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Why I want Kolhi to captain my All Stars XI

November 05, 2020 17:29 IST

We have witnessed some fantastic performances in IPL 2020.

The stands were empty, but the cricketers provided top-notch entertainment for fans all over the world.

Some cricketers changed the fortunes of their teams with their sensational strokeplay or bowling. Other reputed names let down their teams when their skill and talent was most needed.

 

Laxmi Negi picks her All Stars XI after the IPL 2020 league games:

K L Rahul

KL Rahul

Rahul is the highest run scorer in IPL 2020, with 670 runs.

He scored five half centuries and a hundred, at an average of 55.83.

In his debut IPL season as captain, Rahul showed no signs of pressure hampering his form as a batsman.

 

David Warner

David Warner

On Tuesday night, the Australian batsman took Sunrisers Hyderabad to a last minute entry into the IPL 2020 play-offs.

Chasing 150 against Mumbai Indians, he scored an unbeaten 58 ball 85 to take SRH to a comfortable victory and knock KKR, on lower NRR, out of the competition.

Warner has scored 529 runs so far, including 4 fifties, at an average of 44.08 and a 136.69 strike rate.

 

Virat Kohli (C)

Virat Kohli

How can I leave out the best batsman in the world in any playing eleven?

Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore from the front this IPL, as he does in earlier seasons.

Unlike past seasons though, he didn't tinker with the teams and stuck to the core playing eleven.

Tactically solid, he has worked well with the new RCB coaching staff, headed by Mike Hesson and Simon Katich.

Kohli has 460 runs so far in this season. His match-winning knock of 90 not out off 52 balls against the Chennai Super Kings was certainly his best innings in IPL 2020.

 

Shreyas Iyer (VC)

Shreyas Iyer

Iyer is enjoying an amazing IPL season with Delhi Capitals.

Delhi, packed with talented youngsters, look a very strong and competitive side. Iyer, who is being praised for his strategic captaincy, has also contributed with the bat, scoring 421 runs.

 

A B De Villiers (wk)

AB de Villiers

'Mr 360' has played match-winning knocks for RCB this season; his latest one came against the Kolkata Knight Riders where he smashed a 33-ball 73 laced with six sixes while others struggled on the sluggish pitch.

De Villiers was also magnificent behind the stumps as wicket-keeper; he has scored 398 runs for RCB this season.

 

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes

The star all-rounder missed early IPL 2020 games because he was with his ailing father in New Zealand.

After joining the Rajasthan Royals, Stokes scored 110 runs in his first five knocks. He barely bowled.

When Stokes stepped out to chase against the Mumbai Indians, the most dominant team in the league, he hit a spectacular, unbeaten, century (a 60 ball 107). The Royals stunned MI by eight wickets in Abu Dhabi that night to stay afloat.

In the next match against Kings XI Punjab, he bowled his heart out and bagged two wickets.

He aggregated 285 runs in 8 matches.

We would have liked to see more of Stokes and his England and Royal team-mates Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler, but alas! Royals finished at the bottom of the points table.

 

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja

IPL 2020 didn't go the way the Chennai Super Kings had planned, but Jadeja stood out.

He batted quite well whenever he got a chance and scored 232 runs. His batting average of 46.40 and strike rate of 171.85 are the best for his team.

Jadeja achieved all this despite batting mostly at No 6. He also bowled with a lot of variety and picked up six wickets.

 

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan

The Afghan is the best spinner of IPL 2020. Rashid took 19 wickets in 14 matches, at a measly economy rate of 5.28.

The leg-spinner has plenty of variations in his bowling armoury and has been in superb form. He and Warner are the reasons for SRH's presence in the play-offs.

His best bowling performance was against the Delhi Capitals.

Coming into bowl in the seventh over, when Delhi were 54/2, Rashid bowled Shimron Hetmyer with his first delivery and followed that with the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Axar Patel.

He bowled an incredible 17 dots in his spell.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have done well every time Rashid is on song.

 

Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer

The Rajasthan Royals pace spearhead clocked over 145 kph consistently and produced the quickest delivery of IPL 2020, clocked at 153.62 kph. He was brilliant with the new ball in the Powerplay and got the Royals crucial breakthroughs.

Archer also impressed with the bat, striking some huge sixes. He bagged 20 wickets and scored 113 runs this season.

 

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal

Chahal has been Virat Kohli's go to bowler whenever the RCB skipper needs a wicket. Very early in IPL 2020, he stamped his authority, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The leg-spinner bamboozled the rampaging Jonny Bairstow first before cleaning up his India team-mate Vijay Shankar off the very next delivery to swing the game in RCB's favour as SRH collapsed.

So far, he has picked 20 wickets and will be looking for more.

 

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah

Boom Boom once again spearheaded Mumbai Indians's pace attack and formed a lethal partnership with Trent Boult. The pace duo wreaked havoc on teams this season and restricted runs.

Bumrah's death-overs mastery in the IPL stifled many opponents. He also enhanced his reputation as a go-to bowler under pressure.

With 23 wickets from 14 games he is currently the second-highest wicket-taker.

LAXMI NEGI