In the second, and final part of my IPL series, I will be
setting out who would make my perfect IPL Fantasy XI based on their
performances in this season. For my first post, click here.
As I
discussed in my earlier post, there have been many memorable performances and
moments in this season’s IPL. Many batsmen have thrilled us with their power
and ability to hit maximums out of nothing, and many bowlers have excited us by
uprooting middle stumps galore. My team of the year is made entirely of people
I think deserve accolades, but I did come to wishing that there were 15 or so
men in a cricket team! I will order this in terms of batting line-up, and who
would occupy each position:
Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore): The obvious pick
for opener, the West Indian’s performances leave me in no doubt. Whilst it is a
shame the RCB failed to make the playoffs, and thus deprived us of at least
another game of Gayle magic, his massive hitting has been a joy to watch. With
his contract soon to end, I envisage a titanic scrap for his signature next
year.
Michael Hussey (Chennai Super Kings): The Orange Cap holder
also practically picks himself for opener. I put him at number two simply
because I feel that had RCB made the playoffs, then Gayle would be the man with
orange on his head, and not Hussey. Nevertheless, the experienced Aussie has
been fantastic for the Super Kings this season, and consistent in all bar the
final.
Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore): The perfect
partner for Chris Gayle, and chipping in with plenty of runs on the way, Kohli
makes my XI. This one was very much between Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but with
Kohli forming valuable partnerships and having fewer high profile failures, I
felt he was the better choice for number three, illustrating the strength of
the RCB’s batting.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings): My wicket
keeper, and captain, Dhoni has been exceptional once again this IPL. A born
leader and a talisman when batting, Dhoni has the ability to piece together
seemingly broken innings. The final is a key example of this, taking the CSK
from 39-6 to 125-9 almost single-handedly.
Shane Watson (Rajasthan Royals): A breakthrough season for
the fiery Aussie, who ended as the Pepsi Atom MVP, an award which gave points
based on wickets, sixes, catches and dot balls. The best all-rounder in the
competition this season, Watson has turned many innings with both bat and ball.
His knock against the Kings XI best illustrates my point, leaving David Hussey
to state the the ‘Watson factor’ was a game-changer.
Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians): Another superb season for
the big West Indian, once against smashing balls to all four corners of the
cricket ground, and picking up valuable wickets
for his side. His performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad shows
this, where he single-handedly turned the run chase on its head, allowing the
Mumbai Indians to claw their way into the playoffs. He has also produced one of
the catches of the season, one handed on the boundary against the Kings XI.
Darren Bravo (Chennai Super Kings): The Purple Cap holder
must also make my list. His record breaking season of 30 wickets shows Dwayne
Bravo’s potential, a potential he had failed to fully realise until that point.
One of the best death over bowlers in the competition, and the leader of CSK’s
attack.
Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders): The ‘mystery spin’
bowler, having competed with Harbhajan Singh, is in too. Whilst Narine may not
have been as effective as he was last year, where his unplayable deliveries
handed the KKR the IPL title, he still managed to be the highest wicket-taking
spin bowler, making his place in my XI assured.
Dale Steyn (Sunrisers Hyderabad): The Sunrisers were never
favoured to reach the playoffs, and one of the key reasons they did lies in
Dale Steyn. The South African fast bowler plays with his heart on his sleeve,
and tends to take important wickets at opportune moments, a very impressive
attribute for a bowler.
Mitchell Johnson (Mumbai Indians): A toss up here between
Johnson and Malinga, but Johnson gets my vote for being the more consistent of
the two. Particularly at the start of the season, Johnson was on fire, taking
wickets almost a will, and producing some fantastic figures. Whilst others
began to take over towards the latter stage, Johnson still pitched in with two
valuable wickets in the final.
James Faulkner (Rajasthan Royals): A bit of an unknown
quantity before this season, Faulkner found his wings in this season’s IPL.
Involved in a game of leapfrog with Dwayne Bravo for the Purple Cap for the
majority of the season, Faulkner illustrated his talents with two five-for’s
against the same team, the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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