IPL 2020 | Shaun Pollock includes Rashid Khan, Archer and Bumrah in ‘Top 5 bowlers’ list for the season

11/15/2020

Legendary pacer Shaun Pollock picked his ‘Top 5 bowlers’ from IPL 2020 and decided to name leg-spin twins Rashid Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal in his list, leaving out KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy. Pollock also included Bumrah and Archer, while he was split in choosing between Boult and Rabada.

While the wickets in UAE, prior to IPL 2020, were viewed as a graveyard for bowlers, the exact opposite transpired in the tournament as it was the bowlers who dictated games. Remarkably, there were 8 bowlers who took 20 or more wickets in the season, with seven of the top ten wicket-takers being pacers. Fittingly, in the end, it was the team with the strongest bowling attack, Mumbai Indians, that walked away as victors, almost poetically indicating the value of having world-class bowlers in a T20 side.

Few know about the art of bowling better than the great Shaun Pollock and so in the aftermath, the South African, on Cricbuzz LIVE, picked his Top 5 bowlers from IPL 2020.

Pollock’s first pick was pretty straightforward - SRH’s Rashid Khan. Rashid, participating in his fourth IPL season, was by far the most economical bowler in the competition and remarkably ended the season with an ER of 5.37. To top that off, he picked 20 wickets to go along with his miserly ER, finishing as the competition’s second highest-wicket taking spinner.

Pollock’s second pick was the highest wicket-taking spinner, who was none other than RCB’s Yuzvendra Chahal. The wily leg-spinner carried the RCB attack on his shoulders and provided a breakthrough for his skipper every time Kohli demanded a wicket. Despite conceding runs at an ER of 7.08, Chahal picked a remarkable 21 wickets, firmly asserting himself as an MVP with the ball.

The third and fourth picks of Pollock’s list were also pretty obvious choices - Jofra Archer and Jaspirt Bumrah. Both Archer and Bumrah bowled all the important overs for their respective sides and both bowlers, astonishingly, ended the season with an ER under 7.00. While Bumrah, aided by a strong side, finished with 27 wickets to his name, Archer scalped 20 wickets in just 14 appearances despite RR finishing bottom of the table.

It was, however, the fifth and final pick in which the Proteas legend got stuck. Pollock was confused between his countryman Kagiso Rabada and powerplay giant Trent Boult, both of whom picked over 25 wickets in the season, and so decided to leave his choice ambiguous. The 47-year-old put an ‘either/or’ option next to the names of Rabada and Boult.

Apart from the aforementioned six bowlers, Pollock also gave a shout-out to Mohammad Shami, who according to the South African was unlucky to not make the list. Shami claimed 20 wickets for Kings XI Punjab, although he conceded his runs at an ER of 8.57.

Shaun Pollock’s Top 5 bowlers of IPL 2020: Rashid Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult/Kagiso Rabada