IPL 2023: Best XI of the tournament

CSK with Trophy. (Photo Source : BCCI/IPL)

The Indian Premier League has been the most followed T20 tournament in the sport. Over the years, the league has outclassed every franchise-based tournament in the game. This time around, the teams managed to raise the bar again, thanks to some brilliant performances throughout the season.

The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League broke almost all the records and has given fans a glimpse of how Indian youngsters have been setting the standards. Adding on, the veterans managed to make a comeback as well for their franchises. Throughout the season, the fans witnessed numerous spectacular moments which helped the talented players to become household names.

In the end, Ravindra Jadeja managed to drag the Chennai Super Kings over the victory line. For someone who had a horrible 2022 season, this was a story of redemption. Let us have a look at the best XI of the Indian Premier League, 2023.

1. Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans) 

Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Widely hailed as the “Baby GOAT”, Shubman Gill has stepped on and made a name for himself in every format of the game. Within a few months, he has managed to score a double century in ODIs, score a phenomenal century in a T20I, and accumulated 890 runs in the Indian Premier League. Without a doubt, all eyes will be on Shubman during the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup.

In 17 games, Shubman managed to score three centuries during the season. His tally of 890 runs, with a strike rate of 157.80, has made him the second-highest run-getter in the history of the IPL as well. For Gujarat, he has been their most valuable player.

The talented opener has the flair and skill of a top-class batter, and this was on full display during the final league game of the season. Adding on, his brilliant century versus Mumbai Indians will surely go down as one of the best IPL innings of all time.

2. Devon Conway (Chennai Super Kings)

Devon Conway. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

“Doesn’t get bigger than that”, is what Devon Conway expressed during the post-match presentation after the final. Alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Kiwi opener managed to provide a solid platform for the middle-order batters. Adding on, his ability to play spin well has been the main reason why the franchise bought the southpaw.

With solid technique, he managed to accumulate 672 runs in the 2023 edition of the IPL, with a strike rate of 139.71. The highest score of 92 against the Punjab Kings shows his ability to play the role of an anchor for the side. Conway has been a brilliant addition to the CSK side, and there is no doubt that he is filling the void that was created after the departure of Faf du Plessis.

His outstanding batting display and the solid connection with Ruturaj Gaikwad at the start of the innings were two important elements in CSK’s triumph in the 16th edition of the competition. Their persistent efforts served as the foundation for CSK’s success, which was visible during the final as once again Conway played a remarkable innings of 47 runs from 25 balls. Thanks to him, CSK got the perfect start they needed in the most important game of the tournament.

3. Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Virat Kohli. (Photo Source : BCCI/IPL)

Virat Kohli’s fortune had a turnaround as the Royal Challengers Bangalore batter managed to score 639 runs in this edition of the IPL. Along with Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis, Kohli managed to be the most impactful trio for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the story was the same for RCB, as they failed to reach the knockout stages.

Nevertheless, Kohli’s form was the most positive outcome for RCB as well as the Indian Cricket team. His batting average of 53.25 is impressive and showcases his ability to score big in crucial matches. Taking about conversion rates, Kohli’s centuries against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Giants are the prime example of Kohli’s ability to perform in the shortest format of the game.

His knock of 101 runs from 61 balls was not enough to help RCB reach the playoffs, but they have found the perfect batting lineup with Faf and Virat at the top. Adding on, this year, Kohli managed to score six half-centuries as well. Without any doubt, he was RCB’s best batter alongside Faf du Plessis.

4. Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians)

Suryakumar Yadav (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

The fact that Suryakumar Yadav scored 605 runs after a horrible start to the season showcases his skill and ability in the shortest format of the game. Surya has been the backbone of the Indian T20 team for over a year, and this hasn’t been an additional pressure for him as he had a successful season with the Mumbai Indians. SKY was by far MI’s best player in the tournament this year.

In 16 games, SKY managed to score at a strike rate of 181.14. During the game against RCB, he went on to score a match-winning 83 runs from 35 balls which helped MI to chase down 200 runs in just 16.3 overs. Adding on, he scored his first IPL century versus GT, an innings that helped MI to increase their chances of reaching the playoffs.

Adding on, during the second qualifier, SKY, alongside Tilak Varma and Cameron Green, put on a fight against GT. A score of 61 from 38 during high-pressure spoke volumes about his temperament. Being the perfect T20 batsman, SKY has been able to be consistent over the season, and this makes him a special batsman.

5.  Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)

Cameron green. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Cameron Green has been the perfect purchase for Mumbai Indians in the 2023 edition. The powerful Australian all-rounder was bought for a whopping INR 17.50 crore by the five-time champions. Being an all-rounder, he is a perfect replacement for Kieron Pollard in the squad.

Green managed to play all 16 games for MI this year and was consistent with the bat. The management did shuffle his batting position throughout the season, but he was most effective at the top. During MI’s last league game, Green went on to score a sublime century for the team, which helped MI to reach the playoffs.

He managed to score 452 runs with a healthy average of 50.22. Adding on a strike rate of 160.28 meant that those runs came at a good pace. Green also managed to pick up six wickets and was somehow under-utilized by Rohit Sharma with the ball.

6. Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Rinku Singh. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Finally, the Indian Cricket team fans have found the perfect finisher in this edition of the IPL, and it is none other than Rinku Singh. The southpaw is one of the most improved cricketers in the game and has managed to be the best performer for his side. Even though Kolkata Knight Riders were not the best unit this year, they have found a gem in the form of Rinku Singh.

Rinku made headlines during the encounter between GT and KKR in Ahmedabad. In this game, he went on to score 48 runs from 21 balls, including five sixes in the final over to destroy Yash Dayal’s bowling effort. Adding on, during a close game against Lucknow Super Giants, Rinku went on to score 67 runs from 33 balls as well.

He has managed to build a reputation of being a ruthless batter within a span of two IPL seasons. This year, he managed to score 474 runs with an excellent strike rate of 149.53. Apart from that, the southpaw managed to score 29 sixes in this edition of the Indian Premier League.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)

Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter)

It was the year 2009 when Ravindra Jadeja was criticised for his poor performance during the T20 World Cup, and fast-forwarding to 2023; he is now the most valuable all-rounder for the most successful T20 franchise in the world. Time has changed for the stylish all-rounder, and on the night of the final, he pulled out the heist by smashing Mohit Sharma for ten runs off the final two deliveries. Jadeja has been Dhoni’s go-to man, and this year was no different.

In the 16th edition of the IPL, Jadeja went on to score 190 runs at a strike rate of 142.86. He came down the order and scored valuable runs anytime his team needed him. Given the fact that CSK’s openers did the job for them on most of the occasions, 190 runs at a strike rate in which Jadeja was playing is nothing short of spectacular.

Talking about his bowling, Jadeja managed to pick 20 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.56. Adding on, he had an excellent bowling strike rate of 17.10, which is way better than his 2022 performance.

8. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)

MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)

It seems like winning the IPL trophy with one of the least popular fast-bowling attacks in the tournament is possible if you are MS Dhoni. The magician managed to lead a decent bowling attack to win the IPL for the fifth time in his career. Well, most of the fans are not surprised because this is what Dhoni does; he transforms coal into diamonds.

The best part about Dhoni this year was his captaincy, as he managed to bring out the best in everybody. He turned Shivam Dube into a six-hitting machine and gave Ajinkya Rahane the support he needed. As a result of which, on the night of the final, when the bowling unit crumbled, the batters put on a show.

Everyone chipped in with valuable runs, and they won the trophy even after being affected by the DLS method. This year, Dhoni managed to score 104 runs at a strike rate of 182.46. With age coming into the picture, this was one of the best seasons for Dhoni, just in terms of the impact he had on the whole tournament.

9. Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans)

Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Without any doubt, Rashid Khan is the best bowler in the T20 format. Even after playing all around the world, he still holds the status of being lethal. Rashid has been the backbone of the spin bowling department of Gujarat Titans.

This time around, even though he was not at his best economically, Rashid managed to pick up 27 wickets in 17 games. Adding on, he had a best bowling figure of 4/30 in this edition of the IPL as well. Talking about his batting, Rashid was brutal with the bat, as he was striking at 216.67 throughout the season.

Against the Mumbai Indians, Rashid went on to smash 79 runs in a losing cause which did hamper the net run rate of the five-time champions. Adding on, his fielding was top-notch as well as he grabbed the catch of the tournament this year. For GT, the Afghan all-rounder was a complete package.

10.  Mohammed Siraj (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Mohammed Siraj. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Mohammed Siraj has been the leader of the RCB bowling unit for quite some time. Even after not having a formidable pace attack, Siraj has managed to make an impact with the ball. This time around, he has managed to improve his bowling, as there has been a drastic improvement in his economy rate.

Last year, Siraj had a poor economy rate of 10.08, and he managed to pick just nine wickets for his side. But his time around, that economy rate is now down to 7.52 runs per over. Adding on, he has more variations in his bowling arsenal as well, which makes him a difficult bowler to face.

Siraj managed to pick up 19 wickets this year and was one of the few consistent performers in the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp. He had a good bowling average of 19.79 this year and an impressive bowling strike rate of 15.79. Adding on, he had a four-wicket haul this year as well, which was his IPL career-best bowling figures of 4/21.

11.  Mohammed Shami (Gujarat Titans)

Mohammed Shami. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Mohammed Shami is, without any doubt, one of the best seam bowlers in the world. His form has been top-notch for the national side as well as in franchise cricket. The plethora of experience he brings to the table is priceless for any captain.

This time around, the lucky one was Hardik Pandya, as Shami was in full flow in the 2023 season of the IPL. He was able to trouble the batsmen with his exceptional line and length, which is usually seen in Test cricket. Adding on, Shami was able to produce those lethal yorkers as well in the death overs.

In this edition, Shami picked up 28 wickets in 17 games. Adding on, he had an impressive economy rate of 8.03 throughout the season. Apart from that, his best bowling figures of 4/11 speak volumes about his impact as the leader of the bowling unit for GT.

This edition of the IPL witnessed a new concept of “Impact Player” as well. Marcus Stoinis went on to be a perfect impact player for the Lucknow Super Giants this season. Adding on players like Heinrich Klaasen went on to be one of the most prolific players for Sunrisers this season as well. For Piyush Chawla, this was his best season, with 22 wickets to his name. Talking about the champions, Matheesha Pathirana was the go-to man for M.S. Dhoni during the death overs as Impact Player. Apart from that, Venkatesh Iyer went on to play the best knocks against Gujarat Titans by scoring 83 runs from 40 balls as an impact player as well.