The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League has reached the half way stage of the tournament. In the first half of the season, IPL has given some exciting matches with thrilling finished. The performance quota has not been short at any level when it comes to the individual brilliance. Some new faces have made an impact in the season already, and at the same time, there have been some old horses who have come to the rescue of their sides.

Then, there have been players like Ambati Rayudu, who have reinstated their claims as top cricketers of the country. While most of the limelight and the talks have always been about the overseas players, very little do the people and the media notice the contributions made by the native talent.

Truth be told, in this season of the IPL, the Indian players have dominated the season more than the overseas recruits. Here we take a look at such Indian superstars who have taken the center stage in the tournament this year. They were extremely successful for their respective sides in the first half of the season. Now, their teams will hope that they continue to impress in the second half of the season as well.

Here is a look at the Best Indian XI of the first half of IPL 2018:

Ambati Rayudu &#8211; Chennai Super Kings

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Ambati-Rayudu-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244474" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ambati-Rayudu-1.jpg" alt="Ambati Rayudu" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244474" class="wp-caption-text">Ambati Rayudu plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Ambati Rayudu has been in sublime form this season. At the beginning of the tournament, Rayudu was asked to open for the Chennai Super Kings. He responded well by doing so. Midway through the season, he found himself in the middle-order and he responded with the bat there as well.

At the half way stage in the tournament, Rayudu heads the list of top scorers in the tournament and proudly wears the Orange Cap. He has scored 329 runs in the 7 matches played thus far. He had scored a whirlwind 79 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad but his best came <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ambati-rayudu-reveals-ms-dhonis-mindset-in-the-rcb-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>against the Royal Challengers Bangalore</strong></a> when he hit 82 to anchor CSK&#8217;s chase of 205.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/KL-Rahul-fifty.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-238135" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/KL-Rahul-fifty.jpg" alt="KL Rahul News" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238135" class="wp-caption-text">KL Rahul celebrates his fifty. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

KL Rahul has been in a sensational form in the season this year. Rahul introduced himself in fine fashion in the tournament. He made his debut for the Kings XI Punjab and slammed a 14-ball fifty against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the very first game of the season. This stands as the fastest fifty in the history of the IPL. Rahul backed up his good performance with a string of good starts in the matches that followed.

Along with Chris Gayle, he has been a formidable part of the KXIP opening roster in the season. Another top knock that came from his bat was against the Kolkata Knight Riders. He slammed a quick 60 in the match to anchor the chase for his side. Currently, he has 268 runs in his kitty in the 7 matches played thus far.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Suryakumar-Yadav.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-240160" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Suryakumar-Yadav.jpg" alt="Suryakumar Yadav" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-240160" class="wp-caption-text">Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Mumbai Indians have had a dismal run in the season. They have won only two matches in the first half of the season. There seem to be very few positives for them in the tournament and one of them is Suryakumar Yadav. Yadav, who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season, has been excelling in the role of the opener in the MI camp.

Currently, he is at the number three spot in the list of top scorers of the season. He has aggregated 274 runs in 7 matches played thus far. He averages almost 40 with the bat. In his first game as the MI opener, he hit a fifty against the Delhi Daredevils. He came up with an even better show against the Rajasthan Royals as he scored 72 in Jaipur, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-match-21-rr-vs-mi-review-gowthams-heroics-help-royals-clinch-thriller-mi-left-heartbroken-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>albeit in a losing cause</strong></a>.

Virat Kohli &#8211; Royal Challengers Bangalore

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Virat-Kohli-7.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-241397" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-7.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241397" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of RCB plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper, Virat Kohli, has been very unfortunate this season. Despite having played brilliantly, he has often seen his side end up on the losing front. On the personal note, Kohli has been playing decently well. He is among the top 10 run scorers of the season and had briefly held the Orange Cap as well.

Kohli was sensational in the game against Rajasthan Royals where he hammered a quick 57 in the run chase. He was unfortunate to see his side lost the game. A similar situation beckoned again in the match against the Mumbai Indians. Chasing 213 for the win, Kohli was left stranded on unbeaten 92 as his team lost the match.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Shreyas-Iyer-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-245362" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shreyas-Iyer-2.jpg" alt="Shreyas Iyer" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-245362" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Daredevils&#8217; Shreyas Iyer in action. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

Shreyas Iyer had a very mild start to his campaign in the IPL 2018. Iyer started off very slowly and looked out of form in the early part of the season. During the game against MI, he stayed at the crease to play the second fiddle for Jason Roy in a big run chase.

Later, in the game against Kings XI Punjab, Iyer singlehandedly took his side within striking distance of a win with a gutsy 57. He was dismissed on the last ball of the match. More recently, in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders,<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stats-dd-skipper-iyer-punishes-shivam-mavi-collects-29-runs-in-a-over-to-make-it-most-expensive-in-the-2018-ipl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Iyer hammered an unbeaten 93 off just 40 deliveries</strong></a> to give his side their second win of the season. Interestingly, it was the captaincy debut for Iyer in the IPL.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Sanju-Samson-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-243269" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sanju-Samson-1.jpg" alt="Sanju Samson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243269" class="wp-caption-text">Sanju Samson of RR celebrates his fifty. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Sanju Samson has been the most successful batsman from the Rajasthan Royals camp in the IPL this year. Samson made a very good start to the season with a fighting 49 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a losing cause. He backed it up with a good 37 against the Delhi Daredevils that fetched him the Player of the Match award as well.

His <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-ben-laughlin-draws-comparison-sanju-samson-don-bradman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>best came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore</strong></a> in Bengaluru where he hit an unbeaen 92 to put his team in a commanding position. In the most recent game against the Mumbai Indians, Samson played another good knock of 52 runs. He has amassed 239 runs in 6 matches at an average of 47.80 in the season thus far.

Nitish Rana &#8211; Kolkata Knight Riders

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Nitish-Rana-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-241023" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Nitish-Rana-3.jpg" alt="Nitish Rana" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241023" class="wp-caption-text">Nitish Rana of Kolkata Knight Riders in action. (Photo by: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption>

Nitish Rana has been the dark horse of the Kolkata Knight Riders camp this season. Rana came as a surprise for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their very first game of IPL 2018. He stunned AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli with the ball to take their wickets on two successive deliveries.

He enjoyed similar success with the ball against the Rajasthan Royals as well. He dismissed D Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane in the match. With the bat, he has been in a fine form. Rana hit a match winning 59 against the Delhi Daredevils in Kolkata. He also played a handy knock of unbeaten 35 in the game against the Royals in Jaipur.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244503" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244503" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings&#8217; MS Dhoni in action. (Photo by IANS)</figcaption>

The fans have been thrilled to see the vintage MS Dhoni in action this year. Dhoni has played a couple of brilliant knocks in the first half of IPL 2018. While he failed to take his side over the line in one game, he managed to pull off a scorching win in the second. Dhoni has hammmered 235 runs at an average of almost 59 in the season. For the ones who believe that he has been slow, Dhoni has batted with a strike rate of 160 thus far.

Dhoni had played a knock of unbeaten 79 in the match against the Kings XI Punjab. His side fell short by just 4 runs despite a last ball six from Dhoni. Dhoni got an opportunity to finisht a game again. And he managed to do so by slamming 70 off just 34 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Yet again, he <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-still-a-player-to-watch-out-for-says-former-windies-legend-viv-richards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>finished things off in style</strong></a> for his team.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Mayank-Markande-5.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-243996" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mayank-Markande-5.jpg" alt="Mayank Markande" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243996" class="wp-caption-text">Mayank Markande celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The IPL has been the breeding ground for the young cricketers for over a decade now. Every year, several new faces come to the limelight and end up becoming overnight heroes. This season, it has been Mayank Markande, who has emerged as the highlight of the season. Markande made his debut for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018. In his very first game, the season opener, he bagged the big wicket of MS Dhoni.

The likes of Dhoni and Rayudu failed to pick up his googly as he finished with figures of 3/23 in the match against Chennai Super Kings. In the next match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he bettered his numbers with 4/23 to his name in Hyderabad. Again, he got a big wicket in the form of Shikhar Dhawan on the night.

Siddarth Kaul &#8211; Sunrisers Hyderabad

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Siddarth-Kaul-wicket-celebration.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-238554" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Siddarth-Kaul-wicket-celebration.jpg" alt="Siddarth Kaul" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238554" class="wp-caption-text">Siddarth Kaul celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Siddarth Kaul has emerged as the most successful Indian pacer in the first half of IPL 2018. Kaul has bagged 9 wickets in the 7 matches played thus far and is number three in the list of leading wicket takers of the season. Kaul has largely played under the shadows of Bhuvneshwar Kumar over the years.

This season, he has looked like a force himself who is independent enough to cause ripples in the opposition camp. In the match against the Rajasthan Royals, Kaul had launched a flurry of bouncers that took the batsmen by surprise. He has been bowling highly economical spells.

Umesh Yadav &#8211; Royal Challengers Bangalore

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Umesh-Yadav.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-239883" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Umesh-Yadav.jpg" alt="Umesh Yadav" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-239883" class="wp-caption-text">Umesh Yadav of RCB celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Umesh Yadav has made a serious reputation for himself in the IPL this year. He has been unplayable at times with the new ball in hand. No wonder why RCB skipper Virat Kohli does not shy away from letting Umesh bowl all his four overs on a trot with the new cherry.

In the match against Kings XI Punjab, Umesh scalped three wickets in the same over dismissing Mayank Agarwal, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-debutant-avesh-khan-stuns-aaron-finch-with-a-148-7-kmph-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Aaron Finch</strong></a> and Yuvraj Singh with his sheer pace. In the match against the Mumbai Indians, he took two wickets on the first two balls of the match to push MI on the backfoot on the day.

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<p>The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League has reached the half way stage of the tournament. In the first half of the season, IPL has given some exciting matches with thrilling finished. The performance quota has not been short at any level when it comes to the individual brilliance. Some new faces have made an impact in the season already, and at the same time, there have been some old horses who have come to the rescue of their sides.</p>
<p>Then, there have been players like Ambati Rayudu, who have reinstated their claims as top cricketers of the country. While most of the limelight and the talks have always been about the overseas players, very little do the people and the media notice the contributions made by the native talent.</p>
<p>Truth be told, in this season of the IPL, the Indian players have dominated the season more than the overseas recruits. Here we take a look at such Indian superstars who have taken the center stage in the tournament this year. They were extremely successful for their respective sides in the first half of the season. Now, their teams will hope that they continue to impress in the second half of the season as well.</p>
<h3>Here is a look at the Best Indian XI of the first half of IPL 2018:</h3>
<h4>Ambati Rayudu – Chennai Super Kings</h4>
<figure id="attachment_244474" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244474" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Ambati-Rayudu-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-244474" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ambati-Rayudu-1.jpg" alt="Ambati Rayudu" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244474" class="wp-caption-text">Ambati Rayudu plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Ambati Rayudu has been in sublime form this season. At the beginning of the tournament, Rayudu was asked to open for the Chennai Super Kings. He responded well by doing so. Midway through the season, he found himself in the middle-order and he responded with the bat there as well.</p>
<p>At the half way stage in the tournament, Rayudu heads the list of top scorers in the tournament and proudly wears the Orange Cap. He has scored 329 runs in the 7 matches played thus far. He had scored a whirlwind 79 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad but his best came <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ambati-rayudu-reveals-ms-dhonis-mindset-in-the-rcb-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>against the Royal Challengers Bangalore</strong></a> when he hit 82 to anchor CSK’s chase of 205.</p>
<h4>KL Rahul – Kings XI Punjab</h4>
<figure id="attachment_238135" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238135" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/KL-Rahul-fifty.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-238135" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/KL-Rahul-fifty.jpg" alt="KL Rahul News" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238135" class="wp-caption-text">KL Rahul celebrates his fifty. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>KL Rahul has been in a sensational form in the season this year. Rahul introduced himself in fine fashion in the tournament. He made his debut for the Kings XI Punjab and slammed a 14-ball fifty against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the very first game of the season. This stands as the fastest fifty in the history of the IPL. Rahul backed up his good performance with a string of good starts in the matches that followed.</p>
<p>Along with Chris Gayle, he has been a formidable part of the KXIP opening roster in the season. Another top knock that came from his bat was against the Kolkata Knight Riders. He slammed a quick 60 in the match to anchor the chase for his side. Currently, he has 268 runs in his kitty in the 7 matches played thus far.</p>
<h4>Suryakumar Yadav – Mumbai Indians</h4>
<figure id="attachment_240160" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-240160" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Suryakumar-Yadav.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-240160" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Suryakumar-Yadav.jpg" alt="Suryakumar Yadav" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-240160" class="wp-caption-text">Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Mumbai Indians have had a dismal run in the season. They have won only two matches in the first half of the season. There seem to be very few positives for them in the tournament and one of them is Suryakumar Yadav. Yadav, who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season, has been excelling in the role of the opener in the MI camp.</p>
<p>Currently, he is at the number three spot in the list of top scorers of the season. He has aggregated 274 runs in 7 matches played thus far. He averages almost 40 with the bat. In his first game as the MI opener, he hit a fifty against the Delhi Daredevils. He came up with an even better show against the Rajasthan Royals as he scored 72 in Jaipur, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-match-21-rr-vs-mi-review-gowthams-heroics-help-royals-clinch-thriller-mi-left-heartbroken-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>albeit in a losing cause</strong></a>.</p>
<h4>Virat Kohli – Royal Challengers Bangalore</h4>
<figure id="attachment_241397" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-241397" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Virat-Kohli-7.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-241397" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-7.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli IPL" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241397" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of RCB plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper, Virat Kohli, has been very unfortunate this season. Despite having played brilliantly, he has often seen his side end up on the losing front. On the personal note, Kohli has been playing decently well. He is among the top 10 run scorers of the season and had briefly held the Orange Cap as well.</p>
<p>Kohli was sensational in the game against Rajasthan Royals where he hammered a quick 57 in the run chase. He was unfortunate to see his side lost the game. A similar situation beckoned again in the match against the Mumbai Indians. Chasing 213 for the win, Kohli was left stranded on unbeaten 92 as his team lost the match.</p>
<h4>Shreyas Iyer – Delhi Daredevils</h4>
<figure id="attachment_245362" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-245362" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Shreyas-Iyer-2.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-245362" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shreyas-Iyer-2.jpg" alt="Shreyas Iyer" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-245362" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Daredevils’ Shreyas Iyer in action. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Shreyas Iyer had a very mild start to his campaign in the IPL 2018. Iyer started off very slowly and looked out of form in the early part of the season. During the game against MI, he stayed at the crease to play the second fiddle for Jason Roy in a big run chase.</p>
<p>Later, in the game against Kings XI Punjab, Iyer singlehandedly took his side within striking distance of a win with a gutsy 57. He was dismissed on the last ball of the match. More recently, in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders,<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stats-dd-skipper-iyer-punishes-shivam-mavi-collects-29-runs-in-a-over-to-make-it-most-expensive-in-the-2018-ipl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Iyer hammered an unbeaten 93 off just 40 deliveries</strong></a> to give his side their second win of the season. Interestingly, it was the captaincy debut for Iyer in the IPL.</p>
<h4>Sanju Samson – Rajasthan Royals</h4>
<figure id="attachment_243269" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-243269" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Sanju-Samson-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-243269" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sanju-Samson-1.jpg" alt="Sanju Samson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243269" class="wp-caption-text">Sanju Samson of RR celebrates his fifty. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Sanju Samson has been the most successful batsman from the Rajasthan Royals camp in the IPL this year. Samson made a very good start to the season with a fighting 49 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a losing cause. He backed it up with a good 37 against the Delhi Daredevils that fetched him the Player of the Match award as well.</p>
<p>His <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-ben-laughlin-draws-comparison-sanju-samson-don-bradman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>best came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore</strong></a> in Bengaluru where he hit an unbeaen 92 to put his team in a commanding position. In the most recent game against the Mumbai Indians, Samson played another good knock of 52 runs. He has amassed 239 runs in 6 matches at an average of 47.80 in the season thus far.</p>
<h4>Nitish Rana – Kolkata Knight Riders</h4>
<figure id="attachment_241023" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-241023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Nitish-Rana-3.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-241023" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Nitish-Rana-3.jpg" alt="Nitish Rana" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241023" class="wp-caption-text">Nitish Rana of Kolkata Knight Riders in action. (Photo by: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Nitish Rana has been the dark horse of the Kolkata Knight Riders camp this season. Rana came as a surprise for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their very first game of IPL 2018. He stunned AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli with the ball to take their wickets on two successive deliveries.</p>
<p>He enjoyed similar success with the ball against the Rajasthan Royals as well. He dismissed D Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane in the match. With the bat, he has been in a fine form. Rana hit a match winning 59 against the Delhi Daredevils in Kolkata. He also played a handy knock of unbeaten 35 in the game against the Royals in Jaipur.</p>
<h4>MS Dhoni (c) – Chennai Super Kings</h4>
<figure id="attachment_244503" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244503" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-244503" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244503" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings’ MS Dhoni in action. (Photo by IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The fans have been thrilled to see the vintage MS Dhoni in action this year. Dhoni has played a couple of brilliant knocks in the first half of IPL 2018. While he failed to take his side over the line in one game, he managed to pull off a scorching win in the second. Dhoni has hammmered 235 runs at an average of almost 59 in the season. For the ones who believe that he has been slow, Dhoni has batted with a strike rate of 160 thus far.</p>
<p>Dhoni had played a knock of unbeaten 79 in the match against the Kings XI Punjab. His side fell short by just 4 runs despite a last ball six from Dhoni. Dhoni got an opportunity to finisht a game again. And he managed to do so by slamming 70 off just 34 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Yet again, he <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-still-a-player-to-watch-out-for-says-former-windies-legend-viv-richards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>finished things off in style</strong></a> for his team.</p>
<h4>Mayank Markande – Mumbai Indians</h4>
<figure id="attachment_243996" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-243996" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Mayank-Markande-5.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-243996" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mayank-Markande-5.jpg" alt="Mayank Markande" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243996" class="wp-caption-text">Mayank Markande celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The IPL has been the breeding ground for the young cricketers for over a decade now. Every year, several new faces come to the limelight and end up becoming overnight heroes. This season, it has been Mayank Markande, who has emerged as the highlight of the season. Markande made his debut for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018. In his very first game, the season opener, he bagged the big wicket of MS Dhoni.</p>
<p>The likes of Dhoni and Rayudu failed to pick up his googly as he finished with figures of 3/23 in the match against Chennai Super Kings. In the next match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he bettered his numbers with 4/23 to his name in Hyderabad. Again, he got a big wicket in the form of Shikhar Dhawan on the night.</p>
<h4>Siddarth Kaul – Sunrisers Hyderabad</h4>
<figure id="attachment_238554" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238554" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Siddarth-Kaul-wicket-celebration.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-238554" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Siddarth-Kaul-wicket-celebration.jpg" alt="Siddarth Kaul" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238554" class="wp-caption-text">Siddarth Kaul celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Siddarth Kaul has emerged as the most successful Indian pacer in the first half of IPL 2018. Kaul has bagged 9 wickets in the 7 matches played thus far and is number three in the list of leading wicket takers of the season. Kaul has largely played under the shadows of Bhuvneshwar Kumar over the years.</p>
<p>This season, he has looked like a force himself who is independent enough to cause ripples in the opposition camp. In the match against the Rajasthan Royals, Kaul had launched a flurry of bouncers that took the batsmen by surprise.&nbsp;He has been bowling highly economical spells.</p>
<h4>Umesh Yadav – Royal Challengers Bangalore</h4>
<figure id="attachment_239883" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-239883" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Umesh-Yadav.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-239883" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Umesh-Yadav.jpg" alt="Umesh Yadav" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-239883" class="wp-caption-text">Umesh Yadav of RCB celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Umesh Yadav has made a serious reputation for himself in the IPL this year. He has been unplayable at times with the new ball in hand. No wonder why RCB skipper Virat Kohli does not shy away from letting Umesh bowl all his four overs on a trot with the new cherry.</p>
<p>In the match against Kings XI Punjab, Umesh scalped three wickets in the same over dismissing Mayank Agarwal, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-debutant-avesh-khan-stuns-aaron-finch-with-a-148-7-kmph-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Aaron Finch</strong></a> and Yuvraj Singh with his sheer pace. In the match against the Mumbai Indians, he took two wickets on the first two balls of the match to push MI on the backfoot on the day.</p>
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<p>The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League has reached the half way stage of the tournament. In the first half of the season, IPL has given some exciting matches with thrilling finished. The performance quota has not been short at any level when it comes to the individual brilliance. Some new faces have made an impact in the season already, and at the same time, there have been some old horses who have come to the rescue of their sides.</p>
<p>Then, there have been players like Ambati Rayudu, who have reinstated their claims as top cricketers of the country. While most of the limelight and the talks have always been about the overseas players, very little do the people and the media notice the contributions made by the native talent.</p>
<p>Truth be told, in this season of the IPL, the Indian players have dominated the season more than the overseas recruits. Here we take a look at such Indian superstars who have taken the center stage in the tournament this year. They were extremely successful for their respective sides in the first half of the season. Now, their teams will hope that they continue to impress in the second half of the season as well.</p>
<h3>Here is a look at the Best Indian XI of the first half of IPL 2018:</h3>
<h4>Ambati Rayudu &#8211; Chennai Super Kings</h4>
<figure id="attachment_244474" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244474" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Ambati-Rayudu-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244474" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ambati-Rayudu-1.jpg" alt="Ambati Rayudu" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244474" class="wp-caption-text">Ambati Rayudu plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Ambati Rayudu has been in sublime form this season. At the beginning of the tournament, Rayudu was asked to open for the Chennai Super Kings. He responded well by doing so. Midway through the season, he found himself in the middle-order and he responded with the bat there as well.</p>
<p>At the half way stage in the tournament, Rayudu heads the list of top scorers in the tournament and proudly wears the Orange Cap. He has scored 329 runs in the 7 matches played thus far. He had scored a whirlwind 79 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad but his best came <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ambati-rayudu-reveals-ms-dhonis-mindset-in-the-rcb-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>against the Royal Challengers Bangalore</strong></a> when he hit 82 to anchor CSK&#8217;s chase of 205.</p>
<h4>KL Rahul &#8211; Kings XI Punjab</h4>
<figure id="attachment_238135" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238135" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/KL-Rahul-fifty.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-238135" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/KL-Rahul-fifty.jpg" alt="KL Rahul News" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238135" class="wp-caption-text">KL Rahul celebrates his fifty. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>KL Rahul has been in a sensational form in the season this year. Rahul introduced himself in fine fashion in the tournament. He made his debut for the Kings XI Punjab and slammed a 14-ball fifty against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the very first game of the season. This stands as the fastest fifty in the history of the IPL. Rahul backed up his good performance with a string of good starts in the matches that followed.</p>
<p>Along with Chris Gayle, he has been a formidable part of the KXIP opening roster in the season. Another top knock that came from his bat was against the Kolkata Knight Riders. He slammed a quick 60 in the match to anchor the chase for his side. Currently, he has 268 runs in his kitty in the 7 matches played thus far.</p>
<h4>Suryakumar Yadav &#8211; Mumbai Indians</h4>
<figure id="attachment_240160" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-240160" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Suryakumar-Yadav.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-240160" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Suryakumar-Yadav.jpg" alt="Suryakumar Yadav" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-240160" class="wp-caption-text">Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Mumbai Indians have had a dismal run in the season. They have won only two matches in the first half of the season. There seem to be very few positives for them in the tournament and one of them is Suryakumar Yadav. Yadav, who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season, has been excelling in the role of the opener in the MI camp.</p>
<p>Currently, he is at the number three spot in the list of top scorers of the season. He has aggregated 274 runs in 7 matches played thus far. He averages almost 40 with the bat. In his first game as the MI opener, he hit a fifty against the Delhi Daredevils. He came up with an even better show against the Rajasthan Royals as he scored 72 in Jaipur, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-match-21-rr-vs-mi-review-gowthams-heroics-help-royals-clinch-thriller-mi-left-heartbroken-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>albeit in a losing cause</strong></a>.</p>
<h4>Virat Kohli &#8211; Royal Challengers Bangalore</h4>
<figure id="attachment_241397" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-241397" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Virat-Kohli-7.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-241397" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-7.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241397" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of RCB plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper, Virat Kohli, has been very unfortunate this season. Despite having played brilliantly, he has often seen his side end up on the losing front. On the personal note, Kohli has been playing decently well. He is among the top 10 run scorers of the season and had briefly held the Orange Cap as well.</p>
<p>Kohli was sensational in the game against Rajasthan Royals where he hammered a quick 57 in the run chase. He was unfortunate to see his side lost the game. A similar situation beckoned again in the match against the Mumbai Indians. Chasing 213 for the win, Kohli was left stranded on unbeaten 92 as his team lost the match.</p>
<h4>Shreyas Iyer &#8211; Delhi Daredevils</h4>
<figure id="attachment_245362" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-245362" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Shreyas-Iyer-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-245362" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shreyas-Iyer-2.jpg" alt="Shreyas Iyer" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-245362" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Daredevils&#8217; Shreyas Iyer in action. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Shreyas Iyer had a very mild start to his campaign in the IPL 2018. Iyer started off very slowly and looked out of form in the early part of the season. During the game against MI, he stayed at the crease to play the second fiddle for Jason Roy in a big run chase.</p>
<p>Later, in the game against Kings XI Punjab, Iyer singlehandedly took his side within striking distance of a win with a gutsy 57. He was dismissed on the last ball of the match. More recently, in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders,<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stats-dd-skipper-iyer-punishes-shivam-mavi-collects-29-runs-in-a-over-to-make-it-most-expensive-in-the-2018-ipl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Iyer hammered an unbeaten 93 off just 40 deliveries</strong></a> to give his side their second win of the season. Interestingly, it was the captaincy debut for Iyer in the IPL.</p>
<h4>Sanju Samson &#8211; Rajasthan Royals</h4>
<figure id="attachment_243269" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-243269" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Sanju-Samson-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-243269" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sanju-Samson-1.jpg" alt="Sanju Samson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243269" class="wp-caption-text">Sanju Samson of RR celebrates his fifty. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Sanju Samson has been the most successful batsman from the Rajasthan Royals camp in the IPL this year. Samson made a very good start to the season with a fighting 49 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a losing cause. He backed it up with a good 37 against the Delhi Daredevils that fetched him the Player of the Match award as well.</p>
<p>His <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-ben-laughlin-draws-comparison-sanju-samson-don-bradman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>best came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore</strong></a> in Bengaluru where he hit an unbeaen 92 to put his team in a commanding position. In the most recent game against the Mumbai Indians, Samson played another good knock of 52 runs. He has amassed 239 runs in 6 matches at an average of 47.80 in the season thus far.</p>
<h4>Nitish Rana &#8211; Kolkata Knight Riders</h4>
<figure id="attachment_241023" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-241023" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Nitish-Rana-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-241023" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Nitish-Rana-3.jpg" alt="Nitish Rana" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241023" class="wp-caption-text">Nitish Rana of Kolkata Knight Riders in action. (Photo by: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Nitish Rana has been the dark horse of the Kolkata Knight Riders camp this season. Rana came as a surprise for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their very first game of IPL 2018. He stunned AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli with the ball to take their wickets on two successive deliveries.</p>
<p>He enjoyed similar success with the ball against the Rajasthan Royals as well. He dismissed D Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane in the match. With the bat, he has been in a fine form. Rana hit a match winning 59 against the Delhi Daredevils in Kolkata. He also played a handy knock of unbeaten 35 in the game against the Royals in Jaipur.</p>
<h4>MS Dhoni (c) &#8211; Chennai Super Kings</h4>
<figure id="attachment_244503" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244503" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244503" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244503" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings&#8217; MS Dhoni in action. (Photo by IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The fans have been thrilled to see the vintage MS Dhoni in action this year. Dhoni has played a couple of brilliant knocks in the first half of IPL 2018. While he failed to take his side over the line in one game, he managed to pull off a scorching win in the second. Dhoni has hammmered 235 runs at an average of almost 59 in the season. For the ones who believe that he has been slow, Dhoni has batted with a strike rate of 160 thus far.</p>
<p>Dhoni had played a knock of unbeaten 79 in the match against the Kings XI Punjab. His side fell short by just 4 runs despite a last ball six from Dhoni. Dhoni got an opportunity to finisht a game again. And he managed to do so by slamming 70 off just 34 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Yet again, he <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-still-a-player-to-watch-out-for-says-former-windies-legend-viv-richards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>finished things off in style</strong></a> for his team.</p>
<h4>Mayank Markande &#8211; Mumbai Indians</h4>
<figure id="attachment_243996" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-243996" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Mayank-Markande-5.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-243996" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mayank-Markande-5.jpg" alt="Mayank Markande" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243996" class="wp-caption-text">Mayank Markande celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The IPL has been the breeding ground for the young cricketers for over a decade now. Every year, several new faces come to the limelight and end up becoming overnight heroes. This season, it has been Mayank Markande, who has emerged as the highlight of the season. Markande made his debut for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018. In his very first game, the season opener, he bagged the big wicket of MS Dhoni.</p>
<p>The likes of Dhoni and Rayudu failed to pick up his googly as he finished with figures of 3/23 in the match against Chennai Super Kings. In the next match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he bettered his numbers with 4/23 to his name in Hyderabad. Again, he got a big wicket in the form of Shikhar Dhawan on the night.</p>
<h4>Siddarth Kaul &#8211; Sunrisers Hyderabad</h4>
<figure id="attachment_238554" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238554" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Siddarth-Kaul-wicket-celebration.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-238554" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Siddarth-Kaul-wicket-celebration.jpg" alt="Siddarth Kaul" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238554" class="wp-caption-text">Siddarth Kaul celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Siddarth Kaul has emerged as the most successful Indian pacer in the first half of IPL 2018. Kaul has bagged 9 wickets in the 7 matches played thus far and is number three in the list of leading wicket takers of the season. Kaul has largely played under the shadows of Bhuvneshwar Kumar over the years.</p>
<p>This season, he has looked like a force himself who is independent enough to cause ripples in the opposition camp. In the match against the Rajasthan Royals, Kaul had launched a flurry of bouncers that took the batsmen by surprise. He has been bowling highly economical spells.</p>
<h4>Umesh Yadav &#8211; Royal Challengers Bangalore</h4>
<figure id="attachment_239883" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-239883" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Umesh-Yadav.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-239883" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Umesh-Yadav.jpg" alt="Umesh Yadav" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-239883" class="wp-caption-text">Umesh Yadav of RCB celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Umesh Yadav has made a serious reputation for himself in the IPL this year. He has been unplayable at times with the new ball in hand. No wonder why RCB skipper Virat Kohli does not shy away from letting Umesh bowl all his four overs on a trot with the new cherry.</p>
<p>In the match against Kings XI Punjab, Umesh scalped three wickets in the same over dismissing Mayank Agarwal, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-debutant-avesh-khan-stuns-aaron-finch-with-a-148-7-kmph-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Aaron Finch</strong></a> and Yuvraj Singh with his sheer pace. In the match against the Mumbai Indians, he took two wickets on the first two balls of the match to push MI on the backfoot on the day.</p>
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Here are the top performers of the first half of IPL 2018.

IPL 2018, Mid-Season Review - Best Indian XI of the season

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League has reached the half way stage of the tournament. In the first half of the season, IPL has given some exciting