Curtains have finally been drawn on IPL 2020 and the league proved day in and day out that why it is the best in the world. This year saw a healthy mix of young and old fighting it out for the ultimate prize. The one big surprise this year was CSK’s non-qualification for the playoffs. And one thing which didn’t surprise anyone was MI’s record 5th win, for they were by far the most standout team in the competition.
These factors meant that no player from CSK makes it to the Dream team of StumpsandBails this year. While MI contingent sees quite a few of them making the cut.
We have picked this team keeping into consideration the 4 foreigner rule. The players who find a spot in this team are those who made telling contributions to their team.
KL Rahul (Captain and Wicket-Keeper) (KXIP)
Runs 670 | Avg 55.83 | SR 129.34
People may question the rate at which he scored the runs for his team. But truth be told no captain in this entire league did this much for their team as Rahul. He played the role of aggressor whenever needed while took a backseat for others to take over. His knock of 132 in 69 balls against RCB was one hell of an innings that single-handedly won KXIP the game.
Shikhar Dhawan (DC)
Runs 618 | Avg 44.14 | SR 144.73
Dhawan followed up a 500 tun year in 2019 with a mammoth 600+ runs in 2020. This year saw him score two consecutive hundreds, a feat which no batsman had achieved in IPL until then. He was a major force for DC who provided them with quick starts. DC’s success lied directly proportional to the form Dhawan found himself in.
Suryakumar Yadav (MI)
Runs 480 | Avg 40 | SR 145.01
He once again had a stellar season for MI. This makes it 3 seasons for Suryakumar where he notched up more than 400 runs. All these runs came at a crucial juncture for MI and he has established himself as the most dependable uncapped player going around.
Ishan Kishan (MI)
Runs 516 | Avg 57.33 | SR 145.76
This former U-19 captain had a stellar season for MI this year. He racked up more than 500 runs striking them at a very healthy rate. His knock of 99 against RCB where he slammed 9 sixes was a treat to the sore eyes. His success at number 4 and as an opener was a big reason why MI cruised to their 5th IPL title.
Kane Williamson (SRH)
Runs 317 | Avg 45.28 | SR 133.75
From being on the sidelines during the earlier part of the tournament to earning the tag of being SRH’s “banker”, Williamson had a memorable season. His contributions were telling in the success of SRH. He shepherded their middle order with finesse. He mixed caution with aggression beautifully and his successive superlative knocks in both the playoffs showed why he is rated so highly.
Marcus Stoinis (DC)
Runs 352 | SR 148.52 || Wickets 13
Stonis had a fabulous season with DC this year and delivered some telling performances with both bat and the ball. He took on KXIP in the very first match for DC and single-handedly turned around their fortunes in the match. He valiantly fought against MI in the first qualifier while his exploits against SRH were worthy of a repeat viewing.
Rahul Tewatia (RR)
Runs 255 | SR 139.34 | Wickets 10
He was one of the biggest success stories of IPL this year. He turned from a villain to a hero within the space of 5 balls when he smashed 5 sixes off KXIP pacer Sheldon Cottrell. Tewatia proved that he was not just a one-match wonder when he took on arguably the world’s best leg spinner Rashid Khan and helped RR notch a victory against SRH.
Rashid Khan (SRH)
Wickets 20 | ER 5.37
SRH’s talisman Rashid Khan just gets better with every passing season. While he had an underwhelming season last year, he came storming back with a wonderful display of spin bowling where he didn’t just tie down the oppositions but also picked up crucial wickets in the process.
Jofra Archer (RR)
Wickets 20 | ER 6.55
Never before in the history of the IPL has an eight ranked team player won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. But saw was the impact of Archer on the competition. He was a revelation at the death while he was next to unplayable in the powerplay. Add to his bowling numbers, Jofra also smashed 10 sixes to ramp up RR’s batting.
Mohammad Shami (KXIP)
Wickets 20 | ER 8.57
Indian pacer Mohammad Shami finally came of age in T20’s this year with his outstanding performance in IPL 2020. His exploits with the new ball were well documented but his death over performances especially the match where he outperformed Bumrah in the super over was stunning.
Jasprit Bumrah (MI)
Wickets 27 | ER 6.73
Bumrah just like Shami had a fantastic IPL this year. His death bowling has already been the stuff of legend but his zip with the new ball made him even deadlier. His dismissal of Dhawan in the first qualifier was one of the highlights of the tournament.