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The ninth edition of the Indian Premier League is set to end with Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final at Bengaluru on Sunday.
The International stars such as Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and David Warner once again showed their prowess in a yet another gruelling IPL season.
But, like in every season of the IPL, budding youngsters such as Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhawal Kulkarni also made their mark.
The Quint takes a look at the eleven players, who would make the cut for the IPL XI.
Batsmen
1. Gautam Gambhir
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir led his team’s campaign from the front yet again. The Delhi lad scored 501 runs at an average of 38.53.
Gambhir, who captained KKR to two IPL title wins in 2012 and 2014, smashed five fifties in this season.
2. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has been the biggest star of the ninth edition of the IPL. The Royal Challengers Bangalore captain became the first player to score four centuries in a single IPL season.
During the season, Kohli also became the first player to score over 4000 runs in the IPL.
3. AB de Villiers
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AB de Villiers never fails to disappoint the RCB fans. The South African has delivered in every season of the IPL.
He and Virat Kohli have taken Bangalore to victory on several occasions in this season. The duo also set the record of the highest partnership (229) of the IPL in the match against Gujarat Lions.
4. David Warner
David Warner has been Sunrisers Hyderabad’s trump card this season. Whenever Hyderabad were in trouble, the captain always put his hand up and took his side to victory on most of the occasions.
The Australian has smashed eight fifties in IPL nine and notched his best score of 93* against Gujarat Lions in the second qualifier match.
Wicket-Keeper
5. Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa had another brilliant IPL season. He scored 394 runs at an average of 26.26. The Karnataka lad gave Kolkata a lot of good starts alongside Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order.
Uthappa also effected the second most dismissals (14) with the gloves in IPL nine.
All Rounders
6. Shane Watson
After Mitchell Starc was ruled out of the IPL, Shane Watson took the responsibility of being the lead speedster in the RCB side.
The Australian may not have contributed with the bat, but he has shone with the ball which helped Bangalore defend the opposition’s total and restrict the opposition to modest totals on several occasions.
He is currently the second highest wicket taker in this year’s IPL with 20 wickets.
7. Yusuf Pathan
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Yusuf Pathan had an on and off IPL this year. But he has chipped in with some important 30 plus scores in the crucial number five position for Kolkata Knight Riders.
His average of 72.20 shows that he has remained not out on several occasions while taking his team to victory or to a decent total.
Bowlers
8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been the prime bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season. The 26-year-old has given his team early breakthroughs throughout the season.
He is currently the highest wicket taker in IPL nine with 23 wickets. Kumar has been consistent throughout the season and has put his hand up in pressure situations.
When Hyderabad needed to defend a modest total of 162/8 against Kolkata in the eliminator, Bhuvneshwar picked up three wickets for 19 runs.
9. Dhawal Kulkarni
One of the shining youngsters in the ninth edition of the IPL, Dhawal Kulkarni picked up wickets for his side consistently at an impressive economy rate of 7.42 throughout the season.
The fast bowler is currently the fourth highest wicket taker in this IPL with 18 wickets. He notched his best figures of 4/14 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first qualifier, but AB de Villiers was just too good for Gujarat Lions on that night.
10. Mitchell McClenaghan
Mitchell McClenaghan is currently the fifth highest wicket taker in IPL nine with 17 wickets. The New Zealand fast bowler picked up wickets consistently for the Mumbai Indians but leaked a lot of runs in some of the matches.
McClenaghan recorded his best figures of 4/21 against Gujarat Lions, but it went in Vain as Aaron Finch played a fantastic knock of 67 runs which took Gujarat to a three-wicket victory.
11. Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal has been the star bowler for the Royal Challengers Bangalore this season. He has picked up 20 wickets at an impressive average of 18.30.
The leg-spinner has been the go-to man for Virat Kohli throughout the season and he has delivered almost every time.
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