IPL 2018: Mid-season Best Overseas XI

The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reached the halfway mark. Almost all the teams have played seven games each out of the 14 they will play in the league stages. The Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab dominated the first half of the season and occupy the top three spots. A few more wins will ensure these teams a place in the playoffs.

A lot of Indian players have been dominating with both bat and ball while there are some foreigners who have justified their reputation as well. They played some match-winning knocks for their franchises and also have bowled some crucial overs. The foreigners hold vital positions in their franchises and often are the difference between the sides. Here, we’ve compiled the best overseas players so far in the IPL. Here is the Best Overseas XI:

Openers – (Quinton de Kock, Chris Gayle)

Quinton de Kock has found some form in the recent times. He is hitting the ball well and often clearing the ropes. However, he has failed to convert his starts into something substantial. He scored 165 runs in the six games he has played thus far which is below par for a player of his stature. He has made it into this squad solely because of his glovework and is the best foreigner in the IPL as far as keeping is concerned.

Virender Sehwag saved the IPL by picking up Chris Gayle and boy, how did he respond? He set the league on fire right in his debut match this season scoring the first century of this IPL. He smoked the bowlers for massive sixes all around the park and is among the leading run-scorers after having played just 4 games. Chris has also hit 23 sixes in four games and is an obvious choice in this XI.

Middle Order – (Kane Williamson (C), AB de Villiers)

Kane Williamson is the only foreign skipper in this IPL. He has worked wonders with his team SRH and was brilliant with his captaincy. Hence, he is the obvious choice to lead the Overseas XI side. With the bat, he played some extraordinary knocks and didn’t let his limitations prevent him from scoring at a strike rate close to 150.

Any IPL XI without AB de Villiers is incomplete. He is in phenomenal form this season and has been sending shivers down the spines of the bowlers. He is a strong contender for the ‘Orange Cap’ and is hitting the ball beautifully. ABD is also an electric fielder and can help Williamson with the on-field tactics.

All Rounders – (Shane Watson, Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell, DJ Bravo)

The all-rounders are a great strength of any T20 side. They add balance to the lineup and are splendid assets to have. The all-round strength could also be the reasons why West Indies have evolved as a force to reckon with in T20 cricket. It gives the captain plenty of options and they can be used as floaters in the batting order.

Watson, Shakib, Russell, and Bravo are all great all-rounders in their own merits. They contribute equally well with both the bat and the ball. Watson, Russell, Bravo have played match-winning knocks with the bat. Shakib and Bravo were brilliant with the ball in the first half while the other two fared decently well. These four should add great strength to the side and will be tough to deal with for the opposition.

Bowlers – (Rashid Khan, Andrew Tye, Trent Boult)

Rashid Khan will be sharing the spin duties in the bowling lineup with Shakib. Although he was hammered in two games, he came back really strong. He is undoubtedly one of the best T20 bowlers around. It is not easy to pick his googly and he has the knack of bagging crucial wickets in the middle ocers. He can also contribute a fair bit with the bat.

Andrew Tye and Trent Boult will take up the fast bowling responsibilities. While Boult can be used at the top to open the bowling with Watson, Tye can do the death over duties with Bravo. With Rashid and Shakib taking charge in the middle overs, it will not be any easy for the oppositions to get away. There is also Russell who can be quite handy. Both Tye and Boult are leading contenders for the ‘Purple Cap’. Boult currently has this glorious cap on his head.

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