Aakash Chopra chooses IPL XI vs PSL XI; picks the winner

Soon after the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded, the playoff leg of the fifth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) took place. PSL had to be stopped abruptly in March this year due to COVID-19 outbreak across the world and there were several speculations over this edition taking place again. But the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) managed to assemble the players in a bio-bubble and successfully organised the tournament.

With IPL and PSL getting over in a space of a week, the fans and experts have once started to compare both the competitions. Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has now prepared the best XI from both IPL and PSL and compared them on a player-by-player basis to pick the winner between the two teams. However, he also acknowledges the fact that a match between the best XIs of two tournaments will never happen.

Having picked the Best IPL XI of the 2020 season, Chopra proceeded to pick the same for PSL and undoubtedly, the first name on his sheet was Pakistan skipper Babar Azam who played a brilliant knock in the final to help Karachi Kings win the tournament. The likes of Fakhar Zaman, Alex Hales, Mohammad Hafeez and Ben Dunk followed in the line-up while Imad Wasim and David Wiese made it to the team as all-rounders.

When it comes to Pakistan, the pacers dominate and country’s three exceptional fast bowlers made it to Aakash Chopra’s XI. Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Afridi were part of his team while Imran Tahir was the lone specialist spinner with Imad’s potent left-arm spin option also available.

IPL XI’s bowling attack makes the difference

After making the best XI of PSL 2020, Aakash Chopra then analysed both the sides player by player and according to him, it all looked balanced. While AB de Villiers and Shikhar Dhawan trumped Mohammad Hafeez and Fakhar Zaman, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tewatia lost a close battle to Ben Dunk and Imad Wasim. However, when it came to bowling, the 43-year-old felt IPL’s XI made the difference based on its quality.

The trio of Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada can rip apart any pace bowling attack and this is where the PSL XI lost to IPL XI according to him. To make things worse for the opposition, Rashid Khan as the leggie is a pretty dangerous customer even though the PSL team had Imran Tahir who is also a number one T20 bowler.

But on the virtue of a strong pace attack, Aakash Chopra felt that the best XI of IPL 2020 will defeat PSL 2020 XI if the match between them takes place.

Aakash Chopra’s IPL 2020 Best XI: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada.

Aakash Chopra’s PSL 2020 Best XI: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Alex Hales, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, Imad Wasim, David Wiese, Imran Tahir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Shaheen Afridi