IPL 2020: Best XI upto the second week

The first two weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought to us a lot of interesting games and some top-tier performances. With Kieron Pollard’s blistering 60* against RCB chasing 202, Mohammed Shami’s 3/15 in the 2nd game of the season, Rahul Tewatia’s 5 sixes in an over- the fans have seen it all, and more.

The IPL continues to be an excellent platform for players to showcase their skills in the shortest format. This year, all teams have put up a good fight, and we do not see any clear winners/losers as of now. All the teams have managed to open their accounts. It looks like the season will go down to the wire.

The team mentioned is the opinion of the author, and there are certainly other players who deserved to make this XI. However, the thought process behind choosing every player has been explained clearly. The team has batsmen who can bat upto number eight, and there are six bowling options with five regular bowlers. 

In the article, let’s look at the best XI of IPL 2020 upto the second week: 

1. Mayank Agarwal (KXIP)

Karnataka boy Mayank Agarwal has lit up this edition of the Indian Premier League. He has been the most impactful batsmen for KXIP at the top with his explosive knocks. He has scored 272 runs in five innings at an average of 54.40 and a strike-rate of 162.87, which is the third highest among batsmen with more than 150 runs.

Agarwal has played two of the best knocks of the season, both of which have unfortunately come in close losses for the Punjab side. He scored 89 against Delhi Capitals in a chase of 158, where barely any batsmen supported him. His maiden IPL century (106) was the 2nd fastest 100 by an Indian in the league. Punjab lost against Delhi in the Super Over, while they were on the receiving end of unexpected brilliance from Rahul Tewatia, who smacked Cottrell for five sixes in the 18th over, against RR.

He also chipped in with 20s in the other three innings, ensuring that Punjab continue to get good starts. The primary reason for preferring him over other options is that he has not been afraid of scoring quick. While KL Rahul is the Orange Cap holder as of the 18th Match, barring the 132* against RCB, has given relatively slower starts. Rohit Sharma hasn’t been as consistent, and Faf du Plessis has not been as impactful as the other overseas players in the XI.