Star Indian offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed his all-time IPL XI, and the lineup he has come up with is quite compelling, showcasing some of the most iconic players to feature in the league. He has named an all-Indian top three: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Suresh Raina. Rohit, over the years, has been a mainstay for Mumbai Indians and has had a glittering IPL career, where he has managed to score 6628 runs in 257 matches, playing key roles in Mumbai’s five title victories that came in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
The second name in Ashwin’s team is that of all-time leading IPL run-scorer Virat Kohli. Kohli’s 8004 runs in 252 matches, and his strike rate of 131.97, having scored a record-breaking 973 runs in the 2016 season, stamp his authority to be categorized among the top IPL guns. Suresh Raina, fondly called “Mr. IPL,” fills the top order.
Having aggregated 5528 runs from 205 innings at an exceptional strike rate of 136.73 with 25 wickets in his kitty, Raina formed the backbone of Chennai Super Kings’ supremacy in the league. Coming to Ashwin’s middle order: Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers, and MS Dhoni probably form the most explosive yet reliable finishing trio the IPL has seen thus far.
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Suryakumar, who, until now had batted mostly at number six for Kolkata Knight Riders before going onto flourish at number three for Mumbai Indians, has scored 3594 runs in 150 matches at a strike rate of 145.32.
AB de Villiers, the original Merlin of audacious stroke play, made 5162 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 151.68 in 184 IPL matches. The legendary MS Dhoni, captain of Chennai Super Kings, has scored 5243 runs in 264 matches and is, without doubt, considered one of the best finishers in T20 cricket. Dhoni also got named as the captain of Ashwin’s all-time IPL XI.
Ashwin has selected a blend of both spin and pace in his bowling attack. He chose Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine as his spinners, both of whom are much more than useful with the bat as well. Narine – 180 wickets and three titles, and Rashid – 149 from 121 matches, have been game-changers in the league.
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The pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Lasith Malinga completes the team. While Bumrah and Malinga formed the pivot of Mumbai Indians success stories, Bhuvneshwar’s tally of 181 wickets in 176 matches, including a title-winning performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, make him an undeniable choice.
Ravichandran Ashwin picks his All-time IPL 11: [Cheeky Cheeka YT]
Rohit, Kohli, Raina, Surya, Devilliers, Dhoni (C & WK), Narine, Rashid, Bhuvi, Malinga, Bumrah. pic.twitter.com/Cz6C4N0Bjt
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 28, 2024
Ravichandran Ashwin’s All-Time IPL XI:
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Suryakumar Yada, AB de Villies, MS Dhoni (c), Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah
