IPL 2022: Best overseas XI of the league

There are many leagues all around the world now, but the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is incomparable by a huge margin. One of the main reasons for the prosperity of the IPL is the cooperation and support given by the overseas cricket boards and their players. This year, 35 players from Australia, 20 from New Zealand, 19 from West Indies, 17 from England, 14 from South Africa, nine from Sri Lanka, seven from Afghanistan, four from Bangladesh, and one player each from the associate nations Nepal, USA, and UAE participated in the mega auction. Out of these, a total of 67 overseas players from various countries were sold in the mega auction and including the retained list, 77 of them will feature in this edition of the IPL. Among the 77 foreign players, let us take a look at the best XI of the IPL this year. 1. David Warner David Warner. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) David Warner is one of the finest batters in the Indian Premier League and a trophy-winning IPL captain. He started his IPL career in 2009 for Delhi Daredevils and after being an integral part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad side, he now marks his comeback to the Delhi franchise once again. As the rift between Warner and the SRH management was evident, he parted ways with the team after eight long years and participated in the auction as a marquee player. He was then picked by the Delhi Capitals side for just INR 6.25 Crores. The southpaw was expected to attract a big deal for his experience and his form in the T20 World Cup, but he was sold for just half of his previous price. Being the orange cap holder for most of the times and also the highest overseas run-scorer in the IPL, Warner can’t be ignored from this list. 2. Faf Du Plessis Faf du Plessis. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League) The second-highest run-scorer in the previous edition of the IPL and one of the most experienced IPL campaigners Faf Du Plessis will represent the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team this year as he was signed for a salary of INR seven Crores. The former Proteas skipper is looked upon by RCB as a potential candidate for the captaincy post. He made his IPL debut in 2012 for Chennai Super Kings and has been their loyal king for eight long years. He has played 100 IPL matches, and has scored 2935 runs at a strike rate of 131.08. Faf looks confident and had a good run in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League. His services at the top of the order will be very valuable for the RCB franchise in IPL 2022. 3. Moeen Ali Moeen Ali. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Moeen Ali’s IPL career started in 2018 when he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the first time. He represented them for three years until he was signed by Chennai Super Kings in 2021. In the RCB camp, he played in the middle-order and was used as a part-time spinner. Moeen Ali wasn’t effective for RCB and hence was released from the squad. By that time, CSK looked to fulfill the spot with an experienced all-rounder, and Ali was the hopeful candidate to fit in the role. He was promoted to number three in the batting line-up of CSK and he flourished, scoring a lot of runs in that position and was also used perfectly by MS Dhoni in the bowling department. This Englishman scored 357 runs in 15 matches last year and he also took six wickets at an economy rate of just 6.35. His addition to the squad aided CSK to lift their fourth IPL trophy. And so, he was retained by CSK for IPL 2022 and will look to continue his good work with both bat and ball. 4. Jos Buttler Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) The T20 format has seen many single-handed match winners and one such firepower is Jos Buttler. He is one of the batters who can demolish any bowling attack with ease and this makes him one of the crucial players of the side. Buttler first represented Mumbai Indians in 2016 and then was transferred to Rajasthan Royals in 2018. His role in the pink was well defined and he showcased his best performances there. In 2021, he hit his first T20 hundred and his best score of 124 in just 64 deliveries. This wicketkeeping batter was retained by the Royals for a salary of INR 10 Crores. Buttler seems to be at his prime at the moment as he batted in a scintillating fashion during the 2021 T20 World Cup and averaged close to 90 in that tournament. He is expected to deliver his best in this IPL. 5. Glenn Maxwell Glenn Maxwell. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Glenn Maxwell’s IPL journey began in 2012 for Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) and he also played for Mumbai Indians, and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) before joining the Royal Challengers Bangalore side in 2021. The RCB management released Moeen Ali in the same year and was looking for a similar replacement. Maxwell seemed to be an excellent replacement and they signed him for a whopping INR 14.25 Crores. His inclusion was very effective and he was the leading run-scorer of the team with 513 runs with an amazing average and strike-rate of 42.75 and 144.10 respectively. The ‘big show’ scored six fifties in 15 innings that year and he also picked three wickets at an economy rate of 8.43. He was then retained by RCB and as Virat Kohli will not captain the side, Maxwell is also on the minds of the management for that role. He set the stage on fire with his blistering knock of 154* off just 64 deliveries in the recently concluded Big Bash League and looks in great touch. 6. Liam Livingstone Liam Livingstone. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images) The Indian Premier League has been so rewarding to the explosive all-rounders and one such affluent player is England’s Liam Livingstone. He experienced a superb run in 2021 in T20Is as he averaged 33.71 with a strike rate of 177.44 and also scalped right wickets at an economy rate of 6.32. However, in his short IPL tenure of five matches in 2021, he just managed to score 42 runs for Rajasthan Royals. He was released and entered the mega auction this year. Many teams including Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, and Sunrisers Hyderabad were interested in him. But in the end, he was sold to Punjab Kings for an expensive amount of INR 11.50 Crores and it turned out to be the costliest overseas buy of the year. He looks in red hot form currently and will be expected to justify his price tag. 7. Andre Russell Andre Russell. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) There are a few potential players who can change the course of the game upside down single-handedly and one such player is Andre Russell. He is one of those batters who cannot be controlled if he is in the mood. Russell has been a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders side since 2014 and has been their integral player. His contributions with the bat and ball over the years have gained the confidence of the management and he has been retained by KKR for INR 12 Crores. Russell has played 84 IPL matches and has scored 1700 runs at a colossal strike rate of 178.57. With the ball, he has picked up 72 wickets at an average of 26.40. He is a bit rusty with the bat currently but a player of his caliber just needs a good inning to get going. 8. Sunil Narine Sunil Narine. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League) Another Knight Rider from the Caribbean who features in this list is Sunil Narine. He was retained by KKR for INR six Crores. His performance in the previous edition of the IPL was stupendous as he scalped 16 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.44. Narine also played some quick cameos with the bat and his overall performance aided the team to reach the final last year. With the ball, he restricts the run flow and also takes crucial wickets that the team needs, and is one of the most valuable players in the tournament. The 33-year-old has played 134 IPL matches for KKR since his debut in 2012 and has taken 143 wickets which includes seven four-wicket hauls and a fifer. This was the franchise that unfurled his batting abilities and promoted him up the order. The rapport between the player and the KKR management has been so strong and he will look to produce another solid performance in IPL 2022. 9. Lockie Ferguson Lockie Ferguson. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) This speedster from New Zealand has been terrifying the best batters in the business with his extreme pace. He is one of the fastest bowlers and bowls consistently at a pace of above 145 Kmph. His IPL career started with the now dissolved Rising Pune Supergiants franchise in 2017 and after a year-long break, he resumed his journey in the IPL with KKR and played a few matches in his three-year tenure. Ferguson’s performance in IPL 2021 where he picked up 13 wickets in just eight matches at an economy rate of 7.46 was incredible. The sport always values the bowlers with sheer pace and Ferguson was awarded a lucrative contract with Gujarat Titans for an exuberant sum of INR 10 Crores this year. He will lead the pace attack along with Mohammed Shami and unless his injuries trouble him, we could see an amazing display of pace bowling from him. 10. Trent Boult Trent Boult. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Trent Boult made his IPL debut in the year 2015 for Sunrisers Hyderabad and he subsequently played for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals until he was transferred to Mumbai Indians in 2020. He was extremely successful in MI colours. This left-arm pacer’s skiddy bowling and the angle he generates troubles the batters. He was used up front as a wicket-taking bowler and also as an effective death bowling option as well. His 25 wickets in 15 matches helped the MI team lift their fifth IPL trophy in 2020. Boult was released by MI and he was sold to Rajasthan Royals for INR eight Crores in the auction this year. He has a total of 76 wickets to his name in the 62 matches he has played in the IPL. 11. Kagiso Rabada Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) This year’s IPL auction was all about the pace bowlers, as most of them went on to sign huge deals. One such pivotal bowler is South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, who played for Delhi Capitals since 2017. It would have been a dilemma for DC whether to retain him or his ally Anrich Nortje. But, Nortje was retained and Rabada was released. Hence, he will be a part of the Punjab Kings franchise as he was successfully brought for INR 9.25 Crores. Rabada’s superb performance in 2019 was one of the main reasons for the team to reach the playoffs. This Proteas bowler also earned the purple cap for being the highest wicket-taker in the year 2020. In 50 IPL games, he has picked 76 wickets. He will be the leader of the pace attack for PBKS in IPL 2022.

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IPL 2022: Best overseas XI of the league

Several overseas players will light up the stage in IPL 2022.

2. Faf Du Plessis

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