Indian Premier League (IPL) will celebrate its 12th season in 2019 and the most popular T20 league in the world will enthrall the viewers in stadium and those watching from the comfort of their homes. The 2019 edition of IPL will begin with defending champions CSK taking on RCB at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.
Many records have been broken in the course of previous years and many players have left their mark on the tournament during this time. The tournament has seen many players create some brilliant records and helped their franchise win matches and at the time, win the tournament also.
Taking into consideration the impact these players have had in the tournament and their numbers in the league, Team COC brings to you the all-time XI of the Indian Premier League.
Chris Gayle (KKR, RCB, KXIP)
Mat: 112| Runs: 3994| HS: 175* Chris Gayle has given the IPL the much-needed popularity with his huge sixes and big scores, not to say his antics on and off the field. He has hit 6 IPL hundreds, 292 sixes and 324 fours in his IPL career. He has had a stellar career so far and after playing for RCB since 2011, KXIP picked him up in the IPL 2018 auction and he lit up the initial part of the KXIP campaign with a century and helped them get a running start. However, he will still be remembered for his 175* against Pune Warriors India and his unusual way of celebrating his batting milestones.
David Warner (DD, SRH)
Mat: 114|Runs: 4014| HS: 126 David Warner became the first foreign player to hit 4000 runs in IPL in this season and he had a stellar IPL 10 with 641 runs to his name including a century and he got the Orange cap for his efforts. Warner started his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils and moved on to SRH and was made captain and he won SRH the IPL title in 2016. He had also made 848 runs in 2016. One of the most devastating openers in IPL, he will partner Chris Gayle in our all-time XI.
Suresh Raina (CSK, GL)
Mat: 176|Runs: 4985| HS: 100* Suresh Raina is called ‘Mr. IPL’ for one reason and one reason only, he is terrific at no.3 for CSK for 9 long years and for 2 years with Gujarat Lions. Suresh Raina is the leading run scorer in IPL and has scored 300 plus runs in all seasons of IPL since its inception.
Raina returned to form in IPL with CSK coming back in 2018 and scored 445 runs and helped the franchise win the IPL title for the third time. He won the best catch of IPL award for two years running in 2016-17. Raina’s most epic innings will always be his gob smacking 87 runs in 25 balls against KXIP in the second qualifier of IPL 2014.
Virat Kohli (RCB)
Mat: 163|Runs: 4948|HS: 113 Virat Kohli rewrote record books in IPL 2016, as he smacked 973 runs and 4 centuries in a single edition of IPL. Kohli was bought outside the auction as a U-19 player in 2008 by RCB and has played for them ever since. He was made captain in IPL 2013 and took RCB to finals of the tournament in 2016.
The last two seasons of IPL in 2017 and 2018 have not been kind to the RCB franchise, as they created the record of scoring the lowest total in the tournament, 49 against KKR. But Kohli showed some form in IPL 2018 with 530 runs to his name and will be eager to take the franchise to their maiden title win.
Rohit Sharma (DC, MI)
Mat: 173|Runs: 4493|HS: 109* Rohit Sharma has won three IPL titles as MI captain and four overall. Initially performing for the now defunct Deccan Chargers franchise, Rohit Sharma changed the fortunes of Mumbai Indians since 2013 and took them to IPL titles in 2013, 2015 and 2017. Given the pattern of their wins, Rohit Sharma and MI fans might hope for the fourth title win in 2019 season.
MS Dhoni (CSK, RPS) (C & WK)
Mat: 175|Runs: 4016|HS: 79*|Dis: 120 MS Dhoni returned to his rightful place as CSK captain in IPL 2018 and took the franchise to their third IPL title win, tying the record of most wins with Mumbai Indians. The three-time IPL winning captain for CSK and one of the best wicket keepers in the country, Dhoni is also a devastating finisher and his strike rate of 138.19 and 186 sixes prove it. Dhoni regained his amazing hitting form in IPL 2018 after a lull in 2016 and 2017 and scored 455 runs giving CSK the impetus it needed to win the title.
Dwayne Bravo (MI, CSK, GL)
Mat: 122|Runs: 1379|HS: 70*|Wkts: 136 Dwayne Bravo was one of the players that were retained by CSK when they returned to the IPL fold in 2018. With 136 wickets to his name, including 14 wickets in 2018 season and 1379 runs to his name, Bravo is by far the best IPL all-rounder ever. He showed his worth in the first match of the IPL 2018 when he scored a masterful 68 runs and helped CSK win an improbable match out of nowhere.
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK, GL, RR)
Mat: 154|Runs: 1821 | Wkts: 93|BB: 5/16 Ravindra Jadeja made his return into the yellow brand of Chennai Super Kings picking 11 wickets in 14 matches of IPL 2018 and playing some impactful cameos. Jadeja has been an amazing find for the Indian cricket and it began for him in 2008, when Rajasthan Royals bid on him and Shane Warne named him Rockstar of the team. After spending three years with the Jaipur based franchise, Jadeja became an inseparable part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012 and was retained by the team when they returned in 2018.
Amit Mishra (DC, DD, SRH, DC)
Mat: 136|Wkts: 146|BB: 5/17 Amit Mishra is the second highest wicket-taker in IPL, and the only bowler in the league to have taken three hat-tricks and is credited with the rise of leg spinners in IPL. He bowls brilliantly on the slow turning pitches of Delhi; the base of Delhi Capitals and is often used as a wicket-taking option rather than a run restricting one.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (PWI, SRH)
Mat: 102|Wkts: 120|BB: 5/19 Bhuvneshwar Kumar has 120 wickets in 102 matches in IPL, playing mainly for Sunrisers Hyderabad and is the best death overs bowler in the league by far. His has the ability to swing the ball at the start and then bowl searing yorkers at the death. He is the only bowler to pick up the Purple cap for most wickets in back to back seasons in 2016 and 2017.
Lasith Malinga (MI)
Mat: 110|Wkts: 154|BB: 5/13 Lasith Malinga spent IPL 2018 as the mentor of the Mumbai Indians, but was picked by the franchise again as a player for IPL 2019. The highest wicket-taker in the league with 154 wickets to his name, Malinga joined MI in 2009 and since then has been their premier fast bowler, despite the rise of Jasprit Bumrah. Whatever is said about him is very less as he has paved way for many bowlers with weird actions to become impressive.
During the early years of the IPL, he was the most devastating bowler with his killer yorkers and harmful bouncers. Though with time, the pace and bouncers are gone, the yorkers and slower balls have replaced them and kept him effective as ever and will be interesting to see him bowl once again in 2019 edition.
All the teams need a capable 12th man, and who better than Sunil Narine for our all-time XI. Narine spell bounded the world with his mystery spin and unlike others, has remained relevant and effective as ever. Narine has 95 wickets in 82 matches and has taken a hat-trick in IPL as well. Since the last two IPL seasons in 2017 and 2018, Narine developed his batting and was used by KKR as an opener and even scored a 15-ball half-century, the second fastest in the league ever.