IPL 2022: Best Overseas XI from the first week

The first week of IPL 2022 is done and dusted and we have seen a few nail biters already. The teams batting second have dominated the show so far on batting-friendly pitches with a decent amount of dew on offer.

Overseas players have always lit up the IPL. However, due to the lack of overseas players’ availability in the first week (due to international commitments or quarantine formalities), teams were often forced to field less than the maximum of four players.

Nonetheless, let’s have a look at the best overseas team from the first week of IPL 2022:

1. Quinton de Kock (wk)

Quinton de Kock recently quit Test cricket to manage his workload and concentrate on limited-overs cricket. This decision ensured his 100 percent participation in the IPL. After all, he has been an integral part of IPL over the years.

So far in the IPL, he has amassed 2324 runs at a strike rate of 130.78 in 79 matches. This season he is representing the Lucknow Super Giants and has already made an impact. Although he had a forgettable first game, he played a match-winning knock of 61, studded with nine fours, in the second one.

Just like he does for Lucknow Super Giants, he is chosen as the opener and wicketkeeper for the best overseas side as well.

2. Faf du Plessis (c)

Much like De Kock, Faf du Plessis also gave up the longest format to focus more on the shorter formats. However, strange consequences followed and he was omitted from all the squads by South Africa.

Another IPL veteran, Faf has scored 3028 runs in 102 matches at a decent strike rate of 131.65. He had played a major part of his IPL for the Chennai Super Kings, however, this year he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Just two games into this season, he played a brilliant knock against the Punjab Kings. Opening the batting, he was at a score of 17 from 30 balls but ended his innings at 88 from 57. The RCB captain is chosen to lead this best overseas team as well.

3. Evin Lewis

The West Indian opener has never been a regular as far as the IPL is concerned as he had just played 23 games. However, he seems to have cemented his spot at the Super Giants after just two games. 

Donning a new role of a middle-order batsman, Evin Lewis turned the match on its head and severely punished Shivam Dube in the 19th over of the match against CSK, and led his side to a come-from-behind victory. He smashed six fours and three sixes in his unbeaten knock of 55 from just 23 balls.

Batting at different positions in the two games so far, Lewis has shown a positive attitude and seems to be a valuable buy for the Super Giants.

4. Bhanuka Rajapaksa

The left-handed wicket-keeper from Sri Lanka attracted bids from the Punjab Kings after impressive performances in the past year for his national side. The IPL newbie has also taken up wicketkeeping duties for his franchise.

Batting at number four, Bhanuka Rajapaksa has already played two impactful innings, albeit the one against KKR came in a losing cause. His knock of 43 (22) against RCB was studded with four sixes and two fours as he took on his countryman Wanindu Hasaranga and laid the foundation for Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith to finish the game.

The hard-hitting middle-order batsman will be expected to deliver bigger knocks as the season progresses and help his side get closer to the title.

5. Shimron Hetmyer

Though the explosive batter from Guyana has played only 32 matches in the IPL but boasts of a strike rate of over 150. Not a consistent scorer, Shimron Hetmyer has played impactful knocks in the past for DC.

After starting a bidding war between the franchises, he was finally snapped by the Rajasthan Royals. Playing his first game for the Royals, the free-stroking batter smashed three sixes and two fours in his 13-ball 32 as he helped his side post a competitive total on the board.

A safe catcher and a finisher with the bat, Hetmyer is a complete T20 player, and RR would be hoping he replicates his form from last year, to lift his side’s chances in the tournament.

6. Andre Russell

One of the most sought-after players in the IPL, Andre Russell has played most of his IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders, after making his debut for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). Not to anyone’s surprise, he was retained by the KKR ahead of this year’s IPL.

He, however, had a difficult start to this season, especially with the ball. After showing the tendency to break down while bowling, he was picked purely as a batter in the game against the Punjab Kings, and boy did Dre Russ come to the party. He annihilated the Punjab bowlers in his unbeaten knock of 70, which consisted of two fours and eight towering sixes. 

Being the impact player that he is, expectations will always be higher from him. He boasts of a freakish strike rate of 179.32 in 87 IPL games, to go with 74 wickets as well.

7. Wanindu Hasaranga

The all-rounder from Sri Lanka is known for skillful leg-spin, to go with some big hits at the back end of the innings. He was paid the big bucks by RCB, and they would be hoping that he delivers the goods this season.

He might be new to the IPL, but Wanindu Hasaranga has played a handful of T20Is and has great numbers with the ball. While he gives four overs with the ball, he can be used as a floater and can bat anywhere in the middle order.

In his second game this season, Hasaranga bamboozled the KKR batters and picked up as many as four wickets to win the Player of the Match award. With the bat too, he hit a crucial boundary to tilt the balance of the game in his team’s favor.

8. Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo is perhaps one of the most celebrated T20 cricketers of all time. His association with CSK goes back to 2011. Again, not much to anyone’s surprise, he was bought back by CSK.

Bravo recently overtook Lasith Malinga as the highest wicket-taker in the IPL. His effectiveness at the death with the slower ones still makes life difficult for the batsmen. Although equally destructive with the bat, his form with the willow has tapered off recently, and therefore, he is largely considered a bowling all-rounder.

Two games into the season, he has already picked up four wickets, which includes a fine 3/20 in the opening game, which almost made a match out of a meager score.

9. Sunil Narine 

Sunil Narine has only for only one team so far in the IPL. With such consistency, he has shown that Kolkata has never entertained the thought of letting him go.

Over the past few years, Narine has reinvented himself as a batter, while still retaining the mystery with his off-breaks. A veteran of 137 games, he has 145 wickets to his name at an impressive average of 24.54.

Although Narine has picked up only two wickets this season, he has given runs at a miserly rate of 4.2 runs per over. He often bats as a floater and has not got enough chances to wield the willow this season so far.

10. Tim Southee

One of the best test bowlers in the current era, Tim Southee hasn’t quite lived up to his T20 expectations in general, let alone IPL. Although he made his IPL debut in 2011, he has played just 45 games to date, with just 36 wickets.

Although he was picked up late in the auction, Southee has already proven to be an indispensable part of the KKR setup. Having played just two games, he has picked up five wickets and has formed a potent opening combination with Umesh Yadav. More than handy with the bat in hand, he is an excellent fielder too.

11. Trent Boult

Unlike his Kiwi compatriot, Trent Boult has been a revelation in T20 cricket. In the IPL too, his numbers are quite fascinating. In his seven-year IPL journey so far, Boult has 78 wickets in 63 games at an average of 25.72.

This year, Boult was bought by the Rajasthan Royals, and he has been impressed already. His spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad was worth watching many times, as he ended the game with impressive figures of 2/23 from his stipulated quota of four overs.

Boult is known to be lethal with the new ball and does the damage mostly in the powerplay. However, this year the expectations from him will also be to take ownership of death overs as well.

~Written by Jatin Shad