IPL 2016: Indian XI of the tournament

The Indian Premier League (IPL) met its conclusion last night with the Sunrisers Hyderabad winning their maiden title. Just like every season in the past, this edition was also a bumper hit where fans were treated with some intriguing contests, especially in the second half of the tournament when the fight for the top 4 slots became intense. It was a fantastic season for the Indian players too. They reaped the benefits of playing in home conditions and came out as match-winners for their respective teams. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how a lineup consisting of only Indian players would look like. So, here in this list, we try to list out the best possible Indian XI of the tournament. 1. Virat Kohli – RCB (C): Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: BCCI) No words can describe the way Virat Kohli performed this season. Despite a disheartening loss in the final, Virat swept away the post-match presentation ceremony. He batted in a Bradmanesque form and plundered 973 runs in 16 matches to finish as the Orange Cap holder. He had an inspirational run this season, leading his team from the bottom half of the table to the finals almost single-handedly. 2. Gautam Gambhir – KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Sandeep Mahankal/IANS) Gautam Gambhir continued his fine IPL form this season as well. Gambhir looked outstanding at the start of the tournament. His partnership with Robin Uthappa made KKR’s top order look the most settled in the tournament. He played many match-defining knocks in the league stages. But, it was disappointing to see him lose in the crucial final stages of the tournament which eventually led to his side’s ouster. But, overall, with 501 runs in 15 games including 5 half-centuries, the season was a satisfying for Gauti as a batsman. 3. Ajinkya Rahane – RPS: Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: BCCI) Ajinkya Rahane was perhaps one of the few shining factors for IPL debutants Rising Pune Supergiants in their disastrous tournament. Rahane was in amazing form and shouldered the whole batting responsibility of the RPS side. He finished the tournament as the 6th highest runs getter, scoring 480 runs in 14 games including 7 fifties. But, all his efforts with the bat were not enough to save Pune from finishing 7th in the points table. 4. Suresh Raina – GL: Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: BCCI) Suresh Raina had a wonderful season as a first-time skipper with IPL debutant Gujarat Lions. He has a very productive time both as a skipper and as a batsman. Raina has done consistently well in the IPL and performed brilliantly this season too, finishing as his team’s highest run-getter with 399 runs in 15 games. His best performance this season was the fighting 51 balls 71-run knock which he played against SRH. 5. Lokesh Rahul (WK) – RCB: Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Lokesh Rahul. (Photo Source: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) After a forgettable IPL debut last season, Lokesh Rahul has re-invented himself this season to end up as one of the key components of the RCB batting lineup. After missing out on the initial couple of games, Rahul was included in the first XI with the role of an opener. He performed the responsibility with success and along with his skipper Virat Kohli gave many breezy starts to his team. He played 13 games this season and finished with 386 runs at an average of 48.25. 6. Yusuf Pathan – KKR: Yusuf Pathan. (Photo Source: BCCI) Yusuf Pathan came out blazing this season with the bat. Initially, the seasoned cricketer did not get many opportunities with the bat. But, as the tournament progressed KKR became more dependent on him. He played several important cameos and a couple of match winning knocks. Pathan’s first eyeball grabbing knock was the match-winning 29-ball 60 runs knock against RCB in Bangalore. In all, he finished the tournament with the second-best average of 72.20, scoring 361 runs in 15 games. 7. Krunal Pandya – MI: Krunal Pandya. (Photo Source: BCCI) Krunal Pandya raised many eyebrows when he was picked by Mumbai Indians for 2 crores. Very little was known about the player who had spent the full 2015 season nursing injuries. However, he announced his arrival in the big league with a bang. Everyone was left stunned with his hard-hitting skills and handy left-arm spin. Unfortunately, as the tournament progressed his performances went on a downward slide. However, with 237 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 191.12 (The highest for any batsman this season), he still had a far better debut season than most of the newcomers and young names. 8. Dhawal Kulkarni – GL: Dhawal Kulkarni. (Photo Source: BCCI) Dhawal Kulkarni was the lead bowler for Gujarat Lions. The Mumbai swing bowlers was in sublime form and finished as the fourth highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 18 wickets in 14 games and an outstanding average of 20.22. His performances with the new ball played an important role in the Lions’ impressive debut season. 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar – SRH: Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo Source: BCCI) Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a fantastic season. The swing bowler overcame struggles with injury and form to snap 23 wickets in 16 games and finish as the highest wicket-taker this season. He was a crucial cog in the highly effective Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack which played an important role in SRH’s successful campaign. He led the attack wonderfully in the absence of veteran Ashish Nehra. His bowling at the death was also another glittering feature of his bowling. 10. Yuzvendra Chahal – RCB: Yuzvendra Chahal. (Photo Source: BCCI) Yuzvendra Chahal can be regarded as RCB’s saviour in the bowling department this season. The Virat Kohli led side had to deal with heavy injury blows before the start of the tournament. Their bowling was perhaps the weakest amongst all the teams. The attacking leg-spinner, however, was in great form and brought some relief to his skipper, becoming the ‘go-to’ man whenever crucial breakthroughs were required. He packed a punch with his leg breaks and fetched 20 wickets in the tournament. 11. Barinder Sran – SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Barinder Sran celebrates the wicket. (Photo by NOAH SEELAM/AFP/Getty Images) Barinder Sran, the left-arm fast bowler, also had a great tournament. Sran played a perfect supporting role to his senior pro – Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Consistency and discipline were the key element fo his bowling. He bowled good lines and was able to return with wickets on most occasions. Sran finished the tournament with a tally of 14 wickets in 14 games at an average of 29.50.

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IPL 2016: Indian XI of the tournament

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