IPL 10: Benched Players XI of the first week

A playing XI that consists of players warming the benches could also be a competitive one

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IPL 2017
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Skippers pose for a selfie ahead of the season. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The Indian Premier League has entered its 10th edition and in its very first week, it has produced a highly intriguing action. There have been overseas stars like Chris Lynn and AB de Villiers who set the league on fire with their explosive batting. On the other hand, India’s next generation has come to fore with the likes of Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant. Bowlers aren’t too far behind and it’s the leg-spinners who have enjoyed the time. Imran Tahir and Rashid Khan are the top performers of the week.

The beauty of the IPL is that the team owners have plenty of options to choose from and with the bench strength they possess, they can even build two teams out of it. It’s not only the players who perform on the field but also those sitting outside waiting for their turns make the buzz. There are several stars warming the benches who were fit and available in the first week and if we combine them to form a playing XI with the regular rules of the league having a limit of 4 overseas players, it is capable of giving a good fight to other teams.

Here is a look at the Benched Players XI from the first week of the IPL:

Openers:

Lendl Simmons

Lendl Simmons MI
Lendl Simmons. (Photo Source: BCCI)

The hard-hitting batsman from West Indies has been warming the benches of Mumbai Indians as Jos Buttler has been asked to open this season who has done well to keep Simmons out for longer. Simmons was expected to feature in the playing XI for them from the outset but such is the bench strength of Mumbai franchise that a class player like him is made to sit out.

In his IPL career, he has played 22 matches and amassed 942 runs at an astonishing average of 47.1 and a strike rate of 127.3. He has 9 half-centuries and a century to his name that makes for an astounding T20 record. He was instrumental in Mumbai’s triumph in the year 2015 as he scored 68 runs off 45 balls in the final against Chennai Super Kings that enabled his team to a massive score of 202. Mumbai is blessed to have such an opening batsman as a backup.

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan Vijay Hazare Trophy 2017
Ishan Kishan. (Photo Source: Sportstarlive)

The left-handed batsman is in the strong squad of Gujarat Lions. They possess a heavy batting line-up that consists of Brendon McCullum, Jason Roy, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and Dwayne Smith. So it is going to be extremely difficult for Ishan to find a place in the squad. He is also a wicket-keeper but Karthik would always be the first choice for Lions in their line-up and to play as a genuine batsman in the side would be tough for him.

The 18-year-old has shown promising signs already in a short span of time and could be a great prospect for India in the future. Even if he does not get a single game this season, he has heaps of years in front of him to showcase his talent. As far as his IPL record is concerned, he does not have great numbers to show. He has played 5 games in which he scored 42 runs with 27 being his highest. But to feature as a wicket-keeper batsman amongst the benched players, he is certainly up there.

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