Best XI of the IPL 2020: Bumrah is there, but who else?

Sportco lists down the Best XI players for IPL 2020 edition

IPL 2020 was a breath of fresh air for us cricket deprived fans all over the world. The quality of cricket was top notch and on top of that, we saw some breathtaking performances that will be etched in our memories for years to come.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians was a class apart once again as they topped the leaderboard and was the first team to reach the playoffs. The Rohit Sharma-led team was far superior in both the departments of the game and is primed to be the champion again.

With the 2020 edition coming to an end, we take a look at the best eleven of Indian Premier League, 2020. We kept in mind the winning impact of the players and just mere numbers. Did your favorite make the list?

1) Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan became the first player in the history of IPL to score back-to-back centuries. Apart from this, he held the one end together for a vastly improved Delhi Capitals for the majority of the competition. 

Gabbar is second only to KL Rahul in the race for the prestigious Orange Cap. The Indian international is one of the primary reasons DC are in the finals and he takes the opening slot in our eleven.

2) David Warner

The explosive Australian led from the front for an over-performing Sunrisers Hyderabad side. He holds the record for the most number of Orange Caps in the history of the IPL and he came close to claiming it again.

He didn’t start the tournament well and looked far off from his usual self. However, once it boiled down to winning the remaining matches to qualify, he came into his own. Due to his performances and leadership, he is the opener as well as the captain of the side.

3) Suryakumar Yadav

There was a huge uproar when it came to light that Suryakumar Yadav or SKY as he is fondly known as has not been selected in the India squad for the tour to Australia. This is the testament to his cricketing ability and the impact he has had on MI’s dominance.

The Mumbaikar has all the shots in the book and is adept at playing both the pacers and spinners. His calm and composed presence helped other MI batsmen to go berzerk from the other end. His match-winning knock and by virtue of being the anchor for MI, he bats at number three for our side.

4) AB de Villiers

RCB went to the playoffs this year after the huge disappointments of the past two years and Mr. 360 had a huge role to play. More than once, he turned the tables and brought his team home from losing circumstances.

ABD struck the ball at 158.74 this season and was the firepower in RCB's fragile middle order. His ability to bring his team home and the impact he has on bowler’s minds cements his place in our best eleven.

5) Ishan Kishan

If you would have told me that Kishan was going to be the leading scorer for a star-studded Mumbai batting line-up, I would have laughed at you. However, the boy from Patna came in like a wrecking ball as he blasted most sixes in this edition of the IPL.

When others were trying to rebuild in the middle, Kishan was the stark opposite as he chose to counter-attack more often than not and to good effect. His performances may have alerted the Indian selectors, who are looking to replace MS Dhoni.

6) Marcus Stoinis

‘The Oil Rig’ was in full flow for Delhi Capitals churning out runs and picking up crucial wickets. The Australian is the all-rounder for our side.

Stoinis is a gem to have in the dressing room as he lifts the mood of the side with his on and off the field antics. On top of that, he backs it up with match-defining contributions. He came out all guns blazing in the eliminator and helped his team reach its first IPL final.

7) Rashid Khan

If you ask the IPL captains as to who is the one spinner they would like in their team, most of them would take his name. The Afghan international was among the wickets as soon he was brought in the attack and stemmed the flow of runs to great effect.

Rashid is also one of the best outfielders in the game and possesses a rocket arm. Apart from this, he also uses the long handle to good effect. He takes the sole spinner slot in our eleven.

8) Trent Boult

One of the strangest pre transfers of this IPL season was the trade of Trent Boult from Delhi Capitals to Mumbai Indians. The Kiwi is one of the best exponents of swing bowling and his transfer made no sense at the time.

He came back to haunt DC in Qualifier 1 as he reduced them to 0-3 and booked MI’s seat into the finals. The left-armer also brings variety into the equation and is a beast with the new ball. He takes the new shiny kookaburra for our eleven.

9) Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah is the best bowler in the world. Period. Time and time again, he has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with. In this edition of IPL, he is going toe to toe with Kagiso Rabada for the Purple Cap and boasts a mind-boggling average of 13.93.

His unorthodox action, toe-crushing yorkers, and well-aimed bouncers are his primary weapons of destruction. However, coupled with his fearsome pace, these are more than enough to send shivers down the batsmen’s spine. Bumrah is our death bowler in the best eleven.

10) Jofra Archer

When Jofra bowls, he produces thunderbolts in the 150s, and when he bats, he strikes them at 179.37, which is the third-best in the league. As it turns out, Archer not only possesses the tweet for every occasion but also wonderful performances for every situation this IPL.

The flamboyant fast bowler took wickets in a heap during the powerplay overs and gave breakthroughs to his team on most occasions. He takes the new ball with Boult.

11) T. Natarajan

Natarajan is the find of the IPL 2020 without a doubt. His unparalleled ability to bowl yorkers in this IPL took him straight into the national team reckoning and first call-up. The left-arm bowled thrice as many yorkers as bowled by Jason Holder, who was second in the table.

His story as to how he made it this far is an inspiration to many. He was carrying the drinks in the previous two editions for SRH but this season, he turned out to be a superstar. We can’t get enough of those pin-point yorkers and I am sure he is one to look out for in the future.