IPL 2020 UAE: The Strongest Playing 11 with only Indian Players

MS Dhoni to lead the team as we find the strongest and best playing 11 of only Indian players for IPL 2020 UAE.

Despite the turbulent weather at the moment due to player withdrawals and the COVID-19 pandemic, IPL 2020 is all set to commence from September 19th. Unlike the preceding 12 occasions, the impending season will be quite diverse in terms of flavouring.

That said, at its core, the cricketing battle will still remain the same. While the overseas stars add to the dynamics, at the end of the day, it is the team with the strongest Indian contingent that will come out successful.

In this article, we take a look at a playing 11 comprising the best Indian players who will feature at IPL 2020. Courtesy of the big gap due to the pandemic, there are no injury problems, and hence, the competition to make it to this squad will be full-fledged.

Methodology:

Consistency and current form would be the key criteria for selection to the squad. While IPL performance in the last two years would be the main filter, International/Domestic data has also been analyzed wherever relevant to weigh equivalent prospects. So, without wasting much time, let’s dive into the best 11 Of Indian players for IPL 2020 UAE.

Openers:

KL Rahul (KXIP) || Rohit Sharma (MI)

Let alone an Indian squad, had it been a World XI too, KL Rahul would have still opened the innings. The Karnataka lad has been in immense touch, both for his country and his franchise in the last two years. For India, in 2019 and 2020, KL has scored 679 runs from 16 games, an impressive stat considering he only arrived at his peak during this period. In IPL, KL has been one of the top run-getters ever since he has donned the KXIP jersey.

Had it been only IPL stats, Shikhar Dhawan would have clearly overtaken Rohit Sharma to this squad. However, Rohit is an elite talent, and you just cannot miss out on him in any playing XIs. Comparing their T20I stats, while Rohit has accumulated 536 runs in 18 innings in the last two years, Shikhar has got himself 356 runs in 14 games.

Middle-order:

Virat Kohli (RCB) || Rishabh Pant (DC) || MS Dhoni (C&WK) (CSK)

Considering that the current middle-order of the Indian T20 team is at a development stage, we thought it would be valid to bring in a few IPL stats to pick this department. Nevertheless, Virat Kohli makes it to this squad even without referring to any of these stats. The Indian captain is an impact player, and no matter the colour of his jersey, the output will yet remain similar.

Coming to the other members, a lot of stat-based filtering was necessary. Beating both Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey, young Rishabh Pant qualifies to his squad. Major credit must go to his IPL stats though. In the last two editions, Pant has managed 1172 runs at a strike rate of 167 from 30 games. This stat is overwhelming for any batsman on the globe. Moreover, he is the leading run-scorer in the last three years in IPL with over 1500 runs. 

For the No.5 position, however, despite his retirement, MS Dhoni is the firm option. While his batting for the Indian team lay on dilemma, with yellow on his chest, the end result has never been disappointing. Also, MSD’s eye behind the stumps and captaincy skills push him to occupy this slot in the playing XI.

All-rounders:

Hardik Pandya (MI) || Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)

If you look at T20I cricket over the years, it has predominantly been only Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja for team India donning the all-rounder duties. It is only when they have been unavailable that the likes of Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Krunal Pandya, and Washington Sundar have got a chance in the squad.

While that’s the case with Team India, the duo has been equally good in the IPL. If you take the last two IPL editions, Hardik has scored 762 runs and taken 32 wickets in 29 games, while Jaddu has got numbers of 195 runs and 26 wickets in 32 games. These two are also most likely going to represent India in T20 World Cup 2021. 

Bowlers:

Deepak Chahar (CSK) || Kuldeep Yadav (KKR) || Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB) || Jasprit Bumrah (MI)

A genuine wicket-taker at the top, Deepak Chahar’s rise to prominence in the Indian squad has been courtesy of his performances in the IPL. While he produced ten wickets in 2018, the Rajasthan bowler came out with his best in 2019 with 22. Not to mention, Deepak is also a decent buck with the bat at No.7, and has been India’s best pacer in 2019. 

Although the likes of Rahul Chahar and Shreyas Gopal are close, India’s best bet is still the Kul-Cha partnership. While Kuldeep has had a difficult ride in recent months, his uniqueness and wicket-taking ability are aspects that cannot be ignored. As for Chahal, he is at his peak with his performances, and his knowledge of the game makes him a quality addition to the lot.

Jasprit Bumrah is arguably the best bowler on the planet at the moment in limited-overs cricket. His consistency is unbelievable, and there is no way you could imagine a playing 11 without him being the center of attraction. Bumrah’s IPL stats are not bad too having taken 56 wickets in the last three years; the most by any pacer.  

So, that completes our best 11 of Indian cricketers for IPL 2020. If you observe closely, 9 of these 11 players are certain to represent the strongest playing 11 for Team India. It is only Rishabh Pant and retired MS Dhoni, who would most-likely be replaced by Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey had it been International cricket. 

The Best 11 of Indian Cricketers for IPL 2020 UAE:

KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (C&WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Thanks for reading! Do you think we got the playing 11 right, or do you fore see any replacements? Please, share your thoughts on business@cricalytics.com

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