IPL 2021: Combined best XI of the tournament

It was a tale of two halves for this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), and some teams literally took the exact meaning out of it a turned a corner like no other. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who were languishing at the bottom half of the points table returned a much stronger side in the UAE leg. A change at the top in form of Venkatesh Iyer gave the team a nice head start, and from there, the bowlers continued the good work and helped the team reach its third final in the IPL.

Meanwhile, for Mumbai Indians (MI), the break didn’t do wonders as they lost steam in the UAE leg and had to be satisfied with fifth place. Some batters like AB de Villiers found the going tough some of them like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Avesh Khan have remained consistent throughout both the leg of the IPL. Like all the 13 years that have gone by, this year also the IPL has managed to unearth quite a few stars such as Venkatesh Iyer, and Umran Malik.

While the former has taken the IPL by storm by playing a fearless brand of cricket, the latter has bowled at an express pace. Like all the years this year’s IPL has also been nothing short of an exception with few things also remaining constant like MS Dhoni’s leadership for CSK. And just like that CSK won the fourth title due to Faf du Plessis’s brilliance. He scored 86 off just 59 balls and took his team home to victory against KKR. The South African batter finished the tournament with 633 runs in 16 matches.

Meanwhile, here is the combined Best XI for the IPL 2021

1 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad didn’t start the India leg of the IPL with a bang and was out cheaply on few occasions. There was pressure on the 24-year-old to deliver the goods for the team not just from the management but from fans and experts also. During one of the post-match conferences, CSK skipper Dhoni was asked about Gaikwad’s lack of runs and whether he will be dropped from the next game. The 40-year-old answered by saying he will be the designated opener.

Whether it was that confidence or something else, but Gaikwad has shown an indefatigable appetite to score runs thereafter. He has also played the sheet anchor’s role to perfection and has not thrown his starts away. Also, the seamless ability in which he changed the gear against Rajasthan Royals (RR) when he hit the maiden century was heartening to see.

The elegant right-hand batter has shown enough maturity and has gone to score 635 runs in 16 games. Gaikwad’s breakthrough performance this year for CSK has given the franchise a bankable player to rely on for several years to come.

2. Venkatesh Iyer

It won’t be wrong to say that KKR’s fortunes have turned 360 degrees ever since the inclusion of Venkatesh Iyer at the top order. The southpaw has undoubtedly been the team’s biggest asset in terms of winning matches on his own. Iyer’s confidence has also rubbed off nicely on Shubman Gill, and together the duo have managed to the bulk of the run-scoring. The southpaw got to make his IPL debut against RCB, and he scored a crisp unbeaten 41.

Since that innings, Iyer has gone to get good starts in the majority of the games and has relieved the pressure from the team’s shoulders. What is good about the youngster is he gets his runs at a good strike rate. Also, he is calm under pressure situations, as was evident during the crucial fifty against DC in Qualifier two.

The Madhya Pradesh lad has so far scored 370 runs in the 10 games at a strike rate of 125. He has also picked three wickets. His stupendous show in the IPL has also earned him a place in the T20 World Cup squad for India as a net bowler.

3. KL Rahul

Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper KL Rahul yet again shone brightly for his team, and his jaw-dropping 626 runs in 13 games tell you some story of how he has contributed in each of the matches that he has played. Yet PBKS continued to disappoint, and their old problems of botching up the run-chases came back to haunt them. If Rahul got out, the other batters also failed to apply themselves and that led to the team winning just six games in their 14 completed games.

During their last league match against CSK, Rahul turned on the beast mode and smashed an unbeaten 98 off just 42 balls. He made a mockery of a 136 target and finished the game with seven overs to spare. There was a touch of nonchalance in his stroke play and a touch of class. Rahul also finished the job and thereby ended another IPL season on a high.

Ever since that whirlwind knock, reports are emerging that PBKS might not retain him for the next year’s mega auction. Three teams are already vying for his services, and needless to say, Rahul will shine bright as ever.

4. Glenn Maxwell

The enigma of the IPL finally lived up to the lofty expectations and justified his hefty price tag for RCB. After failing miserably for PBKS, Glenn Maxwell was still the most sought-after player in this year’s auction. After a tussle with CSK, RCB got hold of the X factor player. The management also gave him a clear role and his favorite number four position.

Having got a bit of clarity, Maxwell went about his business in a calm and calculative manner. In a team boasting names such as Kohli and De Villiers, Maxwell contributed heavily by scoring 513 runs in 15 games.

In several of his interviews, the right-hand batter has confessed how he has got a nice rhythm coming in at four. In the combined XI also the X factor player will walk in at number four and hope to take on the opposition right from the onset.

5. Rishabh Pant c & wk

Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant will lead the squad. Although Eoin Morgan and Dhoni have taken their respective teams to the finals, Pant has contributed with the bat and also led the team ably. Few of his decisions are debatable, but with age on his side, Pant can improve and evolve into a great leader.

This was also his first year as DC full-time captain, and the expectations were huge because Shreyas Iyer had done a good job. Pant, though took on the responsibility well and led the team well by backing each player. He gave Avesh Khan the freedom to bowl according to his strengths and also trusted Ravi Ashwin to bowl the last over against KKR in Qualifier two. It is this trust and instructiveness that has made DC strong.

Pant also contributed well for DC by scoring 419 runs in 16 games. The southpaw also displayed maturity against CSK in the qualifier one game by scoring a composed 51. So the southpaw will be a good option at number five and along with Maxwell and can help keep the scoreboard moving.

6. Ravindra Jadeja

Talismanic CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has solidified his reputation as the finisher in the team. There was never a doubt about his bowling and fielding. The doubt remained about his batting. And this season, he has justified the all-rounder tag by finishing off few games for CSK.

He has come in at crucial junctures and didn’t allow the game to drift away. His innings of 62 off just 37 balls against RCB blew the opposition away.

Also, his late blitz against RR took the team to a total of 189. Jadeja’s economy rate has also given Dhoni to bowl aggressively from one end. The CSK all-rounder has taken 13 wickets and scored 227 runs.

7. Jason Holder

West Indies and SRH all-rounder Jason Holder was one of the team’s positive stars in an otherwise dismal-looking SRH campaign. Holder came in as a replacement player for Mitchell Marsh and delivered for the franchise with the bat and ball.

With big-name players like David Warner, Kane Williamson, and Manish Pandey struggling, Holder stood tall and brought sanity to the proceedings. In the eight matches that he has played, the West Indian all-rounder managed to pick 16 wickets and score 85 runs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is otherwise brilliant for SRH looked of color. And the onus of taking wickets laid on Holder’s shoulders. His batting blew hot and cold but with a bit of backing and promotion, Holder can be developed into a good all-rounder in the IPL.

8. Rashid Khan

Afghanistan and SRH leg spinner Rashid Khan was amongst wickets for the team as always. In a team comprising of pacers, Rashid managed to pick timely wickets for SRH and kept things tight. His fast leg-spin and googlies were difficult to pick by the batters.

A little bit of support from the SRH batters could have helped Rashid and the other bowlers. Needless to say, with his match-winning skills and wicket-taking abilities, the leg spinner walks into the team.

The 23-year-old is also a handy batter and can whack a few balls outside the ground. During the 2021 season of IPL, Rashid ended up picking 18 wickets in 14 games at an average of 20.83.

9. Avesh Khan

DC’s shining star and one of the stories of IPL, Avesh Khan has been nothing short of a revelation. The Capitals boasted names such as Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, yet Avesh held his own style and displayed a great amount of consistency in taking wickets.

The youngster’s ability to maintain tight lines and length was lovely to see. Avesh hardly dropped a gear and delivered wickets whenever Pant wanted. At times he erred in his lines but that was negligible considering the number of matches and overs he bowled.

That Pant trusted him to bowl the last over against RCB says the amount of hard work that Avesh has put in behind the doors. He finished the IPL with 24 wickets in just 16 games.

10. Harshal Patel

Renowned cricket journalist Harsha Bhogle said it would be no harm in taking RCB pacer Harshal Patel in the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The right-arm pacer has had such a season with RCB. Usually, in a batting heavy team like RCB, the bowlers do not hog much of the limelight.

Yet Harshal has managed to do just that and has taken 32 wickets in 15 games at a scarcely believable average of 14.34. The right-arm pacer thus became the joint highest wicket-taker in one season in the IPL.

Patel’s smart variations and knuckleball, which he developed from Zaheer Khan, were hard to get by the batters. He also was superb in the middle phase as well as the death overs. The 30-year-old’s economy rate might be a bit of concern, but as long he is picking wickets for the team, those issues can be secondary.

11. Jasprit Bumrah

It was a season of ifs and buts for Mumbai Indians but not for Jasprit Bumrah, who yet again proved why he is rated so highly among his peers and competitors. The Indian pacer managed to get wickets consistently and hardly broke a sweat.

Be it the power play or death overs, Bumrah maintained good speeds control. With Avesh and Harshal relatively new to the IPL setup, Bumrah can bring in all his valuable inputs and experience.

The Mumbai Pacer finished this year’s IPL with 21 wickets at a good average of 19.52. In the process, he also picked up his 100th wicket. In the combined IPL XI, Pant can use Bumrah in the power play and allow Patel to bowl at the death overs.