Indian national cricket team off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has named his all-time Indian Premier League (IPL) XI. The veteran player picked Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni as the captain of the team he named himself.
Ravichandran Ashwin picked Rohit Sharma as the opener for the team. The Mumbai Indians batsman is one of the leading run-scorers in the league and has also helped the team win five titles in the history of the league.
Along with Rohit, Ravichandran Ashwin picked Virat Kohli as the second opener. The Indian batsman has had huge success with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. He is the only player in the tournament with more than 8000 runs to his name and the most tons in the league.
Ashwin backed Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina, to bat at number 3. The left-hander has been one of the major factors behind Chennai Super Kings being the successful franchise in the league. He is one of the few batsmen in the tournament with more than 5000 runs to his name.
Ashwin then picked Suryakumar Yadav as the No. 4 batsman in his all-time IPL XI. The Mumbai Indians batsman is currently the best T20 batsman in the world and has made a massive impact on the league. In the 150 games, he has amassed around 3600 runs in the tournament.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru batsman AB de Villiers, who has been among the best overseas batsmen in the IPL, will bat at No. 5 in Ashwin’s all-time IPL playing XI. He scored over 5000 runs in the tournament and also hit three tons in the league.
MS Dhoni will be the captain and the wicketkeeper of the team. The former India captain guided Chennai Super Kings to five league titles and has made them the most successful franchise in the league. Apart from that, he has been the best wicketkeeper in the league along with his batting prowess.
In the spin bowling department, Ashwin opted for two foreign names. He picked Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine for the team. The duo has arguably been the best spin bowlers in the league and has put many teams’ batting line-ups in a bind.
Ashwin picked three fast pacers for his team. He backed Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the new ball bowler in his team. The Indian fast pacer has won the purple cap two consecutive times in the league and has taken 181 wickets.
Jasprit Bumrah, who is considered India’s best pace bowler, has also been named by Ashwin in his team. The fast bowler has been the main reason for Mumbai Indians’ success in the league. Along with him, Ravichandran Ashwin picked Lasith Malinga, who is considered an IPL legend.
Ravichandran Ashwin picks his all-time IPL XI
Here is Ravichandran Ashwin’s all-time starting XI
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (C&W), Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga.
