The latest week in the 2020 Indian Premier League was an entertaining affair and saw Delhi Capitals establish themselves atop the table.
Since the start of the tournament in October, we have been picking the Team of the Week with help from our social media followers. We’ve narrowed down the top performers to 22 players before putting them to a vote on our Instagram stories.
After a 24-hour voting period in which two players jostled for each position, this is the final XI.
KL Rahul – Kings XI Punjab
Although Shikhar Dhawan has a strong claim to this slot after his brilliant century against Chennai, KL Rahul is a worthy winner after his string of consistent displays. Three successive half-centuries has extended the opener’s season tally to over 500 runs, with his average now shooting up to an impressive 75.
His latest knock of 77 against the Mumbai Indians was instrumental in delivering a desperately needed win for KXIP via two Super Overs.
Quinton de Kock – Mumbai Indians
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The South African wicketkeeper batsman was slow to get off the blocks for Mumbai and was in real danger of losing his spot to Chris Lynn. Thankfully for both Mumbai and de Kock, the team management’s persistence with the southpaw has paid off handsomely.
His latest knocks of 53 and 78 against KXIP and Kolkata respectively means that de Kock has now registered four half-centuries in his last five outings. The Proteas stalwart has always carried bags of talent and it was only a matter of time before he started to stamp his authority on the IPL.
Virat Kohli – Royal Challengers Bangalore
The RCB skipper was looking hopelessly out of touch at the start of the campaign, but his recent displays are a timely reminder that class is permanent. His last six outings have fetched him 329 runs and he is back to being the anchor around whom Bangalore’s batsmen can build their innings.
There is still scope for improvement in Kohli’s batting and he has struggled at times to up the ante. His strike-rate of 127 can definitely go higher, and the India star will be the first one to admit the need for more urgency.
AB de Villiers – Royal Challengers Bangalore
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The need for a higher strike-rate is no issue at all for Kohli’s RCB team-mate who has once again shown why he is the IPL’s best match-winner. There are few superlatives left to describe de Villiers’ brilliance after his latest rescue act for Bangalore against Rajasthan Royals.
His runs this season, which now includes four fifties, have come at an astonishing strike-rate of 190. The South African has been mercurial in the early goings, although very few players have been able to match his levels when he’s turned it up.
Nicholas Pooran – Kings XI Punjab
The talented Windies batsman had a less than auspicious start to his campaign after he infamously bagged two ducks in the same T20 match. Pooran though, has bounced back strongly to his credit. The left-hander has been mostly tasked with finishing off the innings for KXIP, and he has performed the role admirably.
His 19 sixes in the ongoing edition is the joint highest alongside de Villiers and Sanju Samson, and the ball has travelled a fair distance whenever Pooran has struck it cleanly.
Kieron Pollard – Mumbai Indians
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The fan favourite has barely put a foot wrong in this campaign and is a big reason why Mumbai Indians have done well so far. The Windies skipper is averaging a staggering 208 in the tournament, though that is largely down to him being dismissed just once.
It is Pollard’s strike-rate of 200 which is the most impressive aspect of his batting this season, and he has delivered the big hits in the death overs for Mumbai. With him finding consistency so early on, Mumbai will believe they can retain their crown.
Axar Patel – Delhi Capitals
To maintain an economy-rate of less than six after eight matches is an impressive return from Axar Patel. He has quietly gone about his business to restrict the rate of scoring, while Delhi’s pacers like Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have picked up the accolades.
Delhi have barely missed Amit Mishra’s leg-spin wizardry after an injury, with Patel stepping up as a more than able replacement. His ability to strike big blows with the bat is under-rated as well, and his three late sixes off just five deliveries sealed a thrilling run-chase against Chennai Super Kings.
Yuzvendra Chahal – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Image: BCCI/SPORTZPICS.
No spinner has picked up more wickets than Chahal in the 2020 edition and his 13 scalps have been vital to Bangalore’s rise to the top three. On the slow pitches in the UAE, the leg-spinner has not been afraid to impart plenty of flight on the delivery.
His tactic of tossing it up wide off the reach of the batsmen has worked perfectly, and several big hitters have perished in attempting to hit him out of the park. His wickets played a big role once again in Bangalore’s most recent win over Rajasthan.
Rahul Chahar – Mumbai Indians
If there were any doubts that the youngster was a one-season wonder, they would have been banished by now. Chahar is now just two wickets shy of equalling his tally of 13 wickets in 2019, and looks destined to have his best individual IPL campaign yet.
He provides wickets as well as control to Mumbai in the middle-overs, and his importance to the squad will only grow as the pitches become slower.
Kagiso Rabada – Delhi Capitals
Image credit – BCCI/SPORTZPICS.
Lockie Ferguson will feel hard done by to miss out after his riveting maiden appearance of the season, but Rabada has a strong shout of his own as the bowler of the season so far.
The South African is running away with the Purple Cap after extending his tally to 19 wickets and has been a consistent threat throughout the campaign. The express pacer also brought up his 50th IPL wicket most recently, and he has done it in the quickest time compared to any bowler in IPL history.
Jasprit Bumrah – Mumbai Indians
Why Jasprit Bumrah is considered to be the premier T20 bowler was on display on the weekend as the Mumbai pacer conceded a paltry five runs in the first Super Over against KXIP.
He was unfortunate to still end up on the losing side despite those heroics, which came after he had snared three wickets in the regulation 20-over innings. He is now behind only Rabada in the wicket-taker’s list, with 15 scalps in nine games.
