Before the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), fans are speculating about the upcoming winner of the tournament. Meanwhile, many experts have shared their choices for the best-ever IPL team.
The group choosing the team included ex-cricketers Wasim Akram, Matthew Hayden, Tom Moody, and Dale Steyn. Additionally, around 70 journalists were involved in the selection process.
The explosive Australian opener David Warner and India’s Virat Kohli were selected as the opening pair, with the powerful Chris Gayle, also known as the ‘Universe Boss,’ placed at the number three spot in the batting order.
In the middle order, the team has got Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, Suryakumar Yadav, and Dhoni. The trio of all-rounders in the 15-member squad comprised Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kieron Pollard.
The spin attack featured Rashid Khan along with Sunil Narine, and Yuzvendra Chahal. The fast bowling slots were unanimously filled by Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah.
The prestigious tournament will mark the completion of 16 years since the inaugural IPL auction on February 20, 2024.
Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn expressed a sentiment supported by many. He praised Dhoni as the epitome of leadership and excellence.
“It has to be MS Dhoni. He has won everything — World Cup, IPL, ICC Champions Trophy,” said Steyn.
“He’s a leader of men, and you’ve got a bunch of men here that are all at the highest level of their game, and they need someone who has been there and done that and can manage them extremely well on and off the field, so I will have to go with MS Dhoni,” he said.
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Tom Moody said, “It has to be MS Dhoni for me, the reason being MS Dhoni has won the title with very good squads and average squads, and that tells me a lot about the captain and how he can lead a variety of talent in a squad to success. “Rohit Sharma has been a brilliant captain for MI but MI have always had the best squads or up there with the best squads in the IPL since its inception,” he said.
All-time great IPL squad:
Greatest IPL XI: David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (captain), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga
Impact Players: Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal
