Best XI of the league stages of IPL 2017

Pawan Negi

Pawan Negi was a silent performer this year for RCB. He bowled just 32 overs in 12 games but has 16 wickets to his name. Kohli has usually used him during the death overs to which Negi responded well every single time. He has a good cricketing brain and is confident to deliver in pressure situations.

Negi has made 144 runs late down the order at a strike rate of almost 130. His all-round abilities helped him to get an extended run in the tournament which enabled him to showcase his talents. Having already played a T20 for India, this Delhi boy has a long way to go as a cricketer.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

After winning the purple cap last season, Bhuvneshwar looks set to retain it this time round as well. Kumar has made giant strides as a bowler in T20 cricket in the last 18 months. He has added a couple of yards in pace while perfecting the art of bowling yorkers when the pressure is on and the results are there for everyone to see.

With 25 wickets from 13 games at an economy of 6.97, Kumar has been Warner’s go-to man whenever the Australian needed wickets. ‘Bhuvi’, as he is famously known as, has to maintain this form in the quest of a possible second title for SRH. Kumar has mixed his yorkers and slower balls wisely during the death to contain the run-scoring.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan’s IPL contract made a lot of headlines as the 18-year-old was hired by Sunrisers for Rs 4 crores. He did not let the pressure of his price tag affect him as he went about business in a very clinical manner. Warner has relied on Rashid to bowl one over during the powerplay and the leg-spinner has enjoyed the challenge.

Rashid’s great strength is a prodding line and a googly which has proved to be hard to pick for the batsmen. The Afghan played in all games for Sunrisers this year and has 17 sticks to his name. An economy rate of 6.67 highlights the impact that he has had with the ball. Apart from his bowling, Rashid has been a safe outfielder for the defending champions.

Jaydev Unadkat

Unadkat’s performances contributed to the massive turnaround of RPS this year. After succumbing to three defeats from four games, RPS clawed their way back into contention by winning the next 8 matches out of 10. Unadkat’s haul of 21 wickets from 10 games not only puts him in the second place on the list of most wickets this year but also has ensured that Pune finishes second in the points table.

The left-arm quick has relied on his off-cutters during the death overs which have brought him massive success. The 25-year-old has also picked up a five-wicket haul including a hat-trick which took the steam out of Sunrisers’ straightforward chase at their own home ground.

Jasprit Bumrah

While Bumrah’s tally of 15 wickets from 13 games might not sound too impressive, his ability to bowl at the death has been refreshing to watch. Bumrah was not given the new ball too often by his skipper Rohit Sharma as he thought that the 23-year old was a better option in the middle overs. An economy rate of 7.73 is not bad at all for someone who has bowled majority of his overs this year after over number 10.

The stand out performance of the Gujarat lad so far has been his unbelievable returns of 1/24 against Kings XI Punjab where as many as 453 runs were scored off the 40 overs. Bumrah stood out in the game due to his canny ability to limit the run-scoring. He has been the leader of Mumbai Indians attack this year.