2016 IPL XI | Rohit and Gambhir miss out; Kohli to lead the team of the tournament

With the Indian Premier League only allowing four overseas players per XI, we have also restricted the number of overseas players in the team to four.

2. Warner (VC)

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Matches 16, Runs 779, Average 59.92, Strike Rate 149.23, Highest Score 93*)

3. AB de Villiers

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Matches 15, Runs 682, Average 56.83, Strike Rate 170.07, Highest Score 129*)

When Virat Kohli was lighting up the Chinnaswamy day in day out, there was someone called Abraham Benjamin de Villiers doing almost the same at the other end. The South African is only one of four batsmen to score a century thus far in this edition of the IPL, and has been a reason behind RCB success along with Kohli. ABD is third in the list of run-scorers this IPL and with 682 runs in the bag, he is 181 runs away from Gautham Gambhir, who is at fourth. With Kohli opening the innings, the South African batted at No.3 for most of the tournament, and played a match-winning knock of 79 off 47 balls against Gujarat Lions in the first qualifier to take RCB to the final.

4. KL Rahul (WK)

KL Rahul might not have scored centuries like Virat Kohli or AB de Villiers, but the Karnataka batsman has been an integral part of the RCB side in this edition of the IPL. Rahul joined his home IPL side from Sunrisers Hyderabad after the auction, and spent the first few matches of the season on the bench before taking up the wicket-keeping duties from Kedar Jadhav. Rahul, who is perceived as a Test player, adjusted to the demands of T20 cricket and has scored four fifties so far this season. He is also the third-highest run-getter for the team behind Kohli and de Villiers. With him also sharp behind the stumps, Rahul will wear the wicket-keeping gloves for the IPL XI.

5. Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan has been an IPL veteran having played all the seasons thus far, and was also an important cog in the wheels of the Kolkata team’s playoff run. In terms of runs scored, the Baroda batsman is 14th in the list behind a whole host of openers. But, his ability to provide power-packed flourishes in the end and his handy off-spin makes him a valuable addition at No.5 in the XI. The right-handed batsman scored three half-centuries in the tournament, and was the third-highest run-scorer for the team behind Gautham Gambhir and Robin Uthappa.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Matches 15, Runs 168, Strike Rate 134.40, Wickets 20, Economy Rate 8.07, Highest Score 36, Best Bowling figure 4/29)

When the Bangalore-based franchise snapped up the Australian for Rs. 9.5 crore in the auction in February, the franchise would have anticipated a greater amount of runs from Watson. With just 168 runs so far, Watson’s return from the bat has been underwhelming, to say the least. But the all-rounder has been a revelation with the ball, picking 20 wickets to sit second in the wicket-takers table. Watson also picked up a four-wicket haul in the first qualifier against Gujarat Lions to help RCB reach the final. With the Aussie being a valuable addition with the bat and the ball, Watson takes up the position in the team ahead of other contenders like Andre Russell and Chris Morris.

Mumbai Indians (Matches 12, Runs 237, Strike Rate 191.12, Wickets 6, Economy Rate 7.57, Highest Score 86, Best Bowling figure 2/15)

(Also Read: IPL 2016 Flop XI: Dhoni Captain, Negi Star; Bangar Coach, Preity Owner)

8. Yuzvendra Chahal

The Haryana leg-spinner is the fifth RCB player to make it to the XI along with Kohli, de Villiers, Rahul, and Watson. After starting the tournament inconsistently, Chahal picked up his game as the business end of the season approached and picked 12 wickets in the last five games during RCB’s run to the final. The bowling department of the Bangalore side has been criticised by one and all throughout the season, but the form of Watson and Chahal have helped them silence the critics. Chahal is third in the wicket-takers list behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Watson. The leg-spinner’s form also helped him clinch a spot in the Indian team for the tour of Zimbabwe.

9. Dhawal Kulkarni

With the spinners having gone through a horrid time in the IPL, instead of going for a second full-time spinner we have chosen a three-man fast bowling unit. Gujarat Lions pacer Dhawal Kulkarni comes into the XI after picking 18 wickets across the tournament. Kulkarni, who has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit, was the best bowler for the newcomers, and played a massive part in helping Gujarat reach the playoffs. In fact, the right-arm pacer almost helped them reach the final after picking four wickets in his opening spell against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first qualifier. However, AB de Villiers’ magnificent knock crushed the Lions’ hopes, but not Kulkarni's who makes it to the team of the tournament.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Matches 16, Wickets 23, Average 20.21, Economy Rate 7.50, Best Bowling figure 4/29)

The current Purple Cap holder has been the mainstay of Sunrisers’ bowling lineup which also includes Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman. The 26-year-old led the bowling attack after Nehra picked up an injury and took five wickets in the two playoff matches to take the team to the final. Blessed with the ability to swing the ball both the ways, Bhuvneshwar caused problems to the batsmen at the start of the innings, before returning at the end to produce some well-placed yorkers.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Matches 15, Wickets 16, Average 24, Economy Rate 6.73, Best Bowling figure 3/16)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final!

Follow us on FB and Twitter to keep track of the GOAT contest! Vote to see your favourite player crowned as the Greatest IPL Player of All Time. #IPLGOAT