The IPL 2023 finished with a grandstand flourish from Ravindra Jadeja against Gujarat Titans that lifted the Chennai Super Kings to their 5th IPL title, immortalizing MS Dhoni‘s name in history books forever.
The IPL 2023 was one of the high scoring IPL seasons where the bowlers were put under the test with the pitches being favorable to batting on most grounds.
As the IPL 2023 comes to a magnificent, memorable conclusion, we, at The Cricket Lounge, did some brainstorming to put our best XI of the tournament.
Here is the best IPL 2023 XI by The Cricket Lounge:
Openers: Shubman Gill, Faf du Plessis
In the best XI at the end of the group stage, we had taken Yashasvi Jaiswal over Shubman Gill, but with a century in the Qualifier 2 against MI, the GT opener went past Jaiswal in our XI. Gill finished the season with 890 runs, the second-most runs for a batsman in an IPL season, only after Virat Kohli’s dreamy 973-run IPL 2016 tournament. Gill notched up 3 centuries and 4 fifties.
RCB opener and captain Faf du Plessis was behind Gill with 730 runs with 8 half-centuries.
Middle-order: Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh
Cameron Green lived up to his hype and price tag and delivered a terrific debut season: 452 runs at a strike rate of 160. Green also was a regular bowler for MI, though lacked potency.
Suryakumar Yadav had a bumper IPL season, and perhaps he’s gone a bit underappreciated: 605 runs at an average of 43 and strike rate of 181 with 5 fifties and 1 century.
Rinku Singh had his breakthrough IPL season and stunned everyone with some sensational hitting: 474 runs at an average of 59 and strike rate of 149, earning the trust of Andre Russell in the finisher’s mould.
All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja didn’t get a lot to do with the bat – 190 runs at a strike rate of 142 – but provided some late finishes, including in the final. He was more impressive with the ball in hand: 20 wickets at an economy of 7.56.
Wicket-keeper, Captain: MS Dhoni
Who else the captain and keeper but MS Dhoni. Inching toward the age of 42, while his knee may be injured, but his lightning fast stumping and sharp brain were as good as at the peak of his powers. Dhoni gave some terrific moments with the bat too, coming out late and swinging for fences, and bringing the roof down with those he connected: 104 runs at a strike rate of 182.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Matheesha Pathirana
For the first time in the IPL, the top three wicket-takers were all from the same team: 28 wickets for Shami and 27 each for Rashid and Mohit forming the strength of GT in the bowling department.
CSK’s young Pathirana emerged as a brilliant death bowler. Pathirana finished with 19 wickets, 18 of which came in the death overs.
