IPL 2020: Best XI Of The Tournament

The 2020 season of the Indian Premier League [IPL] was probably the most closely-contested of all times

And, that was purely because of the amount of quality that was on display in both the batting and bowling departments.

But just like every other season, there were cricketers who stood head and shoulders over the rest of the pack thanks to their penchant for churning out performances on a consistent basis.

On that note, here’s a look at the best possible XI of IPL 2020:

Shikhar Dhawan

If there is one player who has substantially enhanced his reputation as a T20 player, it has got to be Delhi Capitals opener, Shikhar Dhawan.

There have been always been question marks on Dhawan’s ability to cash in on his start and take his innings to another gear after the powerplay. But in IPL 2020, Dhawan has shrugged that off with disdain.

After a relatively slow start, Dhawan turned up the heat with four consecutive 50+ scores- including two hundred.

He, however, failed in the finals as he was cleaned up for 13-ball 15 by Jayant Yadav. He eventually finished with 618 runs in 17 games at an average of 44.14 and a strike-rate of 144.73.

KL Rahul

His dip in strike-rate as compared to previous seasons notwithstanding, it is fair to say that KL Rahul continued to showcase his astounding consistency this year as well.

Rahul spearheaded the KXIP batting once again as he not only registered his second 600+ season tally in the past three years but he also became only the second Indian to notch up in excess of 600 runs in two different seasons.

Rahul eventually finished with 670 runs in 14 innings at an average of 55.83 and a strike-rate of 129.34 with five fifties and one hundred.

SuryaKumar Yadav

SuryaKumar Yadav once again proved just why he deserves to be slotted in Team India’s white-ball set-ups courtesy of yet another brilliant season where he racked up more than 400 runs.

Yadav not only enthralled with his sumptuous strokeplay but also left everyone in awe with his temperament as he chipped in with numerous match-winning innings.

Yadav also went on to become the first uncapped player to notch up 2000+ runs in the history of IPL. The stylish batsman finished with 480?? runs in 15 games at an average of 41.90 and a strike-rate of 148.23 with four 50+ scores.

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan had endured an underwhelming campaign in 2019 but Mumbai Indians continued to show their faith in the young wicketkeeper-batsman.

And, their faith paid off substantially as Kishan embraced almost every challenge that his side threw at him. Whether it was his near match-winning 99 against RCB earlier in the season or his unbeaten 30-ball 55 against DC in Qualifier 01, Kishan was absolutely brilliant this season.

In 14 games, Ishan Kishan racked up 483 runs at an average of 53.66 and a strike-rate of 144.17.

AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers once again proved to be the bedrock of the fledgling RCB batting-unit.

The South African superstar once again ensured that he lit up the IPL with his freakish talent even as his fellow teammates let him down in another failed campaign.

Whether it was the systematic annihilation of Jasprit Bumrah earlier in the season or his belligerence against Kolkata Knight Riders on a tricky Sharjah track, AB de Villiers was at his imperious best.

The Proteas legend eventually finished with 454 runs in 14 innings at an average of 45.4 and a strike-rate of 158.74 with five 50+ scores.

Rahul Tewatia

The spin-bowling all-rounder lit up the IPL with his situations defying and character-defining performances. His 53 against Kings XI Punjab, where he stroked 6 sixes in the last 8 deliveries he faced, after having managed 8 off his first 19, helped RR pull-off the highest run-chase in the history of the IPL.

Tewatia followed it up with yet another match-winning knock against SunRisers Hyderabad later in the tournament, proving that his heist against KXIP was not just a flash in the pan. The all-rounder was equally brilliant with the ball as he offered brilliant control during the middle-overs.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan once again proved just why he is the best T20 spinner in the world in the current era.

Khan not only claimed a bag of wickets but he also created a stranglehold around the batsmen which continued to tighten its grip as the season progressed.

In 16 games, Rashid Khan claimed 20 wickets at an average of 17.28 and an astonishing economy rate of 5.38- the best in the tournament.

Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer once again proved to be the ‘Most Valuable Player’ for Rajasthan Royals this season.

Not only did the fast bowler cranked up pace and hostility on a consistent basis, but he also chipped in with regular wickets without giving barely anything away, even as his fellow pacers continued to struggle at the other end.

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Archer finished with 20 wickets in 14 games at an average of 18.25 and his economy rate of 6.56 was the best among all fast bowlers who bowled more than 20 overs in the competition.

And, it was only with the ball that Jofra lit up the IPL. The charismatic cricketer used his long levers to the hilt this season, smashing as many 10 sixes besides claiming five catches. No wonder, he was named as the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of IPL 2020.

Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada once again spearheaded the Delhi Capitals bowling attack with disdain this year.

Forging an inevitable partnership with his compatriot, Anrich Nortje, Rabada displayed hostility and consistency to the hilt and every time Shreyas Iyer turned to his ace pacer, Rabada more-often-than-not delivered.

Jasprit Bumrah

He had a slow start to his 2020 IPL campaign but just as his critics started to question his form, Jasprit Bumrah turned up the heat big time, displaying just why he is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.

In a campaign where Bumrah broke Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s record of most wickets by an Indian in a single IPL season [26], Jasprit Bumrah broke his own record of best individual figures in his IPL career twice before eventually ending up with 27 wickets in 15 games at an average of 14.96 and an economy rate of 6.73.

Yuzvendra Chahal

His form might have tapered off at the backend of the tournament but Yuzvendra Chahal, courtesy of his brilliant performances in IPL 2020 once again proved that he is as important to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s fortunes as are the duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

Chahal ended as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the season, claiming 21 wickets in 15 games at an average of 19.29 and an economy rate of 7.08. He also ended up as the leading wicket-taker among all spinners followed by the charismatic Rashid Khan with 20 scalps.

Honorable Mentions- Devdutt Padikkal, Marcus Stoinis, Anrich Nortje, Ravichandran Ashwin, Quinton de Kock, Trent Boult, T Natarajan, Varun Chakravarthy