Shakib Al Hasan Picks Gautam Gambhir As Captain In His Best IPL XI

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan might be distant from the gentleman’s game, yet he has plenty of takeaways during his hiatus. Due to Shakib Al Hasan’s exemplary show with the bat, Bangladesh managed to punch well above their weight in the 2019 World Cup. They defeated the likes of South Africa and the West Indies while competing well with Australia, India, and New Zealand in a losing effort.

Also Read: Aakash Chopra Names 10 Youngsters To Watch Out For In The Future

However, for not adhering to the regulations of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, the off-spinner faced a ban from all cricket for two years. While Shakib didn’t embroil himself in any spot-fixing scandal, he didn’t report the same to the world cricketing body. The 33-year-old would complete his ban in October 2021.

Meanwhile, when Shakib Al Hasan engaged in a conversation with Harsha Bhogle for Cricbuzz, he picked up his greatest IPL XI. While the veteran all-rounder had challenges picking the same, Shakib eventually named comprising of the players he played with. The Magura-born named David Warner and Robin Uthappa as openers while Gautam Gambhir as captain, batting at number three.

He moved on to include himself at number five while slotting Manish Pandey at four and Yusuf Pathan at number six. The likes of Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey have played for both Kolkata and Hyderabad-based franchise. All three have played together for Kolkata Knight Riders as well.

Marquee West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell occupies the number six spot, whose strike rate of 186.41 is the highest in the tournament history. Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Lakshmipathy Balaji complete the pace bowling department while Sunil Narine would play as the lone frontline spinner.

Shakib Al Hasan’s IPL XI:

David Warner, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir (C), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Andre Rusell, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Laxmipathy Balaji, Umesh Yadav

Also Read: Nathan Lyon Rates India-Australia Rivalry At Par With The Ashes