Dream Team: An IPL XI based on past IPL performances

Creating a dream team is always an enjoyable pursuit. With Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 on the way, it is fitting to create an Indian Premier League (IPL) dream team based on past IPL performances. Shiamak Unwalla creates an IPL team that would be nigh unbeatable.

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1:  Chris Gayle (Kolkata Knight Riders & Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Is there any doubt about the first name in the line-up? Chris Gayle is the undisputed king of cool in world cricket, and a man who manages to live the dream life both on and off the field. His IPL record is nothing short of legendary; despite a poor season in 2014, Gayle averages a whopping 47.5 and scores his runs at a ferocious strike rate of 154.56. His four IPL tons are by far a record.

2:  Shaun Marsh (Kings XI Punjab)
If Gayle was a shoo-in, his opening partner proved to be a far less straight-forward option. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Gautam Gambhir all have more runs than Marsh, but where the Australian left-hander trumps them is a superior average. Tendulkar averages 34.83, Sehwag 28.89, and Gambhir 30.17, whereas Marsh averages 43.84. Marsh (133.31) also has a better strike-rate than Tendulkar (119.81) and Gambhir (125.37), though Sehwag’s strike-rate of 157.33 towers above them all. Given the discrepancy in averages and strike-rates though, Marsh pips all three.

3:  Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)
Another no-contest in the side, it would not be a stretch to call Suresh Raina an IPL legend. The leading run-scorer in IPL; the only man to score over 3,000 IPL runs; at least 400 runs in every edition of IPL; a proven big-match player — the adjectives can go on. Raina averages 35.75 with a strike-rate of 142.03. He has hit 23 fifties and a century. Added to that, he is a phenomenal fielder and a useful bowling option. He pips Virat Kohli for the crucial No. 3 spot because of far better numbers.

4:  Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians)
Rohit “Hitman” Sharma is the second highest run-scorer in IPL, and in all likelihood will go past 3,000 IPL runs this season. He averages a comparatively modest 32.25 at a strike-rate of 129.59, but is more than capable of accelerating at any given time. He is also quite proficient at finishing matches — he chased down over 20 runs in the final over on two separate occasions in IPL 2009. With 21 half-centuries and a ton, he has proven himself a batsman who can play the long innings. He also has an IPL hat-trick to his name!

5:  AB de Villiers (Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
AB de Villiers comes in at No. 5 in the line-up, but can be used as a floater as and when required. His average of 34.86 comes along with a strike-rate of 138.89; though we all know those numbers don’t tell the full tale. Arguably, the most dangerous batsman in the world, he can change any format of the game in a jiffy with his innovative brilliance. He is capable of scoring 31-ball 100s as well. He narrowly edges past David Miller despite the fact that Miller enjoys the highest average (48.10) for any batsman with over 500 runs and has the fifth-highest strike-rate (153.18). However, Miller has played only two seasons while de Villiers has been a consistent performer since the start of IPL.

6:  MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings) – captain and wicketkeeper:
Without a doubt the best captain in IPL history — Dhoni has captained CSK in 112 matches and won 61.26 percent of those games including two IPL finals — Dhoni has also done exceptionally well with the bat. Dhoni specialises in finishing games in ODIs, and that fact does not change in IPL. He has a record 35 not outs to his name, which contributes to his average of 40.84. Given that he has a strike- rate of 142.14 and 14 half-centuries, it would be hard to find a better No. 6 than him. He will also lead the side and keep wickets.

7:  Dwayne Bravo (Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings)
Dwayne Bravo is the sole all-rounder in the side, and makes his way in at No. 7 ahead of fellow all-rounders Jacques Kallis and Irfan Pathan. Kallis has scored far more runs, but his bowling record fades in comparison, while Bravo maintains a healthy record with both bat and ball. On the other hand, Pathan has impressive numbers as well, but he falls a bit short of Bravo in terms of both batting and bowling.

 

8:  Amit Mishra (Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Amit Mishra might not be an obvious choice to some, but his tremendous IPL record simply cannot be discounted. Mishra is the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, and the only man other than Lasith Malinga to take over 100 wickets in IPL. He also has the most hat-tricks (3) and takes a wicket every 18.5 balls for the cost of 22.19 runs. Mishra is capable of running through sides on his day, as he demonstrated against Pune Warriors India in IPL 2013. With 14 runs needed off 12 balls, Mishra took four wickets — including a hat-trick — for two runs in the penultimate over to seal the game. He edges out fellow spinners Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla due to his superior numbers.

 

9:  Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders)
If Gayle and Raina were the obvious names in the batting line-up, Lasith Malinga and Sunil Narine are the bowlers who make it through without question. Narine has been the ace for KKR ever since being picked by the franchise in 2012. He has taken at least 20 wickets in every season he has played so far. His least successful outing was in 2014, and even then he ended with an economy rate of less than seven, a strike rate under 19, and an average of less than 20. Though he is now less of a mystery than he was in the beginning of his career, Narine remains a potent force in IPL.

 

 

10:  Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians)

Malinga is the Gayle of bowlers. That is perhaps the best way to describe the death-bowling Yorker specialist the world knows as “Slinga” Malinga. A wicket-taker of unparalleled ability, Malinga strolls into the side no questions asked, with 119 wickets in 83 games — the highest in all IPL — at an average of 17.66 and a strike rate of 16.2. Between Malinga and Narine, the opposition batsmen will probably have to resign themselves to eight overs for less than run-a-ball.

 

11:  Dale Steyn: Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad
One would be hard-pressed to find a better new-ball combination than Malinga and Dale Steyn. While Vinay Kumar has more wickets than Steyn — only just — he pales in economy rate and average, though he boasts a better strike rate.

 

NOTE 1: The likes of Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Jacques Kallis were all close contenders but missed out by mere fractions. This does not mean they were not good enough, and had the list been prepared by someone else perhaps they would feature.

 

 Note 2: This is a dream team, and therefore does not restrict itself to having only four foreign players; rather it looks at the best possible playing XI. For argument’s sake assuming only four foreign players would be allowed, they would be: Gayle, de Villiers, Narine, and Malinga.

(Shiamak Unwalla is a proud Whovian and all-round geek who also dabbles in cricket writing as a reporter with CricketCountry. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)