Ravichandran Ashwin picks his all-time IPL XI

Star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has picked his all-time IPL XI. He opted for a strong Indian top-order, featuring Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina. The former Mumbai Indians captain, Rohit, has played 257 matches in the Indian Premier League and has scored 6628 runs at a strike rate of 131.14. He has also helped the franchise win the trophy in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and in 2020.

Kohli, on the other hand, has played 252 matches in the IPL and has scored 8004 runs at a strike rate of 131.97. He is also the leading run-scorer in the history of the tournament. In 2016, the star India batter registered 973 runs in a single edition, which is also a record.

Number three, Suresh Raina is often regarded as Mr IPL. He has played 205 matches in the competition and has scored 5528 runs at a strike rate of 136.73. The 37-year-old also has 25 wickets to his name and played a vital part in Chennai Super Kings’ success in the tournament.

Ashwin named Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers and MS Dhoni at number four, five and six, respectively. All three batters are known for their explosive batting and bailed their respective teams multiple times. Suryakumar batted at number six for KKR, but ever since his move to Mumbai, he batted mostly at number three, which helped his career significantly.

The 33-year-old has played 150 matches and scored 3594 runs at a strike rate of 145.32. Dhoni and de Villiers meanwhile are regarded as two of the greatest finishers in the history of the game, let alone IPL. The former South Africa international played 184 T20Is in the cash-rich league and hit 5162 runs at a strike rate of 151.68. Dhoni meanwhile has played 264 matches and amassed 5243 runs at a strike rate of 137.53. Ashwin also named the five-time winning IPL skipper as the captain of his team.

He also named five specialist bowlers in the team. He picked Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine as two spinners and Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvnheshwar Kumar and Lasith Malinga as the pacers. Apart from batting, Rashid and Narine are good batting options to have in the lower middle order as well. Notably, Narine has three IPL trophies to his name and has 180 wickets to his name. Rashid meanwhile has picked 149 wickets in 121 games.

Bumrah and Malinga have played a lot of cricket together in MI. They played a pivotal role in Mumbai’s success as well. Bhuvneshwar, on the other hand, played 176 matches and picked up 181 wickets and won the IPL trophy with SRH in 2016.

Ravichandran Ashwin's All-Time IPL XI:

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Suryakumar Yada, AB de Villies, MS Dhoni (c), Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah