It's nearly a month before the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway in mid-April amidst coronavirus threat which has already postponed the league by two weeks. After bidding for the best available players at the IPL auction 2020, each team looks deadly strong to stake a claim for the coveted title this year. However, much before the IPL, it is time we pick the best XI players who can fit into the pre-season XI.
This team is picked based upon how players have performed in the past few years in the IPL. Players' current form and what they bring on to the table to help the balance of the team, is also taken into consideration.
Here's a look at Best IPL playing XI ahead of IPL 2020:
Contents
1. Openers – David Warner and KL Rahul
Out of all the available opening batsmen in this league, there's no better duo than David Warner and KL Rahul who can open the batting. Warner who is one of the explosive openers going around in the T20 circuit can go berserk at the top of the order. While on the other hand, KL Rahul is one of the most consistent T20 batters who has gone on to make immense progress in his T20 game.
The two batsmen would complement each other very well and more often than not would lay a great foundation for the rest of the batting to follow. Rahul relies more on his timing while Warner loves to tonk the ball. The duo can intimidate bowling attacks with an innate quality to play shots all around the park.
2. Middle-Order – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (C & Wk)
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two of the finest T20 playersAfter an explosive Warner – Rahul opening duo, it is much important to keep the flow of runs intact with a middle-order that can also stabilize the innings. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni can deliver exactly as per the team demands. With their plethora of experience of playing in the IPL, the trio can change their plans depending on what the game needs.
Rohit, who can take on the bowlers, loves to express himself with his ability to hit huge sixes. Along with him, Kohli can play the perfect second fiddle role in ticking the scoreboard over. And Dhoni, who has been the quintessential finisher for the Indian team, will lead also lead the team besides taking the gloves.
3. All-rounders- Hardik Pandya, Andre Russell
Russell and Pandya have proven their explosiveness as an all-rounder in the IPL (Pic Credits: Fox Sports)There's no better all-rounder than Hardik Pandya who has made immense progress in a relatively short span of time at the international level. He's a multi-utility cricketer who can do the finisher's job and can also bowl his entire quota of four overs of a regular basis.
Along with him, Andre Russell forms a perfect paring as someone who is known to decimate bowling attacks with the utmost ease. Russell can feature as a floater to be promoted at the top of the order depending on the situation. Based on their past IPL record, Russell and Hardik will walk in most IPL playing XI with ease.
4. Bowlers – Rashid Khan, Mohammad Shami, Imran Tahir, Jasprit Bumrah
In the bowling departments, Rashid Khan and Imran Tahir will do the spinner's job while Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah can take up the fast bowling duties. These four bowlers form a healthy attack with enough variety. Shami has been in decent form in the T20Is while the other three are experienced campaigners as fas as T20s as concerned.
