Best XI of the league stages of IPL 2017

We bring you to the Best XI of the league stages of IPL 2017. The side will be led by Gautam Gambhir who will open the innings with David Warner.

View : 9.8K

8 Min Read

Gautam Gambhir
info

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Twitter)

56 league matches, one wash out and one tied super-over game later; we have four teams who have progressed for the playoffs of IPL 2017 which start on Tuesday. Table toppers Mumbai Indians will now take on Steve Smith’s Rising Pune Supergiant in the first qualifier in Mumbai. Defending champions Sunrisers will take on Gautam Gambhir-led KKR at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore in a knockout clash. The winner of this encounter will take on the loser of the 1st qualifier to fight for a spot in the finals.

The cricket fraternity has been treated with some quality cricket in the past 40 days. Apart from Mumbai Indians, every franchise’s fortunes oscillated during the course of the tournament till they had to play out of their skins to secure a spot in the final four.

As many as 5 centuries and 3 five-wicket hauls have been registered thus far apart from three hat-tricks. There have been innumerable individual performances which stood out amongst the rest and on the basis of that; we bring you the best XI of the IPL 2017 so far.

Due to some great performances by the Indian contingent this year, we have selected just three foreign players in the XI. The list is as following according to the batting positions:

David Warner

David Warner Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner celebrates his century.. (Photo: IANS)

With 604 runs at 60.40 in 13 games, Warner is the current holder of the orange cap and as it appears, he looks good to hold on to it until the end of the tournament. The explosive opener has maintained a strike rate of 144.84 this year which shows his quality at the top of the order. He hasn’t only been consistent but has also given flying starts to his team.

Warner’s stand out innings was his 126 against KKR at Eden Gardens. Such was the brutality of the knock that the 2-time champions were left bamboozled. Apart from his century, the Australian has managed to get 4 half-centuries this year.

Gautam Gambhir (C)

Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The former India opener and 2-time IPL winner has 454 runs to his name at an average of 41.27. Gambhir’s consistent run this year resurrected hopes of a possible inclusion in the squad for the Champions Trophy. After being overlooked, Gambhir’s approach hasn’t changed much. He means business whenever he turns up for KKR. Apart from his batting, Gambhir contributes a lot from his fierce leadership, which is why he is named the captain of this side as well.

Gambhir has hit four half-centuries this year, all in successful chases. He remained unbeaten in three of them to ensure that the last runs were knocked off whilst he was there in the middle. He batted at No. 3 after Lynn returned to the side underlining his self-effacing nature. The left-hander must return to the opening slot for the playoffs as he is a big match player and can inflict major damage at the start of the innings.

Robin Uthappa (wk)

Kolkata Knight Riders
Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The KKR stumper will bat at No. 3 and also keep wicket in this XI. Uthappa has had a decent season averaging 35 over 11 innings for 386 runs. The Karnataka batsman has been hitting the ball really well and has scored 5 half-centuries this year. His strike rate of 167.82 highlights the form that he is in. The 31-year-old has also been very safe behind the stumps, especially against the spinners.

Uthappa opened for KKR since 2014 but settled down nicely at one drop this year due to the advent of Chris Lynn. The right-hander has been very simple with his approach and doesn’t mind going for the big one early in his innings. He scores quickly in the middle overs which has enabled KKR to post big totals this year. Uthappa needs to strike form in the playoffs if KKR are to win a record 3rd title this season.

Prev
Page1 / 3
Next

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:

googletelegraminstagramwhatsappyoutubethreadstwitter

Download Our App

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS and Google Play Store