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The Windies will take on a World XI side at the Lord's Cricket Ground in a bid to raise funds for the destruction caused back in the Caribbean due to the devastating hurricane Irma and Maria.
The 2016 champions, Windies, will be led by Carlos Brathwaite and boast an imposing batting order in Fletcher, Lewis, Powell, Andre Russell, and Chris Gayle.
The match is scheduled to be played on May 31st, 2018. The World XI squad will be led by Eoin Morgan and consists of T20 stalwarts like Afridi, Malik, Perera and Luke Ronchi.
Let us extend this concept a bit further and form an Indian IPL XI from the 2018 season, that could take on the defending champions Windies.
#1 KL Rahul
Opening the batting will be KL Rahul. The Indian Test opener was in the form of his life this season and accumulated 659 runs at an average of 54.91 and strike-rate of 158.41, which included six fifties. With a penchant for power-hitting coupled with classical stroke-play, Rahul will be an ideal foil at the top against the Windies, against whom he has a T20I hundred.
Having been the bedrock of KXIP's batting thus far, Rahul started the IPL with a superlative 13-ball 50 against Delhi.
#2 Ambati Rayudu
The 32-year-old Ambati Rayudu will join Rahul at the top.
Rayudu represented Mumbai Indians from 2010 to 2017, and was roped in by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 auction.
The architect-in-chief of CSK's title-winning campaign, Rayudu stroked 602 runs in sixteen games at an average of 43.00, and a swashbuckling strike-rate of 149.75 including three fifties and a hundred against SRH.
#3 Virat Kohli
While his team endured another disappointing season, Virat Kohli the batsman enthralled us with his superlative batting.
In 14 league matches, Kohli accumulated 530 runs at an average of 48.18 and a strike-rate of 139.10 which includes four fifties. Kohli's greatest strength lies in maneuvering the bowling in the middle-overs, and he would serve as an anchor in the side.
#4 Rishab Pant
In a team characterised by inconsistency, insipid selections and sometimes incompetence, young Rishabh Pant was a breath of fresh air.
It was a watershed year for Pant, as he bettered Robin Uthappa's tally of 660 runs (IPL 2014), to record the highest aggregate by a wicket-keeper batsman in a single IPL season.
In fourteen league matches, Pant accumulated 684 runs at an average of 52.61 and a swashbuckling strike-rate of 173.60 which included five fifties and a hundred (128), which unfortunately came in a losing cause.
#5 MS Dhoni (Captain and Wicketkeeper)
One of the fairytales of this IPL season was the resurgence of MS Dhoni the batsman.
After striking at 121.96, 135.23 and 116.00 in the last three seasons, Dhoni showed glimpses of his former self this time around.
Dhoni accumulated 455 runs at an average of 75.83 and an impressive strike-rate of 150.66, including a match-winning 70 not out and 51 off 21 balls against RCB and Delhi Daredevils respectively.
#6 Krunal Pandya
In at No.6 will be Mumbai Indians' Krunal Pandya. The left-handed all-rounder was one of the shining lights for the Mumbai Indians this season.
Pandya provided crucial breakthroughs for his side right through the tournament and scalped 12 wickets in total, with an average of 21.54 and an economy of 7.08. On the batting front, Pandya accumulated 228 runs at a strike-rate of 140.14, including a brisk 41 not out against KXIP at Indore.
#7 Dinesh Karthik
After leading India to a breathtaking win in the Nidahas Trophy, Karthik continued his stellar form in IPL 2018.
Karthik led his team from the front both with his bat and tactical nous, having accumulated 498 runs at an average of 49.80 and an imperious strike-rate of 147.77, including two fifties. Karthik's emergence as a finisher will come in handy in pressure situations against the Windies.
#8 Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal has grown by leaps and bounds as a wrist-spinner in the past two seasons.
While bowling on a ground as small as the Chinnaswamy stadium, Chahal's strength lies in tossing the ball up whilst inviting the batsmen to go for the big shots.
In 14 matches, Chahal scalped 12 wickets at an average of 30.25 and strike-rate of 25.00.
#9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
There are few bowlers in world cricket today who you can trust at the death, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the pack.
The two-time Purple Cap winner, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was at it again this season, bamboozling batsmen in the death overs. In 12 IPL matches, he picked up eight wickets at a strike-rate of 23.25, that included 10 consecutive dot balls to Shane Watson in the finals.
#10 Jasprit Bumrah
Joining Bhuvi to lead the pace attack in the death overs is Jasprit Bumrah. Having lived in the shadow of Lasith Malinga during his formative years, Bumrah, with his slow deliveries and reverse-swinging yorkers at the death, has become an indispensable part of the national team.
Bumrah has been the bedrock of the Mumbai Indians' bowling set-up and scalped 16 wickets at an average of 21.43, including a magical spell of 3-15 against the KXIP to lead his team to a thrilling victory.
#11 Umesh Yadav
Umesh's strength lies in hurrying the batsmen with incisive pace and bounce, and he would come in handy during the Powerplay overs against the likes of Gayle and co.
Umesh more often than not hit the right lines and lengths in the 2018 IPL, having accumulated 17 wickets. In a bowling attack striving for consistency, Umesh Yadav was Royal Challengers Bangalore's most potent bowler, especially in the powerplay overs.
Umesh's performance did not go unnoticed as he earned a call-up to the Indian T20 squad for the England and Ireland tour, after a hiatus of six-years.
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