The 2023 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to come to an end on Sunday (May 28) with the final clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Just like the other seasons, IPL 2023 also witnessed a number of amazing performers, especially in the batting department.
Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Shubman Gill is the leading run-getter in the tournament with 851 runs from 16 matches, including three centuries and four fifties. Besides Gill, there have been other batters like RCB’s opening duo of Faf du Plessis (730 runs) and Virat Kohli (639 runs) who have performed exceptionally well.
Despite holding the top three spots in the highest run-scorer chart, the likes of Gill, Du Plessis and Kohli didn’t make the cut in former India opener Virender Sehwag’s list of top five batters in IPL 2023.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said: "Mere 5 Pandavas. Cricket's Pandav. My pick for five batters in the IPL. I have not picked many openers because they get a lot of opportunities. The first batter who comes to my mind in Rinku Singh. I don't think you would ask me the reason. Because it has never happened that a batter has won the team a match by hitting five straight sixes. Only Rinku Singh has done it."
"The second middle-order batter is Shivam Dube. He has hit 33 sixes, his strike-rate is over 160. Last few seasons have not been special but this year he came with a clear-cut mindset that he has to come and hit sixes,” he added.
Sehwag also had special praise reserved for Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mumbai Indians star Suryakumar Yadav.
"The third is a brilliant opener. I have to take his name because his brilliant batting has forced me to pick him up. Yashasvi Jaiswal. Then comes SKY. I am taking Suryakumar Yadav's name because he was not in form. In international cricket he was getting zeroes. In IPL also he was not doing well at the start, but then he started doing well," he said.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen is the last name to feature in Sehwag’s list.
"Last, I can pick anybody by doing a toss because there are so many. But I will pick another middle-order batter and his name is Heinrich Klaasen. The team he was playing for (SRH), he was batting for them in the middle order, he made the most number runs. His ability to hit against spin and pace is rarely seen in a foreign player," he remarked.
