IPL 10: Best Indian XI of the League Stages

It is definitely not an easy task to filter out 11 players for the Best Indian XI of the league stages. After a series of thrilling contests between the 8 participating teams, the 10th edition of the IPL has finally got the top four teams. The top four teams have managed to qualify for the playoffs which kicks off on May 16. Needless to say, the buildup to the playoffs is getting intense. But the teams have surely put in their best foot forward in making the tournament a very closely contested one. The season has seen 56 matches being rolled out and only out of those ending in a washout. There was a tied game in hand too. The qualified teams have their task cut out and still have a lot to do in the tournament. What has distinguished the qualified teams from the rest is perhaps the fact that their team combinations have clicked more often. While the team performances were many, there were many superlative individual efforts too. Most of the teams have depended on their overseas players to fire this season. But the individual brilliance from the Indian players were something that has pleased the fans the most. After all, this is what the fans watch the tournament for. IPL is known to unearth Indian talents and that has been on the display this season. Here is the Indian XI of the league stages who took the limelight this season: 1. Shikhar Dhawan – Sunrisers Hyderabad Shikhar Dhawan of Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) The swashbuckling Indian opener was expected to fire in this particular season. Coming into the tournament, he was under the radar for performing. His lackluster form in the recent times had seen him lose out his place in the Indian national side. However, the veteran southpaw got all his experience into the picture and played some superlative knocks this season. Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he was one of the key players for them this season. As has been the case for the SRH camp, they relied heavily on the services of their openers – David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan finished at the second spot in the list of Orange Cap contenders. In the 13 matches that he played, he amassed 468 runs runs with a decent average close to 40. He hit 3 fifties in the league stages with a top score of 77. 2. Rahul Tripathi – Rising Pune Supergiant Rahul Tripathi of Rising Pune Supergiants in action. (Photo: IANS) The Rising Pune Supergiant unearth one very exciting prospect this season. They had tried Mayank Agarwal in the opening slot for the first few games. But the Bangalore lad largely failed in his attempt. In walked Rahul Tripathi as his replacement and made the opening slot his own. Tripathi, at one stage in the tournament, had six consecutive scores of 30s this season. His best of 93 came against the Kolkata Knight Riders that had the cricket world drooling over his batting. In the 12 matches that he played this season, he aggregated 388 runs with an average of 32.33. In the league stages, he had 43 fours and 17 sixes to his name. He batted with a strike rate of 150 which was the key to giving flying starts to the Supergiant this season. 3. Gautam Gambhir – Kolkata Knight Riders Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: BCCI) The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir has led from the front this season. He was instrumental in taking his team to the playoffs this season. Gambhir started off opening with Chris Lynn. In the very first game, he had an unbeaten fifty to his name. He saw Lynn getting injured and batted along with Sunil Narine. Later, when Lynn came back to the side, he demoted himself in the middle-order. Amidst all this, he ensured that his personal form did not dip one bit. In the 14 matches that he played in the league stages, he amassed 454 runs at an average of 41.27. He scored as many as 4 Amidst all this, he ensured that his personal form did not dip one bit. In the 14 matches that he played in the league stages, he amassed 454 runs at an average of 41.27. He scored as many as 4 fities this season. Gambhir will be a key player for the Knight Riders in the playoffs as well. The team will be relying on his consistency to come good in the crunch knockout games. 4. Rishabh Pant – Delhi Daredevils Rishabh Pant of Delhi Daredevils in action. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Young hard-hitting batsman Rishabh Pant arrived into the tournament riding on a big reputation. He has been a proven hitter of the cricket ball. Pant showed his skills to best use this season. He had shown glimpses of his prowess in the previous edition too. This season saw him taking the center stage. He hit Umesh Yadav for 26 runs in an over in the fixture against the Knight Riders. In the match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he almost won the game for his side with a fifty. His best came in the match against the Gujarat Lions when he smashes a quick 97 off 43 balls to help DD overhaul a target of 208. In the 14 matches that he played, Pant had 366 runs to his name and batted with a strike rate of 165.61. A little more consistency from him could have done wonders for his side. 5. Suresh Raina – Gujarat Lions Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: BCCI) The Gujarat Lions had a very disappointing season this time around in the IPL. Skipper Suresh Raina would have surely been a disappointed man. For the first time in the history of the IPL, Suresh Raina will not be featuring in the playoffs. Despite this, he gets a place in the best Indian XI riding on his personal good run. He had started off on a brisk note with a good score against the Knight Riders. However, Lynn-Gambhir took it away from him. The story has been pretty much similar for him throughout the tournament. Everytime he scored a fifty, there was another player in the opposition who overpowered his knock. In the 14 matches that he played this season, Raina finished with 442 runs to his name at an average over 40. He finished as the fourth leading run getter this season. He batted with a strike rate of 143.97. 6. Manish Pandey – Kolkata Knight Riders Manish Pandey. (Photo Source: BCCI) Well, many might wonder how did Manish Pandey find a place in the Best Indian XI of the league stages. Not many noticed that Pandey has been the silent performer for the Kolkata Knight Riders this season. The crowds went gaga over the heroics of Lynn and Narine. But truth be told, it was a very consistent showing from Manish Pandey this season. Batting along with Robin Uthappa, he came up with consistent performances this season. In the 14 matches that he played, he came up with 396 runs at an average of almost 50. He has two fifties to his name with a best of unbeaten 81. Pandey was at his fluent best with strike rate of 128.57 this season. 7. Pawan Negi – Royal Challengers Bangalore Pawan Negi of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a shot. (Photo: IANS) Indian all-rounder Pawan Negi had drawn a lot of criticism in the previous edition of the tournament. After he was picked up for a big price in the IPL auctions by Delhi Daredevils last season, his performances were nowhere close to justifying the price tag. This year, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The all-rounder from Delhi had a point to prove this season. He did not get a lot of opportunities with the bat nor did his team manage to make it to the playoffs. However, he was one of the most consistent wicket takers for the RCB camp this season. He finished the league stages as the 8th leading wicket taker. In the 12 matches that he played, he returned with 16 wickets to his name with a best of 3/10 that came against the Delhi Daredevils in the last league game. He was the most economical bowler in the league stages with an economy of 6.12. 8. Sandeep Sharma – Kings XI Punjab Kings XI Punjab player Sandeep Sharma celebrates fall of Virat Kohli’s wicket. (Photo: IANS) Sandeep Sharma needs no introduction when it comes to the Kings XI Punjab bowling lineup. Sandeep bagged two consecutive Player of the Match awards this season. Sharma was instrumental in bundling out Delhi Daredevils for a paltry 67 as he scalped a 4 wicket haul. In the very next game, he became the first bowler to dismiss the power trio of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Virat Kohli in the same innings. Sharma finished as the 6th leading wicket taker in the league stages. He finished with 17 wickets to his name in 13 matches and had an economy of over 8. He averaged 16.94 with the ball and had the best of 4/20 to his name. With his swing going both inwards and outwards, it was not easy to negotiate with Sandeep Sharma in the powerplay overs this season. 9. Siddharth Kaul – Sunrisers Hyderabad Siddarth Kaul of Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Siddharth Kaul has been the most impressive young Indian bowler this season. Kaul, along with Mohammad Siraj, bowled really well for the defending champions. Kaul got into the scheme of things after Barinder Sran failed to deliver in the first few games. The injury to Ashish Nehra only solidified his place in the playing eleven. David Warner showed a lot of faith in him and gave him ample opportunities to bowl the last overs in crucial matches. Kaul did not disappoint his skipper and the SRH fans either. In the 9 matches that he played, he returned with 16 wickets to his name. Thus, he deserves to be in the Best Indian XI of the league stages for sure. He bowled with an average of 17.87 and had a strike rate of 13 – which is incredible in itself. 10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Sunrisers Hyderabad Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo Source: Twitter) Arguably the best bowler in the tournament, Bhuvneshwar Kumar lived up to his reputation. The wily Indian swing bowler made his ball do the talking. He is comfortably sitting at the top in the list of leading wicket takers in the league stages. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was one of the few bowlers to take a five-wicket haul this season. He was the proud winner of the Purple Cap last year. This year, he looks set to bag another Purple Cap. In the 13 matches that Bhuvneshwar played, he returned with 25 wickets. He averaged 14.32 with the ball at an economy of 6.97. His strike rate with the ball was 12.32 – the second best in the league stages this season. Bhuvi had the best figures of 5/19 this season. The sensational spell had come against the Kings XI Punjab. 11. Jaydev Unadkat – Rising Pune Supergiant Jaydev Unadkat of Rising Pune Supergiant. (Photo: IANS) Rising Pune Supergiant showed very little faith in Jaydev Unadkat in the early phases of the tournament. However, once he was drafted in the lineup, Unadkat showed what he is capable of. He managed to be the wicket taking bowler for the RPS lineup. Needless to say, he was instrumental in taking RPS to the playoffs. He deserves a place in the Best Indian XI of the league stages due to his sensational form. Unadkat finished the league stages as the second leading wicket taker. He scalped 21 wickets in 10 matches with a five wicket haul to his name. His strike rate with the ball was the best this season – 10.80. He bagged 5/30 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad that included a hat-trick too.

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IPL 10: Best Indian XI of the League Stages

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