IPL 2021: Best XI Of The Tournament

IPL 2021 might have come to an abrupt end due to the rising COVID-19 cases; however, the 29 matches held gave the fans plenty of moments to remember. Similar to the previous IPL editions, this year’s season also witnessed some uncapped players displaying consistency. It proved the point yet again that the marquee T20 league is where talent meets opportunity.

Furthermore, some players used the opportunity to stake their claim for the T20 World Cup later this year. They have indeed made an irrefutable claim through their performances, and their sensational consistency by defying pressure and challenging conditions summed up the season for now. The return of IPL 2021 will need careful planning and arrangements, but the 29 matches contested thus far have given the best 11 players of the season.

We reflect on the best XI of IPL 2021:

Shikhar Dhawan:

Shikhar Dhawan was arguably in the form of his life as he consistently produced match-winning knocks for the Delhi Capitals. Shikhar Dhawan ended the season with 380 runs in eight matches at 54.28 with a healthy strike rate of 134.28. The left-handed batsman made three fifties en route to his golden run.

Dhawan’s highest score of 92 came against the Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai when he spearheaded a chase of more than 190. Jhye Richardson claimed his wicket by disturbing his stumps; however, he had taken Delhi to the doorstep of victory. The southpaw formed a fearsome opening partnership with Prithvi Shaw, one of the significant reasons for the Capitals’ dominance.

KL Rahul:

After earning the Orange Cap last year, KL Rahul was once again amongst the highest run-getters this season. With 331 runs in seven matches, KL Rahul stood behind Shikhar Dhawan in the run-scoring charts. Though the right-handed batsman maintained modest strike rates for his ability at the top, one could not blame the captain for playing that way, given Punjab Kings had a fragile middle-order.

Rahul made four fifties at a strike rate of 136.21 and averaged a jaw-dropping 66.20. The 28-year old was unfortunate to miss last Sunday’s game against the Delhi Capitals since he had to be rushed for an emergency appendicitis surgery. His highest score of 91 came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore as he batted throughout the innings to lead Punjab Kings to a match-winning total of 167.

Sanju Samson:

In his probably first stint as captain, Sanju Samson batted far more responsibly and ended the season as the fifth-highest run-getter. Sanju Samson’s 277 runs in seven matches were behind Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Faf Du Plessis, and Prithvi Shaw. He led the Rajasthan Royals to three victories in seven games.

The elegant right-handed batsman averaged 46.16 and struck at 145.78. Samson did not have any half-century to his name, but was the first centurion of IPL 2021, when he hammered 119 against Punjab Kings, chasing well over 200. Sadly, his swashbuckling hundred was not enough for Rajasthan as they fell short by four runs, with the captain losing his wicket in the final ball.

Glenn Maxwell:

Though Glenn Maxwell’s form slightly tapered away in the dying moments of IPL 2021, he had a season to relish. The pressure was on Glenn Maxwell, who the Royal Challengers Bangalore purchased for INR 14.25 crores, to deliver compelling performances. He started firing from the first match and played an instrumental role in their first three victories.

Maxwell struck two fifties in the first three games, with his highest score of 78 coming against the Kolkata Knight Riders. In the six innings out of seven, the 32-year old batted; it yielded 223 runs at 37.16 and kept a strike rate of 144.80. Hence, Maxwell’s batting position was apt and it gave him all the freedom.

AB de Villiers (wk):

Royal Challengers Bangalore keeper-batsman AB de Villiers once again proved himself as one of the most valuable players for the franchise. AB de Villiers rescued a wobbling side on a couple of occasions through his counterpunch, leaving the oppositions clueless. The veteran continues to boss T20 cricket, slamming 207 runs in seven matches at 51.75 and a strike rate of 164.28.

The 37-year old’s highest score of 76 came against the Kolkata Knight Riders, raising a 27-ball half-century in that match. He added 53 with Glenn Maxwell and 56 off 18 balls with Kyle Jamieson to lift his side to 204 in 20 overs on a tricky Chennai pitch. The right-handed batsman hammered nine fours and three sixes.

Rishabh Pant (c):

In his captaincy debut at the highest level, Delhi Capitals’ skipper Rishabh Pant marshalled his troops expertly. Though Delhi Capitals suffered two narrow losses due to Rishabh Pant’s debatable decisions on the field, he still ushered them to six wins in eight games. With that, the runners-up of IPL 2020 also finished this year’s season at the top of the table.

As for his performance with the bat, Rishabh Pant managed 213 runs in eight matches at 35.50 with a decent strike rate of 131.48. Pant made two fifties; however, both of them resulted in a losing cause. Nevertheless, the 23-year old remains a game-changer and number six looks an apt position to bat for him and could be trusted with the captaincy.

Ravindra Jadeja:

Ravindra Jadeja has become nothing less than an asset for Indian cricket in the past two years and proved his worth for the Chennai Super Kings as well this year. Ravindra Jadeja thrived in all three facets, tilting the scales towards the yellow army as they bounced back from a lean 2020. MS Dhoni’s men finished IPL 2021 as the second-ranked side. The defining moment for the Saurashtra all-rounder came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore when he trounced them single-handedly.

Jadeja first smashed 37 runs off the final over bowled by Harshal Patel, staying unbeaten at 62. He took three wickets with his left-arm spin and affected a run-out to earn the man of the match award. The 31-year old made 131 runs in seven matches, maintaining a strike rate of 161.72 and picked up six scalps at 26.83 with an economy rate of 6.70.

Chris Morris:

As the costliest player in the IPL 2021 auction, Chris Morris started scratchily; however, he steadily began living up to the billing. Chris Morris’ exploits with the bat helped Rajasthan Royals beat the Delhi Capitals from a losing position. His mammoth hits off Kagiso Rabada and Tom Curran in the last two overs helped overcome the Capitals, chasing 148.

The South African all-rounder heroics with the ball helped him climb rapidly in the wicket-taking charts as well. The right-arm seamer ended the tournament with 14 wickets in seven matches at 16 with a single four-wicket haul. Morris’ best figures of 4-0-23-4 came against the Kolkata Knight Riders, removing Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, and Shivam Mavi.

Rashid Khan:

Rashid Khan was not at his absolute best in IPL 2021; he was nevertheless the go-to bowler and a trump card for the struggling SunRisers Hyderabad. Rashid Khan took ten wickets in seven matches at 17.20. The Afghan-born wrist-spinner picked up these wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.14.

In doing so, Rashid ended up as the fifth-highest wicket-taker of IPL 2021. Nevertheless, SunRisers Hyderabad struggled as a whole since they managed only two victories out of seven. The Orange Army also changed the captain from David Warner to Kane Williamson; however, it did not make a difference in their last game.

Harshal Patel:

Though Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Harshal Patel went for a couple of expensive spells, he still finished IPL 2021 as the highest wicket-taker. Harshal Patel was arguably one of the best uncapped players of IPL 2021 and a breakthrough season after being part of the tournament for several years. He picked up 17 wickets in seven games at 15.17.

In the inaugural match of IPL 2021, Patel became the first bowler in the history of the tournament to take a fifer against the Mumbai Indians. The 30-year old’s nadir came against the Chennai Super Kings when Ravindra Jadeja smacked him for 37 runs in the 20th over. But, despite his economy rate being 9.17, he found a way to pick crucial wickets.

Avesh Khan:

Delhi Capitals’ Avesh Khan was yet another uncapped seamer impressing this year and made his chances count. Despite the Delhi Capitals having the likes of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav, they preferred Avesh Khan and he repaid their faith too. The 24-year old finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps in eight matches at 16.50.

The Indore-born seamer also maintained an impressive economy rate of 7.70. Khan often took the new ball, picking wickets with it and the old ball. Along with that, the youngster also executed the yorkers well at the death, compensating for Kagiso Rabada’s mixed form with the ball.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Prithvi Shaw Is The Young Indian Batsman Who Impressed Me The Most – Saba Karim