ES IPL XI- Best of IPL 2015

The world’s most colorful league might have come to an end with a rather one sided finale at the Eden Gardens but this year’s IPL has produced its own share of scintillating cricket and entertained the cricketing world to no end. From the big sixes of Chris Gayle to the guile of the turbanator Harbhajan Singh, the fever indeed gripped this country and the hangover is just as fresh as ever. EssentiallySports presents you with their best IPL XI of the season keeping in mind with the four foreigner rule of IPL

1. David Warner

‘Cometh the hour, cometh the Champion’ is the right way to describe this Aussie pocket dynamite. He nearly and singlehandedly put the otherwise out of sorts Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs with some conventional ‘belting’ of the cricket ball.

With 562 runs at 43.23, and striking at 156.56, he ran away with orange cap long before the play-offs began and hence made a name for himself in this edition of the IPL.

2. Ajinkya Rahane

This ‘silent warrior’ has almost turned out to be a run machine for the Royals. Rajasthan ended up playing at make shift home grounds including the dusty Brabourne Stadium, but the team accustomed to the bouncy Jaipur track adjusted wonderfully to produce some excellent cricket largely due to Rahane. The Mumbaikar who has centuries at the Lords and MCG looked completely at ease against the quicks and nifty against the spinners too. He looks like a player at home in T20 cricket and hence Rahane ended up the opener along with David Warner. Also, he was second on the list for orange cap with 540 runs.

3. Shreyas Iyer

Much was expected from this Mumbai lad and he delivered it big time on the big stage. With some exquisite stroke making coupled with power, this Delhi Daredevils batsman stole the show in another lacklustre Delhi campaign. He was adjudged the emerging player and remains quite modest about his future. He scored more than 400 runs in the season.

4. Rohit Sharma(Captain)

The Hitman makes the cut into the team as a captain as well after an impressive turnaround in the tournament as his team romped home with the title. Rohit had a big part to play leading a side that looked bereft of self belief after a dismal start. The skipper made it count on the big day by providing the much needed impetus into Mumbai innings at the Eden Gardens, where he hasn’t put a foot wrong so far. He is known strokemaker capable of upping the ante at will and he used to good effect in this years tournament. He also proved to be dynamic at the same time collective as far as captaincy is concerned and it directly pinpoints to the success of the Mumbai Indians.

5. AB De Villiers

This guy is a class act. Mr.360, is unanimous addition into the team, just by his sheer class. His 133 of 59 at the Wankhede Stadium was beyond just a treat to the cricketing eye. RCB a star studded side, were some how struggling to find their rhythm at the start but Gayle and then AB pulled them through to the playoffs where they lost a close one to Chennai Super Kings. Once again amassing over 500 runs at 46.33, de Villiers showed why he is once of the best, going around in the game.

6. Andre Russell

The best in this slot is none other than the Big Jamaican himself. Andre Russel, with 326 runs in 13 games, at a breathtaking strike rate of 192.89, which included a staggering 19 ball 50 against the Kings XI Punjab. He made it his show, time and again in the Eden Gardens. He won games single handedly at times, finishing off the job in style. He also has 14 wickets to show making him the best all rounded in the tournament and hence the ‘Most valuable Player’. KKR might have just missed the play offs but Russel for sure makes it into this team.

7. Pawan Negi

This Delhi found himself under his National team’s captain and he made the most of it. He might not have the best of the stats to show for picking up just 6 wickets, but has a shown some serious potential. He walked into the side with Chennai’s premier spinner Ashwin injured and he stuck soon after, his uncanny ability of using the long handle to good effect also makes him a perfect candidate for this spot in the team.

8. Harbhajan Singh

The turbanator is back and yes indeed with a bang, his 18 wickets at a strike rate of 19.00 just doesn’t give the real picture. He has consistently been a match winner for the IPL champions by striking at critical junctions time and again throughout the league. The veteran earned a call up to the national squad after a stellar show in this season. His batting too came to the fore at times including a fifty of 19 balls and some crucial cameos that propelled ordinary looking scores.

9. Yuzvendra Chahal

This Haryana lad made his name as potentially good leg spinner in 2014 edition of the IPL with 14 wickets.

But with 23 wickets this year at an astounding strike rate of 12.21, Chahal has almost come of age. He was crucial in RCB making the playoffs and produced a stellar spell against CSK at Ranchi before his team went down fighting. The most heartening thing to see is a leg spinner, let alone someone so young, bowling flat at the Chinaswamy deck and sometimes even at the death. Virat Kohli threw the ball to Chahal time and again in crises situations and the leg spinner came out on top on most of them.10. Ashish Nehra

Its almost been 12 years since Nehra ran in on the lively Kingsmead pitch in Durban and made the English batsmen look vulnerable to incisive seam bowling with pace and now he’s still there, maybe not as quick as he used to be but definitely sharp. His 22 wickets came at a healthy economy rate of 7.2 which proved that he even put the screws on some of the best players in the league. CSK did have an Indian international in Mohit Sharma in their ranks but it was Nehra who led the attack and defied his age by being a star performer of the league and hence the Indian seam bowler of the team.

11. Mitchell Starc

This lanky Australian speedster would walk into any XI of any team in limited overs cricket and he proved it big time in this years IPL as well. 20 wickets from 13 matches at 12 balls per wicket and an economy of 6.75 is magical but is a glaring reality as far the best in world is concerned.

RCB were initially struggling with their bowling upfront at the start of the tournament with Sean Abbot, but once Starc was fit and raring to go, the team unleashed him at the start and he went about doing his ‘thing’: picking wickets. A wicket taking bowler is a bonus in T20 cricket along with being economical and Starc is the complete fast bowling package.