IPL 2019: Best Youth XI of the Tournament

The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League got over last Sunday with Mumbai Indians emerging as champions for a record fourth time. This IPL has witnessed fabulous performances from youth and veterans alike.

A team like CSK with an average age of 35 could reach the final was a testimony to that. On the other side of the spectrum, the Delhi Capitals team comprising mainly of youngsters could secure 18 points to make it to the playoffs.

At the end of every IPL season, it is customary to come out with the best playing XI of the tournament. In this selection by different writers, there will hardly be any difference in the composition of the team. If at all, any difference of opinion is there, it is mainly restricted between 2 or 3 players who have all done equally well.

Hence, in this article, an attempt is made to select the best youth XI of IPL 2019. The primary objective of IPL, after all, is to identify talent at the youth level and to offer opportunities to promote such talent to blossom.

The age criteria fixed for the selection of players under the youth category is 25 or below. Similarly, except one player, all others are young and upcoming players who have played only a fewer international match.

Now let us have a look at the Best Youth XI of IPL 2019.

The Openers

Prithvi Shaw ( DC)

Innings – 16 Runs – 353 Strike Rate – 134

Prithvi Shaw (Image Courtesy : IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

Prithvi Shaw, though inconsistent at times, has proved to be a match-winner this year. His first match-winning knock came against KKR at Delhi when he scored 99 off 55 balls while chasing to take the game to the super over. Kagiso Rabada ensured that DC won the super over shoot out.

Shaw’s next best knock came against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur when he laid a foundation for the chase with a score of 42 before Rishabh Pant tore into the RR attack to take Delhi home.

The Delhi opener finished the season on a high with a 56 off 38 balls against SRH in the eliminator. More than the number of runs scored, Shaw impressed one and all with his fearless approach to batting. He doesn’t mind hitting the ball in the air as long as his placement is perfect.

Shubman Gill (KKR)

Innings – 13, Runs – 296, SR – 125

Shubman Gill (Image courtesy : IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

KKR underutilized Shubman Gill’s talent when he was sent down the order in the first 6 matches. But the moment he was given an opportunity to open the batting, Gill came good in the very first match against DC when he scored 65 off 39.

Gill followed that up with scores of 76 off 45 against the MI and 65 off 49 against KXIP. At times, he resembles King Kohli in his stroke making and style of play. Gill is the find of the season for KKR.

Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on ICC World Cup, schedule, news, points table, live scores, most runs, most wickets and fantasy tips.

Middle Order

Shreyas Iyer(DC) – Captain

Innings – 16, Runs - 463, SR – 120

Shreyas Iyer ( Image courtesy: IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

Shreyas Iyer has been exceptional for DC both as a batsman and as a leader. He has shown tremendous temperament and calmness as a captain even in tense situations. Again when it comes to his team’s batting, he was always there to take the responsibility to take his team over the line.

Iyer’s smiling face in adversity has been one of the long lasting memories of this IPL. He deserves all the credit for taking DC to the playoffs after a gap of 7 years. Shreyas Iyer undoubtedly is the captain of this youth team.

Rishabh Pant(DC)

Innings – 16, Runs – 488, SR – 163

Rishabh Pant (Image courtesy : IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

Rishabh Pant’s IPL season started off in a spectacular fashion when he blasted 78 off a mere 27 balls against MI with the help of 7 fours and 7 sixes. But thereafter he was throwing away his wicket in the 20s and 30s before he played a similar inning of 78 off 36 against RR. He finished the season with consistent scores of 53,49 and 38. His strike rate of 163 for the season is a testimony to his dominance.

Shimron Hetmyer (RCB)

Innings - 5, Runs – 90, SR – 123

Shimron Hetymer (Image courtesy: IPL T20.C0m/BCCI)

Shimron Hetmyer’s IPL debut started on a disastrous note when he was run out for a duck in the opening match of the season after facing just 2 balls. His failure continued in the next 3 matches when he got out to spinners Shreyas Gopal and Rashid Khan. He was dropped thereafter.

Shimron was out of action for one month before he was brought back for the must-win game against SRH. RCB chasing 176 for a win was reduced to 20 for 3 with Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers all back in the hut.

When all seemed to be lost for RCB, Hetmyer walked in and smashed 75 off 47 with 4 fours and 6 sixes at a strike rate of 160. He added 144 runs for the fourth wicket with Gurkeerat Singh to keep RCB’s hope alive in the tournament.

Hetmyer proved himself in the limited opportunity provided to him and hence finds a place in this team.

Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on ICC World Cup 2019 schedule, news, points table, live scores, most runs, most wickets and fantasy tips.

Wicket-Keeper and All-rounder

Nicholas Pooran(KXIP) ( Wicket-keeper)

Innings – 6, Runs – 168, SR – 157

Nicholos Pooran (Image courtesy :IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

Nicholas Pooran first showed his prowess as a big-hitter in the match against RCB when he clobbered 5 sixes in his innings of 46 off 28 balls. His wicket in the 19th over of the innings denied KXIP of a win. He made another score of 48 against KKR. In the cameos that Pooran played, he exhibited his six-hitting abilities and his innings invariably had more sixes than fours.

Being safe behind the stumps, Pooran is the wicket-keeper of the team.

Riyan Parag (RR) – All-rounder

Innings – 5, Runs – 160, SR – 127 Wickets taken – 2, Economy – 8.64

Riyan Parag(Image courtesy:IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

Just 17, Riyan Parag showed tremendous maturity beyond his age. He showed his class in his very second match of IPL when he scored 43 runs against MI and was involved in a 70-run partnership with Steve Smith. That experience must have taught him a lot of lessons to handle pressure while chasing a target.

Against KKR, he scored 47 and with help from the late-order batsman managed to pull off an improbable win for RR. In his last match of the season, Parag scored his maiden half-century in IPL but unfortunately ended up on the losing side.

Parag has proved to be a useful leg break bowler. He is the find of this IPL.

Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on World Cup teams, schedule, news, points table, live scores, most runs, most wickets and fantasy tips.

Bowlers

Shreyas Gopal(RR)

Overs – 47, wickets – 20, Economy – 7.36

Shreyas Gopal (Image courtesy:IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

Shreyas Gopal had a wonderful IPL season with 20 wickets including a hat trick against RCB. His wickets include big guns like Virat Kohli (twice), AB de Villiers (twice), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Williamson, Manish Pandey and Bairstow. He is the solitary leg-break bowler in this team.

Deepak Chahar (CSK)

Overs - 65, Wickets – 22, Economy -7.47

Deepak Chahar (Image courtesy: IPL T20.Com/BCCI)

Deepak Chahar blossomed under MS Dhoni as a new ball bowler in this IPL. He bowled most of his overs in the power play and correspondingly took most of his wickets in the first six overs. None of the big-hitters at the top could take on Deepak Chahar in the power play.

Conversely, openers like Prithvi Shaw, Rohit Sharma, Chris Lynn and David Warner all got out to him while trying to take him on in the power play. He is the opening bowler in this team.

Jofra Archer(RR)

Overs 43, Wickets – 11, Economy – 6.77

Jofra Archer (Image courtesy: IPL T 20.Com/BCCI)

Jofra Archer was the go-to bowler for RR this season. He was seen bowling in the power play, in the middle overs and at the death. He was fast and accurate with his deadly yorkers and his economy of 6.77 is proof of his accuracy and cleverness.

Archer managed to dismiss the power hitters like Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Nicholas Pooran at the death.

Kagiso Rabada(DC)

Overs – 47, wickets – 25, Economy – 7.83

Kagiso Rabada(Image courtesy: IPL T.20 Com/BCCI)

Kagiso Rabada was arguably the bowler of the tournament. He was at the top of the list of highest wicket-takers before injury forced him to miss out on the last 4 matches of the tournament. His presence at the business end of the tournament could have changed Delhi’s fortunes dramatically.

Though Rabada is an experienced international cricketer now, he is only 23 and that demands his inclusion in this team.

Disclaimer: The selections in this article are the writer's views and do not necessarily reflect Sportskeeda's choices.

Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on ICC World Cup live score, schedule, news, points table, live scores, most runs, most wickets and fantasy tips.