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

MS Dhoni (c) – Chennai Super Kings

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 finished things off in style for his team.

Mayank Markande – Mumbai Indians

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.