IPL 2020: Best XI from the retained players

On November 15, all the eight IPL franchises announced the names of the players they retained as well as released. In both categories, there have been quite a few surprises. Teams have let go high-quality players like Chris Lynn, Dale Steyn and Shakib Al Hasan. But clearly, all the eight sides have tried to retain their core and stick to their strengths.

For instance, CSK didn’t mind going ahead once again with the dad’s army. The RCB, despite realizing the most number of players, managed to back some of the underperformers. SRH and MI retained most of their best performers. There are some new faces in RR, DC and KXIP after all the trades. KKR surprised many by releasing a couple of its important players. Nevertheless, most of the teams look more or less the same in terms of their core players.

Here is what the Best XI could be from these retained players:

1. David Warner

Ever since they signed him in 2014, David Warner has been the face of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). His consistency levels in the last five years have been at an all different level. The left-hander has been one of the most prolific performers with the bat and seems determined to get a big score every time he walks out to bat.

He has always been in the contention for the Orange Cap and has also won it on three occasions with the SRH. On his return to the league in 2019, he scored 692 runs – the most even though he played fewer games than others. Warner could have easily been in contention for the all-time highest run-scorers in the league had he not missed the 2018 IPL season.

Nevertheless, he is still the fourth-highest run-getter in the history of the league. Compared to everyone else in the top-5, the Australia cricketer played at least 30 games less and still to be there is extraordinary. It is only just to include him this Best XI and he’d easily make it to many other IPL XIs as well.

2. Rohit Sharma

Right from the start since the Deccan Chargers signed him, Rohit Sharma showed the signs of immense talent. But it is that so-called lazy approach towards the game that cost him dearly. However, since he moved to the Mumbai Indians (MI), he has been a completely different player.

He has established himself as an important part of the side first. Then, he went on to lead them to their first title triumph. On the batting front, he has always tried to lead them from the front and oftentimes was quite flexible with his batting position as well.

Rohit Sharma managed to lead the Mumbai Indians to the championship on four occasions. He is the only player to have been in the winning squad for five teams. Rohit is one of the most elegantly destructive openers ever and will be on the course to get to 5,000 IPL runs in 2020.

3. KL Rahul

It is a pity that KL Rahul can’t open the innings in this Best XI. Irrespective of his performances at the highest level for India, IPL has always been his forte. The Karnataka cricketer didn’t get an opportunity to showcase his complete talent when he was with the RCB earlier since he had to bat lower down the order.

But for the Kings XI Punjab, KL Rahul has been one of the most important players. He has single-handedly won them games in the last two seasons. In 2018 and 2019, he mustered 659 and 593 runs respectively at an impeccable consistency level.

Rahul will hope that he gets more players who can back his efforts in the next season. In this team, he will have to bat at either number three or four depending upon the situation of the game. Even at these positions, he can do quite well given the talent that he possesses.

4. Virat Kohli

Unlike the RCB scenario where he mostly opens the innings or bats at number three, Virat Kohli has got to be slightly flexible in this side. His role in this Best XI would be similar to what he does for Team India. Kohli can easily bat at any position and make an impact.

Although the current Indian captain was good in the initial few IPL seasons, the 2016 season was a complete revelation for him. The man who was known to play most of his shots on the ground and play risk-free upped his power game in that season. He set the standards on a whole new level and scored nearly 1,000 runs in that season alone.

Virat Kohli, clearly, will have lesser pressure while playing for this team since he is sandwiched by terrific players. Thus, he can express himself and play his mindblowing shots. Moreover, without captaincy, he would be relieved of the additional burden in this team.

5. MS Dhoni (c)(wk)

It is always a tricky spot while picking the keeper for the Best IPL XI. If one goes for an overseas option, that would upset the balance of the side. Amongst the Indians, MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant are the frontrunners. In the IPL, Rishabh has been terrific with the bat in the last couple of seasons and deserves a spot in this side.

However, MS Dhoni comes as a more complete package. Even at this stage of his career, he is the best option behind the stumps. With the bat, he has been brilliant for CSK in the last couple of seasons. Batting higher up the order, he has taken more responsibility and has had the freedom to take additional risks which he wouldn’t have done while playing for India keeping the side compositions in mind.

Even in this team, MS Dhoni will have the same kind of freedom. There are some great players who will come after him and thus he can go for the big hits whenever there is a chance. Also, he will be the captain of this team as he is one of the best ever in the IPL. Irrespective of the resources that he has, Dhoni knows how to make the best use.

6. Andre Russell

At this point in time, who wouldn’t fancy having Andre Russell in their team? Early in his career, he was known to be a big hitter and a game-changer. However, consistency was a huge issue for him back then and he failed to pick the right balls to hit out of the park.

But in the last couple of years, he seemed a much more matured player and has taken responsibility for his team – Kolkata Knight Riders. He has often taken pride in helping his team get over the line. Moreover, he showed interest in batting higher up the order and making an impact of his team.

While that might not be possible in this Best XI, he can still be used as a floater in this side. Also, if the fitness levels permit, Russell is easily capable of delivering four overs in a game. Thus, he is a great package to have and must be in this side.

7. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya might have been out of the Indian team for quite a while now due to his fitness issues. But no one can forget his exploits with the bat in IPL 2019. The Indian all-rounder has upped his game with the willow and left everyone on the edge of their seats with his ability.

He is another one of those players who can hit big shots right from the first ball. In the 2019 season, he accumulated 402 runs at a strike rate of 191.42 and also picked up 14 wickets. Apart from this, he is a live wire on the field and can do a great job at any position.

In this Best XI, Hardik Pandya will be the finisher given that Russell will be used as a floater. He adds great flexibility to the side and gives the captain an additional option given his ability with the ball. Thus, he is a great asset to have in the team.

8. Deepak Chahar

Many of you might have rooted for someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar in this side. However, the last couple of seasons haven’t been the best for Bhuvi and he has had to deal with several injuries. This clearly impacted his performance. Deepak Chahar, on the other hand, has grown from strength to strength.

With immense backing from the CSK and MS Dhoni, he has managed to establish himself as one of the most premier bowlers in the country at the moment. The pacer was always considered to be a great bowler with the new ball in the powerplay. But he has managed to get better at the death as well and showcased his talent in the recent T20I against Bangladesh where he even picked a hattrick.

In 2019, Deepak Chahar was amongst the leading wicket-takers with 22 scalps to his name. He can swing the ball both the ways and has developed some good variations. Given the diversity in this line-up, he can even be used to bowl four overs straight at the start of the innings.

9. Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada, right since he made his debut for South Africa, has made quite an impression. He is currently the leader of the attack for the Proteas and is terrific at any stage of a game, irrespective of the format. However, he had very few opportunities in the IPL.

In 2017, he could just play six games and missed out the entire 2018 season due to an injury. 2019 was the first time when he got to feature almost in the entire tournament despite a back issue. Clearly, he made his mark and was the best pacer in the season.

He picked up a whopping 25 scalps in just 12 games which is a fabulous effort. Kagiso Rabada can hurry the batsmen with the pace that he bowls and even swings the new ball a great deal. Towards the end of the innings, he is also capable of nailing the yorkers and executing various other variations.

10. Imran Tahir

This is another tricky option as there are some great wrist-spin options in almost every franchise. The likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Chahar have been quite impressive. But clearly, the front runners for this spot are South Africa’s Imran Tahir and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.

Either of these players can go a great job in this Best XI. However, sides have been very cautious against Rashid Khan and have often tried to deny him the wickets. On the other hand, Imran Tahir has not only been economical in IPL 2019 but also finished as the Purple Cap winner.

In 17 games, he picked up 26 wickets and even bowled some of the toughest overs for CSK. Rashid Khan, on the other hand, got 17 wickets in 15 games. It is quite a touch and go situation between these two players and but only one can be picked.

11. Jasprit Bumrah

No prizes for guessing the last man in this Best XI. Undoubtedly, it has got to be Jasprit Bumrah who has been one of the best in the business in the last two or three seasons. In fact, Bumrah has been the best in the world and has excelled everywhere irrespective of the conditions.

No matter how good a batsman is, Jasprit has always tried to be a couple of steps ahead and has been quite successful at this as well. He is someone who is capable of bowling six yorkers in an over and executes his skill to perfection. In the company of Lasith Malinga at the Mumbai Indians, he managed to evolve his game a great deal.

Bumrah learnt many trades from the master himself and understood how to make the best use of his variations. Moreover, his unorthodox bowling action makes life even more difficult for the batsmen. It gets quite difficult to pick him from the hand which is one of his biggest strengths.