Best XI of the MCL 2016

The inaugural edition of the Masters Champions League (MCL) came to an end after an emphatic Virender Sehwag led Gemini Arabians defeated the Leo Lions to lift the silverware. The victorious Gemini Arabians were the only unbeaten team in the tournament and were rightly crowned the champions. The tournament in itself was a huge success, but what was more exciting was the prospect of watching the superstars and legends of the game take the field again. They didn’t disappoint either. Blitzkrieg performances marked the tournament and phenomenal bowling displays were on the cards. So who have made it to the MCL XI then? Here are the top performers of the tournament the best XI of the MCL 2016: 1. Virender Sehwag (C) (Gemini Arabians): Virender Sehwag. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The skipper of the champion side Gemini Arabians led from the front in the tournament. The swashbuckling former Indian opener showed that he still can hit the long ball. With 318 runs to his name in 7 matches, Sehwag was the tournament’s second leading run scorer with an average of 53. Sehwag had the best strike rate among all the players in the elite tournament and he packed a punch with a strike rate of 183.81. His 124 off 63 balls against the Sagittarius Strikers was a phenomenal display of power hitting. Sehwag guided his side to a semi-final win against the Strikers by scoring 83 in 50 balls. He hit 18 sixes in the tournament, the most by any batsman. 2. Mahela Jayawardene (Sagittarius Strikers): Mahela Jayawardene. (Photo Source: Getty Images) If there is an ideal opening pair in the MCL XI, it would definitely be Mahela Jayawardene with Sehwag. Jayawardene was the first centurion of the tournament. Playing for the Sagittarius Strikers, he hit a classy 124 off 60 balls embedded with 9 sixes against the Libra Legends. The former Sri Lankan skipper hit 299 runs in the tournament at an average just under 50. Jayawardene was instrumental in guiding his side to the semi-finals with consistent performances. With 2 fifties and a ton, he was an absolute delight to watch at the MCL 2016. 3. Kumar Sangakkara (Gemini Arabians): Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo Source: Twitter) The most successful batsman of the tournament and the most consistent one too, Kumar Sangakkara is simply fit to play International cricket. His fans must be wondering why he retired at the first place. With 5 half centuries in 7 innings, this man needs no description. Sangakkara, who represented the victorious Gemini Arabians, was the leading run scorer of the tournament with 386 runs to his name at an average of 64.33. Having hit 34 boundaries, he was the leading boundary hitter of the tournament as well. Sangakkara’s top score came against the Libra Legends when he scored 86 off mere 43 balls, hitting 7 towering maximums. With 7 dismissals to his name, he tops the wicket keeping charts as well! 4. James Franklin (Leo Lions): James Franklin. (Photo Source: Twitter) The former Kiwi all-rounder played for the Leo Lions in the inaugural edition of the tournament. It was his unbeaten 65 on a tough batting wicket that made the difference for his side in the night of the semi-final against the Virgo Super Kings. Franklin was the tournament’s fourth leading run-getter with 220 runs to his name at an impressive average of 55. He remained not out on 3 occasions and often was the finisher for the Lions. 5. Ryan ten Doeschate (Libra Legends): Ryan ten Doeschate (Photo Source: Twitter) One of the most talented associate nations’ players to have ever played the game of cricket, Ryan ten Doeschate, played for the Libra Legends. Being the tournament’s 5th leading run-getter, ten Doeschate was purely unlucky to be in the side that could not make it to the finals. But his individual brilliance was on display throughout. He amassed 171 runs in 5 innings at an average of 42.75. He hit two half centuries in the season and had a top score of 67 that came against the Leo Lions. Ryan ten Doeschate deservedly gets a place in the middle order of the MCL XI. 6. Johan Botha (Leo Lions): Johan Botha. (Photo Source: Twitter) Johan Botha held the key for the Leo Lions with both bat and the ball. He played a vital knock of 70 against the Sagittarius Strikers in the league stages. With 163 runs in 6 innings at an average over 40, Botha provided the much-needed calmness for the Leo Lions. He also scalped 7 wickets at an average of 22 in 7 matches with the best of 2/40. Botha, being a spinner, had an impressive economy of 5.70 in the tournament. His strike rate with the ball was impressive too, a mere 23.1! 7. Kyle Jarvis (Leo Lions): Kyle Jarvis. (Photo Source: Twitter) The pacer for the Leo Lions, Kyle Jarvis was the leading wicket-taker for his side that ended up as the runner-up of the tournament. The former Zimbabwean bowler bowled with grit and pace to pick up 11 wickets in 5 matches and finish as the tournament’s third leading wicket taker. With a miserly bowling average of 13.90, Jarvis had a strike rate of 10.9. He often picked up the wicket up front and also bowled well in the death overs to make it to the MCL XI. His best came against Virgo Super Kings in the second semi-final when he picked up 3/17 in his four overs. 8. Kyle Mills (Gemini Arabians): Kyle Mills. (Photo Source: Espncricinfo) The leading wicket-taker among the pacers and the second overall in the tournament, former New Zealand pacer Kyle Mills deserves to be in the MCL XI. The spearhead of the champion team Gemini Arabians, Mills scalped 12 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 15.75 and an economy just under 8. He was the go-to man for the skipper Virender Sehwag in the death overs and he delivered on all occasions. He had the best figures of 2/13. 9. Krishmar Santokie (Sagittarius Strikers): Krishmar Santokie. (Photo Source: Twitter) Krishmar Santokie, one of the fastest bowlers in the tournament, was the joint 5th leading wicket-taker in the inaugural edition of the MCL 2016 with 10 wickets to his name. Playing for the Sagittarius Strikers in 6 matches, he picked up wickets at an average of 21.20. He has the only five-wicket haul taken in the tournament under his name. He achieved this distinction when he ripped apart the Gemini Arabians during the league stages to end up with figures of 5/30 in four overs. He was unlucky to be on the losing side then, but he surely was one of the key attractions of the tournament. 10. Muttiah Muralitharan (Gemini Arabians): Muttiah Muralitharan. (Photo Source: Twitter) The former Sri Lankan legend, Muttiah Muralitharan ended as the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 15 wickets to his name. He was a vital cog in the wheel for the Gemini Arabians that lifted the silverware. Muralitharan picked up 15 scalps in just 6 matches with the best of 4/19 against the Leo Lions. He had the best bowling average in the tournament, close to just 11! His strike rate was the most impressive among all the bowlers too at 9.6. He bowled with an economy of 6.91 which is impactful from T20 standards. 11. Malinga Bandara (Virgo Super Kings): Malinga Bandara. (Photo Source: Twitter) Malinga Bandara played a key role for the Virgo Super Kings in their run to the semi-finals. Bandara ended up as his side’s leading wicket-taker and the fifth overall with 10 wickets to his name in 6 matches. His best of 4/16 against the Capricorn Commanders was an absolutely delightful spell to witness. The former Sri Lankan spinner bowled with an economy of 6.90 and average of 15.20.

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Best XI of the MCL 2016

10. Muttiah Muralitharan (Gemini Arabians):

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