BPL 2019: The Best XI of the tournament

The sixth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was a very successful one. The Comilla Victorians managed to clinch the title for the second time with some brilliant performances. Yet again, it was a disappointing final for the Dhaka Dynamites. After winning the title in 2016-17 season, the team entered the finals in both the following seasons.

However, they failed to pass the final hurdle leading to a massive setback. Even though there weren’t many top-notch performers in the tournament, some of the renowned cricketers put up quite a show. Moreover, the league also managed to unearth some of the finest talents in domestic cricket. If dealt well, they could be soon representing the national team.

Here is the best XI of BPL 2019:

1. Alex Hales

Alex Hales had a slow start in the BPL 2019. He bagged a duck right in the first match and wasn’t picked in the eleven after a few poor shows. However, he slowly caught up with the pace of the league with some impressive performances.

His best knock of the tournament came against the Chittagong Vikings. In that game, the English cricketer took just 47 balls to register a century but was out on the next ball. Overall, he scored 304 runs in the tournament in 8 games at an average of 43. He had to miss out on the last few games due to an injury.

2. Tamim Iqbal

Tamim Iqbal had a start-stop tournament throughout. The left-hander was clearly not at his fluent best and failed to convert his starts on most of the occasions. He registered two half-centuries before the final and was just about going well.

But, when the team required the best of him in the final, he did pull off a miracle. His unbeaten 141 off 61 balls was quintessential and sheer class. He single-handedly carried the burden of the batting lineup and finished the tournament on a high. Tamim Iqbal was the second-highest run scorer in the tournament with 467 runs in 14 games.

3. Rilee Rossouw

Rilee Rossouw was another top-class overseas performer in this edition of the BPL. He maintained his consistency throughout the tournament and was an asset in the Rangpur Riders side. But with Alex Hales and AB de Villiers not available for the playoffs, it turned out to be too much of an asking for him and he failed to take his team through.

Rossouw was the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 558 runs in 13 innings at an average close to 70. He smashed five fifties in the tournament and also notched up a century in the same game when Alex Hales got there. The left-hander got to the triple digits in 51 deliveries.

4. Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim, by a fair margin, was the best Bangladeshi batsman in the tournament. Even though Tamim Iqbal might have outscored him in the final, Rahim was a brilliant act. He was hitting the ball sweetly and played some fabulous knocks.

Moreover, he shouldered an additional burden as he was also leading the Chittagong Vikings. Mushfiqur struck three fifties in the tournament and finished as the third-highest run scorer. He piled up 426 runs in 13 games at an average of 35.50.

5. Shakib Al Hasan (c)

Shakib Al Hasan led the Dhaka Dynamites beautifully in the tournament. The side had a brilliant start to the tournament before losing its way half-way through. The playoff qualification was in jeopardy and it needed someone like Shakib at the helm to instil the confidence back in the team. Thus, he will also be leading this Best XI.

The southpaw didn’t have a great time with the bat. He scored 301 runs in 15 games at an average just over 21. However, he was terrific with the ball in hand and finished as the leading wicket-taker yet again. In just as many games, Shakib accounted for 23 wickets at an average of 17.65.

6. Nicholas Pooran (wk)

It was a tough choice picking one between Nicholas Pooran and AB de Villiers. But considering the fact that the South African cricketer scored 100 of his 247 runs in just one inning, Pooran was the preferred choice. The left-hander did considerably well in the tournament and was a treat to watch.

He scored 379 runs in 11 games at an average of 47. The wicket-keeper batsman also registered three half centuries. He hit more sixes than anybody else in the BPL 2019 as he got 28 of them in 11 innings. Later on, Andre Russell did manage to catch up but it took him two innings more to hit those 28 sixes.

7. Yasir Ali

Young Yasir Ali was one of the better finds of the tournament this year. The 22-year-old represented the Chittagong Vikings and showed a lot of promise. He mostly batted in the top order and showed a lot of promise.

However, despite all the talent that he has got, he needs to work a lot on his temperament. The 22-year-old scored 307 runs in 11 games but wasted a lot of good starts. His 78 off 48 deliveries against the Rangpur Riders is one of the best innings in this edition of the BPL. Overall, he struck three fifties and could well represent Bangladesh very soon.

8. Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi is definitely not the same kind of force as he was earlier. The 38-year-old isn’t a monstrous striker of the cricket ball. Yet, he has got a lot to offer even now and he rose up to the occasion whenever his team required him.

With a brilliant 39 off 25 balls under pressure, he helped the Victorians win their first game of the season against the Sylhet Sixers. He did manage to pull off a few other good performances with the bat. But, his show with the ball in hand was highlighted more in the season. He picked up 16 wickets in 13 games at an average of about 18.

9. Mashrafe Mortaza

The ‘Narail Express’ had a great BPL 2019. He was highly accurate with the ball and delivered under pressure situations. Mashrafe Mortaza was instrumental in whatever success the Rangpur Riders had this season.

The all-rounder made the best use of whatever resources he had but would be disappointed that his team couldn’t defend the title. He was the second-highest wicket taker in the tournament with 22 scalps in 14 games at an average of 17.59. He was also effective while bowling in the mandatory powerplay.

10. Taskin Ahmed

Taskin Ahmed did everything that he could possibly do in the tournament. He was the highest wicket-taker for the Sylhet Sixers despite the team not performing well. The pacer struggled with injuries and lack of form over the last year.

After about 14 months, he was added to the Bangladesh squad for ODIs against New Zealand. However, he injured his ankle just at the closing stages of the tournament and will be out of action for four to six weeks. Ahmed picked up 22 wickets in just 12 games but the injury ended up upsetting his dreams.

11. Rubel Hossain

Picking one between Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin was another one of those difficult choices. Both of them have fared equally well in the league. Rubel, though, finds a slight edge as he managed to pick more wickets.

The 29-year-old looked to be in a great rhythm in the tournament. He picked up 22 wickets in 15 games at an average of 18.50. Saifuddin, on the other hand, accounted for 20 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 17.80.

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