IPL 2020: Best XI of KXIP, KKR, RR and DC for the All Stars Game

A one-off all-star charity match will precede the opening game of the tournament and will be played three days ahead of the season opener. If the recent reports are considered, the teams are likely to be formed by combining players from the franchises located in the North and East of India: Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, and Kolkata Knight Riders- and franchises in the South and West: Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

So, what does the grouping of these franchises mean? It means that by combining the West and the South zone, fans might be able to see the likes of Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga playing for the same team.

Similarly, from the other team consisting of cricketers from the north and east franchises, we might see the likes of Andre Russell, Rishabh Pant, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Jofra Archer playing in the same team.

One of the teams in the match will comprise of players from franchises of the South and West- namely Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The other team will have names from the North and East- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Delhi Capitals (DC). While the team for the latter will be a power-packed one, choosing a captain may not be an easy task owing to the presence of many leaders in their squad and also potential leaders. But the prospect of putting together a team for these four franchises will be what fans will be eagerly looking forward to.

Here’s looking at the best X1 from the North & East zone that could feature in the All Stars game:

1. Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab)

Gayle will be another opener for Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming season and he is an obvious choice. This could be the last season for the 40-year-old  Carrebiean batsman in the Indian Premier League(IPL) and he will be eager to bid adieu by ending his stint on a high note. There is no doubt over Chris Gayle, who is arguably the best opener in the world when it comes the shorter format of the game.

He was bought by KXIP at a bargain price of INR 2 crores in 2018 auction in the third round. It looked like a gamble that the think tank played by roping Gayle but it has been one of the wisest decisions taken by KXIP. As an opener, he has muscled 858 runs in his 24 appearances for the Punjab based franchise. Moreover, his form will play a major role if Kings are planning to shot down their maiden IPL trophy in the upcoming season.

The flamboyant KL Rahul will open the innings alongside Chris Gayle in the upcoming season. Both the batsmen are highly experienced in the T20 format and are capable of playing the big shots right from ball one. The team’s fortunes in the batting department will be heavily dependent on the performances of these two players at the top of the order. Gayle’s fitness will determine the number of matches he plays in the tournament.