IPL 2018: World XI that can beat CSK

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK), statistically, have been the most dangerous side in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They have qualified for the top-four on every other time ever since the inception of the event back in 2008. They came back from a two-year suspension period and marked their return with their third title victory, equalling the Mumbai Indians (MI). They retained MS Dhoni as their leader which wasn’t a surprise. The decision didn’t backfire one bit as the Jharkhand-born player led his team with sheer authority and never let any complacency sneak into the team. Most teams strained to get the better of the Yellow Army. In our article, we have put forth the best XI from the World that can overhaul the might of the Super Kings. #1 KL Rahul KL Rahul of Kings XI Punjab in action. (Photo by IANS) KL Rahul has strained to cement his place in the national team owing to inconsistent performances. The cricketer recently opened the batting for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and made a statement surrounding his performance in limited overs cricket. With 659 runs in 14 matches at a stupendous average of 54.91, he was undoubtedly Punjab’s mainstay in the lineup, sometimes a lone warrior too. Most importantly, he amassed the runs at a strike-rate of 158.41, which put the bowlers under a whole lot of pressure. The 26-year old has duly been rewarded with a berth in the Indian ODI and T20I squad for their tour of England. Rahul is presently at the top of his game and has the potential to decimate the best of bowling attacks. Most importantly, he employs a matured approach while batting. #2 Sunil Narine Kolkata Knight Riders’ Sunil Narine in action. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Sunil Narine was crowned as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in this season’s tournament and rightly so. He was phenomenal for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with both bat and ball. He helped KKR rack up massive scores inside the field restrictions and pushed the opponents on the back foot with his unflinching style of batsmanship. He scored 357 runs at a superlative strike rate of 189.89. He also notched a couple of quick-fire fifties versus RCB and Punjab. The Trinidadian wasn’t at his very best with the leather, yet he was KKR’s most reliable bowlers. He snapped 17 wickets at an economy of 7.65, which is considered reasonable for a spinner if not tremendous. Despite undergoing changes in his bowling action, Narine is still a force to reckon with in the shortest format. #3 Kane Williamson (capt) Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Kane Williamson in action. (Photo by IANS) Kane Williamson replaced David Warner as the skipper of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and did a commendable job in his very first stint. Filling in the Aussies’ shoes wasn’t a cakewalk, but the Black Cap stood tall to the task and guided his team with dignity. He racked up 735 runs in 17 matches at an incredible average of 52.50 and hardly let his team down. Moreover, he was the leading run scorer in the event. Also, he hit 8 half-centuries, which was the highest by any batsmen in the event. He showed no signs of nervousness and turned out to be an exemplary figure for the team. He doesn’t have the power-hitting potential, but his strike-rate features in the top bracket and most importantly, it met the requirements of the team. #4 Virat Kohli Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Virat Kohli celebrates his half-century. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Virat Kohli is arguably one of the best cricketers of the current generation. He has had a bittersweet experience as a cricketer. He was the skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and couldn’t get his team into the playoffs. However, his potential with the willow can’t be undermined as from that front he tried his heart out for the franchise. The Delhi-born cricketer scored 530 runs at an average of 48.18, which are pretty common numbers for the Indian captain. He also had four half-centuries to his name. Over the time period, he has developed himself into a batsman who can get runs at any stage of a contest. Without a shred of doubt, it can be said he is among the versatile cricketers the cricket world has ever seen. #5 Shakib Al Hasan Shakib Al Hasan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Shakib Al Hasan has been one of Bangladesh’s most potent cricketers over the years. Also, he has also been ranked number one in the ICC rankings for all-rounders. He represented the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and was one of their four players to play all their 17 matches till the Grand Finale versus CSK. The Magura-born cricketer was effective in all departments and hardly disappointed. He mostly batted in the middle order and managed to rack 239 runs at an average of 21.72. Albeit Shakib was a tad erratic, he was able to serve his team effectively with the bat in hand. His wily left-arm orthodox bowling earned him 14 wickets in the event. The 31-year old is in good enough form to find a place in any limited overs team, bearing in mind the impact he can make. #6 Jos Buttler (wk) Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler celebrates his half-century. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Jos Buttler recently equalled Virender Sehwag’s IPL record of most number of consecutive half-centuries (5). He represented the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and was a stalwart for them in the batting lineup. At one phase of this year’s IPL’s round-robin phase, the Royals found themselves in dire straits, but Buttler’s brilliance with the bat ensured that they kept winning matches and eventually qualify for the playoffs. The wicket-keeper batsman was also on the verge of breaking Jacques Kallis’ record of four IPL Player of the Match Awards on the trot, but he couldn’t. The 27-year left India for national duties and the effect was somewhat seen in RR’s batting lineup, which couldn’t deliver in the Eliminator versus Kolkata at the iconic Eden Gardens. His absence was felt as Rajasthan slumped in their run-chase. #7 Andre Russell Andre Russell plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter) Andre Russell announced himself in the tournament with a whirlwind knock of 88 runs versus CSK, which put the skids under their bowling lineup. KKR couldn’t accomplish a victory, but the Jamaican turned out to be a matter of concern for the bowlers in the rest of the tournament. He brought forth his brute force whenever the Men in Gold and Purple required his service. With the ball, he wasn’t quite effective in the first half of the league stage and also went for quite a few runs. However, as the tournament progressed he found his rhythm and snared quite a few important wickets for his teams. In 16 matches, Russell scored 316 runs at a mammoth strike-rate of 184.79 to ago with 13 wickets, most of which came in the latter half of the tournament. #8 Imad Wasim Pakistan’s Imad Wasim. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) Imad Wasim is one of Pakistan’s most talented all-round cricketers. Last year, he was also crowned as the ICC’s number one ranked T20I bowler. His bowling records in overall T20s are jaw-dropping, to say the least. In 109 T20s, he has 97 wickets to his name at an economy of 6.34, which is outstanding for a left-arm spinner. His numbers in international T20s are also excellent. He has 27 wickets in 25 matches at an economy rate as low as 6.07. Wasim is also a handy lower-order batsman who can find the boundary in the hour of need. He played for the Karachi Kings in the 2018 Pakistan Super League and bowled with accuracy. Though he couldn’t garner a lot of wickets, but ensured that he restricts the batsmen from taking him on. #9 Rashid Khan Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Rashid Khan is presently one of the deadliest spinners going around in world cricket. He is 19 years old and a tender age, he has already scaled heights. He has been one of the hottest picks in T20 events around the globe and deservingly so. The teenager played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in this edition’s IPL and was their most successful bowler throughout the tournament. The Nangarhar-born tweaker notched 21 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 6.73. He was taken for runs in a couple of matches, but apart from that, he brought forth his A-game on most occasions. His fast wrong’uns skidded off the surface and turned out to be a tough prospect for opposition batsmen. During the closing stages of the event, his batting skills also left everyone awestruck. #10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar in action. (Photo by Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s immaculate line and lengths along with his prowess to move the leather are his primary weapons as a medium pacer. He has made optimum utilisation of his abilities and is one of India’s most dependable bowlers at any stage of the match in limited overs cricket. He suffered a back-injury owing to which he was rested for a few matches. Nevertheless, he contributed to the best of his abilities in the remainder of the encounters. Even in the Final, he bowled a maiden over to Shane Watson, who scored 117 runs that night at the Wankhede. He managed 9 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 7.66, which can be considered a wee bit on the higher side considering his economy of 6.74 in T20Is for India. #11 Trent Boult Trent Boult of Delhi Daredevils. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Trent Boult was one of the bright spots in Delhi Daredevils’ (DD) shambolic campaign in the IPL. With 18 wickets from 14 matches, he was effortlessly, Delhi’s most successful bowler. He leaked runs at an economy of nearly nine but also ensured that his wickets column doesn’t remain empty. DD’s bowling was found wanting on numerous times and Boult put his hand up to rescue his team. Nevertheless, there was hardly any support from the other end and hence the team was hardly able to build pressure on the batsmen. He has 98 wickets from 88 T20s and is currently New Zealand’s premier bowler in all three formats of the popular sport.

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