Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-time best XI in IPL history

7. Yusuf Pathan

The fact that Yusuf Pathan is coming in at number 7 in this team, just gives you a hint of how stacked this team is in the batting department. The hard-hitting batsman was a part of the Rajasthan Royals side which won the first season of the IPL. He was prolific with both the bat and the ball as Shane Warne’s men defeated Chennai Super Kings in the showcase final. Pathan was adjudged man of the match for his efforts in the final as he scored 56 runs and picked up 3 wickets for just 22 runs.

Pathan joined KKR in 2011 for a fee of 2.1 million dollars. He showed his all-round capabilities by picking up 13 wickets in 2011, which was his highest in a single season. He scored 1893 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders in 103 matches and is their 3rd highest run-scorer behind Gambhir and Uthappa. Although he didn’t contribute much with the ball since the 2011 campaign, he was always an extra bowling option and his quickfire cameos were enough to justify his place in the team.

In 2013, Yusuf became the first batsman to be given out for obstructing the field. He scored a half-century off just 15 balls in 2014, which is the second quickest in IPL history. Having won the IPL title earlier with Rajasthan Royals, senior Pathan laid hands on the prestigious silverware on two more occasions during his stint at Kolkata Knight Riders.