IPL: Best retired XI in the history of the league

The Indian Premier League (IPL) will surely occupy the pole position among the multitude of cricket leagues in the world. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stages the grand T20 spectacle every year for about 7 weeks, typically in the summer months of April and May.

Apart from the top Indian Superstars, the IPL also sees several foreign behemoths plying their trade in the league. And, the IPL has also proven to be the breeding ground for new talent to blossom.

Also, there have been several legends who have taken part in the league and given fans fond memories that will stay with them forever. These legends have now walked into the sunset, but their deeds will be remembered with a great sense of nostalgia.

Having said that, let us take a look at the best-retired XI of all time in IPL history:

1. Shane Watson

It is hard to look beyond the man who retired from the IPL after the 13th edition. Shane Watson is an all-time IPL legend, and his numbers stand testimony to the same. The Australian all-rounder featured in 145 IPL matches and scored 3874 runs at an average of 30.99. What made Watson a matchwinner is a fact that he scored his runs at a strike rate of 137.91.

Watson was also extremely handy with the ball as well. The right-arm pacer took 92 wickets in his career. In fact, Watson took the IPL by storm in the inaugural edition in 2008, where he won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. The right-hander scored a whopping 472 runs with the willow for the Rajasthan side in the 2008 edition. With the ball, Watson picked up 17 wickets to allow Rajasthan to win the first-ever edition.

With such an imposing record and with his ability to change matches on their head, Watson will open the batting in this all-time retired IPL XI. He played his last match in IPL cricket in the 2020 edition, for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).