If Andre Russell was the super-striker of the season, Hardik Pandya wasn’t too far behind. We knew Hardik to be someone who could strike some big shots but this season, he raised his reputation to someone who could clear the fence of virtually every ball.
Hardik scored 402 from 16 matches at an average of 44.66. But the most eye-catching thing was the strike rate of 191.42. The fastest fifty of the season from 17 balls came from Hardik’s bat. Also, he claimed 14 wickets to prove his credentials of being a genuine all-rounder.
The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League was one of the best ever. It featured so many last over finishes that intrigued the fans to the core. Keep Reading to find out IPL 2019 Best XI.
There were several players who stood out with glittering performance. Now that the league is over, it's time to look back at some of the top performers who comprise to form the Best XI of the league.
David Warner made an emotional comeback to the IPL after missing out last season due to the ban he was serving. However, he announced his return in the league in style this year. The SRH opener didn't captain his side this time but wasn't short of being a leader. He was the star of the tournament as far as batting is concerned.
Warner scored 692 runs from 12 innings at an average of 69.2. He had a strike rate of 143.87 and notched up 8 fifties and a century. The Australian ended up winning the Orange Cap for the 3rd time and became the first player to do so. He had to leave to Australia after 12 games for World Cup preparations. But once he left, the SRH side wasn't the same as the Orange Army somehow managed to make it to the playoffs but lost to Delhi Capitals in the Eliminator match.
When the IPL arrives and KL Rahul dons the jersey of Kings XI Punjab, we get to see an altogether different batsman. He provides thorough entertainment with his classy batting. Kings XI were heavily dependent on the opening pair of Rahul and Chris Gayle. While Gayle didn't deliver his usual form, Rahul was simply magnificent.
Many a times, the right-hander single-handedly carried his team across the line. In 14 matches, he scored 593 runs at an average of 53.91 and a strike rate of 135.39. Rahul made a century to go with 6 half-centuries. He finished as the second highest run-getter of the season behind Warner. But despite Rahul's charismatic show, the inability of the middle-order hurt KXIP as they failed to make it to the playoffs.
The highlight of the IPL 2019 was the meteoric rise of Delhi Capitals. The franchise had changed its name, jersey and the coaching staff before the start of the league. All the changes did wonders as they made it to the playoffs after 2012. The most impressive part, however, was the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer.
He had the responsibility of leading a bunch of youngsters as well as experienced internationals. Iyer did a brilliant job at that. His tactics worked well and DC's amazing run away from home is proof of that. Not just captaincy, the 24-year-old shone with the bat too. He scored 463 runs from 16 innings at an average of 30.87. More often than not, he played the sheet anchor's role that allowed the power hitters around him to flourish.
Another Delhi Capitals' batsman who played a major role in his side turning around the fortunes was Rishabh Pant. The left-hander is always the center of attraction whenever he is in the middle, be it with a bat in hand or with the gloves behind the stumps. Although this year wasn't as fruitful as 2018 for Pant, yet he did better than most.
The 21-year-old scored 488 runs from 16 matches at an average of 37.54. His strike rate was 162.67 and he also scored 3 fifties. The 18-ball half-century against Mumbai Indians turned out to be the second fastest of the season. Pant wasn't selected in the Indian squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which was announced midway through the IPL. But he didn't let that disappointment affect his game in the league.
When it comes to leadership, MS Dhoni is a sheer magician. That magic gets bigger when he dons the yellow of Chennai Super Kings. Once again, CSK made it to the playoffs like it wasn't a big deal. While other teams battled for a spot, CSK had sealed that well before anyone else.
Whenever Dhoni wasn't in the side, CSK wasn't the usual CSK. They lost both the matches in his absence. He was the most important player in the team and that reflected in his captaincy as well as batting. Dhoni scored 416 from 15 matches at an average of 83.20.
One man who set the IPL 2019 ablaze was Andre Russell. He was at his best with the bat in the league for Kolkata Knight Riders. In the first half of the league, he was alone carrying his team to victories with his powerful striking. There was no bowler who could stop the explosions from the Caribbean all-rounder.
Russell made 510 runs from 13 innings at an average of 56.67. But the most brutal aspect of his batting was the strike rate of 204.82 which was by far the highest in the league. He struggled with injuries but still delivered for KKR. He was also the highest wicket-taker for the franchise with 11 scalps. KKR failed to qualify for the playoffs but Russell was undoubtedly the player of the season.
If Andre Russell was the super-striker of the season, Hardik Pandya wasn't too far behind. We knew Hardik to be someone who could strike some big shots but this season, he raised his reputation to someone who could clear the fence of virtually every ball.
Hardik scored 402 from 16 matches at an average of 44.66. But the most eye-catching thing was the strike rate of 191.42. The fastest fifty of the season from 17 balls came from Hardik's bat. Also, he claimed 14 wickets to prove his credentials of being a genuine all-rounder.
Kagiso Rabada was a revelation for Delhi Capitals this year. Even though he was ruled out due to an injury in the latter half, yet he was terrifying for as long as he bowled. He was one of the premier reasons why DC did so well this year.
The South African pacer bagged 25 wickets from 12 matches. He was the Purple Cap holder for a large part of the league and until the final when Imran Tahir overtook him. Had he played the remaining games, Rabada would surely have walked away with the Purple Cap.
Imran Tahir was the standout spinner this season. He was the go-to bowler for the captain MS Dhoni. Whenever the team needed a wicket, Dhoni brought him on and the South African returned with wickets more often than not.
The leg-spinner took 26 wickets from 17 matches. He flew back home with the Purple Cap. It was in the final that he overtook Kagiso Rabada for the most wickets in the tournament. The 40-year-old ageless wonder was one of the reasons for the successful campaign for CSK.
Rajasthan Royals didn't have a great time in IPL 2019 as the Men in Pink finished 7th on the points table. But one man who kept waiving their flag high was Shreyas Gopal. He was one of the few bright spots for the franchise this year.
With his leg-spin, he troubled many world-class batsmen including the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Gopal took 20 wickets from 14 matches at an economy rate of 7.23. With his leggies and googlies, he was mighty impressive. With this performance, he could well be knocking the doors of the national squad for the 20-over Cricket World Cup next year.
IPL 2019 could be the breakout season for Deepak Chahar. The new ball bowler for Chennai Super Kings had an outstanding time in the tournament. MS Dhoni trusted him during the powerplay. More often than not, he bowled 3 overs during the fielding restrictions.
Chahar provided the early breakthrough for the team a lot of times. He took 22 wickets from 17 matches and ended up 3rd on the list of most wickets in the season. The 26-year-old could well be knocking the doors of the national squad with a successful outing.
Win Projections to be updated soon
