IPL 2021: Best XI of the first week in the UAE leg of the tournament

We’re already into the second week of the second phase of our beloved Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. There have been a lot of close contests in such a short span of time. Like every season, it gets hard to predict which team will come on top as each and every team looks strong on paper.

While teams like the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) have been absolutely magnificent, teams like the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have struggled.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been the surprise package of the second phase of IPL 2021 so far. However, all these teams consist of players who have performed well for them and have helped their team do well.

In just a week, we have seen several outstanding performances by various players. However, if we were to make a playing XI consisting of the best players from the first half of IPL 2021, then a few of the players would only make the cut.

In the article, let’s take a look at the best XI of the first phase of IPL 2021

1) Venkatesh Iyer

The player who’s name hadn’t been heard until last week has featured on this list. This shows how impactful the KKR opener has been for his team. The youngster made his IPL debut against RCB in the second match of the second half of this season.

Venkatesh Iyer caught everyone’s attention when he was hitting all the bowlers for fun. He went on to score 41 in just the 27 deliveries. He backed it up with an amazing 53 against the defending champions in his second match.

After an unfortunate failure against the Super Kings, he made it up with an amazing display of bowling in his fourth match against DC. Turns out he is a handy bowler as well.