MI and RCB combined all-time IPL XI

3. Rohit Sharma (c)

With four IPL titles to his name, Rohit Sharma immediately becomes the leader of this line-up. Speaking of his intelligence on the field, the opener has incorporated proactivity into the setup, often shuffling his bowlers, plotting fiercely attacking fields and of course, changing personnel and quality over the years.

It is of no surprise then, that with the likes of Pollard, the Pandya brothers, Jasprit Bumrah and a heavy batting order at the top alongside a pool of talented starlets, the MI roster is widely heralded as one with the best balance.

As far as his batting goes, Sharma has every right to be considered as ‘Mr. IPL’ – a tag often stapled on the collars of players like Suresh Raina and Chris Gayle. The explosive opener already has the most sixes in T20I cricket and is by far one of the most underrated six hitters in the game. A lethal combination of muscle, timing and balance, Sharma has been a revelation ever since he was promoted to the top order.

With 4,898 runs in 183 innings at a scoring rate of just under 131, the Hitman has served as a beacon of consistency over the years. It won’t be too long before he surpasses Raina’s run tally (5,368 runs in 193 matches) and go toe-to-toe with national captain Kohli.