IPL Support Staff XI: Forming the best XI out of the support staff of the IPL 2017 sides

Middle order

Mahela Jayawardene

Jayawardene has been one of the most successful batsmen in the Sri Lankan side in all three formats of the game. At no. 3 in the batting line-up, he has been able to provide the much-needed stability to the batting line-up in all the teams he has played for.

Currently retired from the international circuit, Jayawardene continued to play in various T20 tournaments around the world.

He has played 220 T20 matches and scored 5455 runs at an average of 29.17 with 36 half centuries and 3 centuries to his name.

Like Sehwag, he too played for the Kings XI Punjab and the Delhi Daredevils. He is currently the head coach of the Mumbai Indians.

Brad Hodge

Brad Hodge is one of those few Australian cricketers who came around during the “golden era” of Australian cricket and would have felt hard done by the fact that he did not get to play too much international cricket.

His constant success in the T20 format led to him being included in the Australian squad for the World T20 in 2014.

He continues to impress in domestic T20 tournaments around the world. His last tournament was the Big Bash League where he played for the Adelaide Strikers. In total, Hodge has played in 270 T20 games in his career where he has managed to score 7338 runs at an average of 36.87 with 48 half centuries and 2 centuries to his name.

He is currently the head coach of the Gujarat Lions.

Jonty Rhodes

Despite retiring from cricket over 12 years ago, Jonty Rhodes did manage to get a little bit of experience in the T20 format playing for Gloucestershire back in 2003.

Arguably the best fielder the world has ever seen, Rhodes lit up the field whenever he touched the ball. An explosive middle order batsman as well, Rhodes would have been a great fit into any one of the IPL sides if age was on his side.

He played in 245 ODIs for the Proteas where he managed to score 5935 runs at an average of 35.11 with 33 half centuries and 2 centuries to his name. He is the fielding coach for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.