The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has concluded, with players and coaching staff now returning to international cricket. Amid the transition, England pacer Reece Topley revealed his all-time T20 XI during an exclusive conversation with CricTracker. His selections featured several legendary names, but there were also a few notable omissions that are likely to spark debate among cricket fans.
Topley has experienced the IPL from close quarters, having represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians. He joined RCB in 2023 and made only one appearance during his debut season. After spending a season with the franchise, the English fast bowler moved to Mumbai Indians in 2025. However, he did not feature during the IPL 2026 campaign.
During his conversation with CricTracker, Reece Topley named an explosive top order for his all-time T20 XI. Surprisingly, five-time IPL-winning captain Rohit Sharma did not make the cut. Rohit has also led India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title. Another major omission was West Indies great Sunil Narine, who has enjoyed remarkable success across franchise T20 cricket.
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Reece Topley selected former West Indies captain Chris Gayle and England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler as his opening pair. Both have established themselves among the most destructive batters in T20 history. Gayle has accumulated 14,562 runs and 22 centuries in the format, while Buttler has moved past him in the overall run-scoring charts.
Buttler has amassed 14,890 T20 runs and is closing in on the 15,000-run milestone. He has also scored nine centuries, highlighting his consistency and ability to dominate bowling attacks at the top of the order.
At No. 3, Reece Topley picked Virat Kohli, a player he knows well from their time together at RCB and their international battles. Kohli remains the IPL’s leading run-scorer with 9,336 runs and has also crossed 4,000 runs in T20Is for India.
India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav was chosen at No. 4, followed by former RCB star AB de Villiers. Topley then named Kieron Pollard as captain at No. 6. The former West Indies all-rounder is just one run away from 15,000 T20 runs, underlining his extraordinary longevity in the format.
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Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi was selected next, while Lasith Malinga and Brett Lee formed the pace attack. Surprisingly, Topley left out Dwayne Bravo, widely regarded as one of the finest all-rounders in T20 history. India’s Jasprit Bumrah was also included, while legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was selected as the XI’s frontline spinner.
