretty much where it has ended up in the past few seasons, the stylish right-handed batsman from Karnataka can be mighty proud of his contributions at the top of the order.

With 659 runs that came at an average of 54.91 and a strike rate of 158.41, Rahul overshadowed Chris Gayle, which in itself is a major achievement.

His record IPL season run tally saw him score six half centuries, including the record for the league's fastest ever off just 14 balls.

Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu has been the rock of CSK's batting unit in 2018

However, lack of glamour and the missing touch of single-handedly winning games meant that his contributions were overlooked. Ambati Rayudu has been one of the most underrated cricketers of his era. After losing crucial years to the rebel ICL, he availed his opportunities during his stint with Mumbai Indians as he earned a national call-up after consistent IPL performances.

Who would have thought at the start of this year's IPL that Rayudu, turning out for Chennai Super Kings, would end up with a season that could well prove to land him up in the vacant No. 4 slot in India's middle order!

Having already scored 586 runs in 15 games at an average of 41.85, a stellar strike rate of 153 and a best of 100*, Rayudu has made a strong case for himself, shouting out loud and clear that his playing days are far from over yet.

Middle Order

Kane Williamson

Williamson's batting is one of the most pleasant cricket sights

The first name that struck anyone on hearing the words Sunrisers Hyderabad was always David Warner.

The Australian had marshaled his troops for example and was once again touted to be the pivot around which the team would have revolved.

Destiny, though, had other things in store. Kane Williamson, in no way at all, was considered the like-for-like replacement for the fiery Warner as the captain of the side.

Cometh the night of the final, one would not at all be surprised if the same Kiwi captain lays his hands on IPL silverware.

Leading the orange army with the Orange Cap on his head, Williamson has beautifully adapted his batting style to suit the shortest format of the game.

Watching him bat, either while setting a score or while chasing stiff targets, has been a treat.

His sublime batting has yielded 685 runs this year, at an average of 57.08 and a strike rate of 143.60. He has hit 26 sixes, not one of which came off powerful strokes or slogging, but just pure timing and batting genius.

AB de Villiers

After watching Williamson bat in this year's IPL, one may think whether there is a better batsman in the tournament. And yet when you watch the great Mr. 360 degrees you just start questioning whether there actually exists a word called 'impossible'.

He can paddle fast bowlers for sixes over the third man, he can get down on one knee to send the ball in orbit, he can sweep spinners consistently and can win matches single-handedly. And if you are still greedy for more, he will defy physics and pluck catches from obscurity.

If there ever was a human being who could do just about anything on a cricket field, it was this freakish man from South Africa, who would have strolled into this XI even without having scored 480 runs for RCB at a strike rate of 174.54 and averaging 53.33.

As the Superman from South Africa bids adieu to the sport, it is more a day of mourning than celebrating a career, for we will not get to see miracles taking place on the cricket field anymore.

In times when the sport is fighting hard to establish a strong global image, a 34-year-old worldwide fan-favorite calling it a day due to lack of motivation for World Cup that is one year away shall be considered as a knell.

If there was one message that could ever be conveyed to him by fans across the globe, it would surely be that we never got tired of watching him do what eventually made him 'tired'.

Finisher and Wicket-keeper

Rishabh Pant

Delhi Daredevils retained Rishabh Pant this season, to avoid a repetition of an error they made a decade ago with letting go of Virat Kohli. Although none of their changes and tactics this season could help them climb a position on the points table from the dreaded wooden spoon, they surely have invested in the right talent going forward.

A lone warrior apart from small contributions here and there, 20-year-old Rishabh Pant has already made a big reputation for himself. He may have got the snub as far as the Indian team is concerned, but it won't be long before we see the Delhi lad dawn India colors and smash opposition bowlers like he did in the IPL.

His tally of 684 runs was the best across the league stage. Scoring his runs at an average of 52.61 and a devastating strike rate of 173.60, Pant has shown how lethal he can be in the later stages of a T20 innings.

MS Dhoni

It is just not possible to create an IPL XI without the King of IPL. A two year cooling off period was not enough to prevent Captain Cool from leading his Yellow Army into their seventh final in nine attempts. Once again stamping his authority as the most successful captain to lead the most consistent IPL franchise, Dhoni is back with his Midas touch.

Coming into the tournament, there were concerns not just regarding CSK's 'aged' outfit but also Dhoni's personal form with the bat. With age catching up, it was considered that his reflexes have faded away and we might never see the Dhoni of yesteryears ever again.

All those doubts have been put to rest, at least for the months to come. An average in excess of 75 and a strike rate in excess of 150 while amassing 455 runs, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has pulled off thrillers in the dramatic style that he always does.

Whipping off bails, finishing matches off with sixes and playing masterstrokes on the field are all Dhoni traits we are all aware of. A third IPL trophy in an already glittering cabinet will surely not come as a surprise.

All-rounder and Spinner

Hardik Pandya

Hardik's bowling has improved a great deal

He may have just scored 260 runs at a strike rate of 133.33 in this edition of IPL, but what comes out as a huge positive for Hardik Pandya is his bowling.

His tally of 18 wickets in 13 games, third on the list of most wickets this year, is a sign of his improvement on the bowling front. His wicket-taking ability can also be judged by his strike rate of 14.22, next only to Andrew Tye's 14 for anyone who picked 10 or more wickets.

Four decent overs, with the ability to break crucial stands, lower order big hitting capabilities, and an unparalleled athleticism in the field make him an ideal choice for fulfilling the role of a genuine all-rounder.

Rashid Khan

The No. 1 T20I bowler in the world, Rashid Khan was worth every penny of the large amount of ₹9 crores that Sunrisers shelled out for him. The confidence that Hyderabad have of defending just about any total is largely built on four critical overs from the Afghan teenager.

Often used by Williamson at the end of power play and then before the death, Rashid seldom disappointed as he foxed the best in the business with his leagues and googlies.

His 18 wickets have helped his team win crunch encounters with his economy rate of 6.91 further increasing pressure on opposition batsmen.

Fast bowlers

Andrew Tye

Tye is the current holder of the Purple Cap

The Purple Cap holder for this season, Andrew Tye may not have been noticed as much as his stats speak of him. With 24 scalps in 14 games, half of which came in 3 games itself, he was well ahead of the others in the league.

An efficient practitioner of the knuckle ball, Tye bowled the death overs to good effect, also ending up picking heaps of wickets in that stage of the innings with batsmen going after him.

Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav, with 20 wickets, has been a revelation in this IPL. Always considered a talented bowler, he showed that he could rise above being a performer in matches to leading a bowling attack.

He bowled with lethal pace and accuracy and often picked wickets for his captain in his very first over. Not the best option at the death, he was effectively used by skipper Kohli and his tendency of picking two wickets in an over put the opposition under serious pressure.

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah was the most economical bowler in IPL 2018

Mumbai Indians' ace bowler Bumrah might have gone unnoticed for most of his bowling performances this season as his team languished in the second half of the table.

He ended up picking 17 wickets this season. The more noteworthy stat, though, was his economy rate of 6.88, which was the best for anyone who picked 5 wickets or more this season. Accurately delivering his yorkers at the death, he was a miser when it came to giving away runs.

Also Read: 5 Indians who might lose out on their spot in the ODI side after IPL 2018