Rahul Tewatia picks his all-time IPL XI; snubs Chris Gayle, Suryakumar Yadav [Exclusive]

All-rounder Rahul Tewatia, who made headlines when he smashed five sixes in a single over for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has picked his all-time IPL XI.

Tewatia’s heroic knock in 2020 helped his side chase down a mammoth 224-run target against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), instantly establishing him as one of the most impactful finishers in the league. Over the years, Tewatia has represented Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and RR, and is currently an integral part of Gujarat Titans (GT).

In an exclusive interaction with CricTracker, Tewatia was asked to select his all-time IPL XI, and his choices reflected both star power and balance. For the opening slot, he went with two of India’s greatest white-ball batters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While Kohli is the highest run-scorer in IPL history, Rohit has led Mumbai Indians (MI) to five titles. At No. 3, Tewatia slotted in ‘Mr. IPL’ Suresh Raina, who has been one of the most consistent and reliable performers in the tournament’s history.

The middle order featured Yuvraj Singh and South African maestro AB de Villiers. Yuvraj’s six-hitting ability and de Villiers’ 360-degree batting make them dangerous in any situation. Tewatia picked MS Dhoni as the sixth batter, relying on his finishing skills while Hardik Pandya, another proven match-winner, strengthened the finishing department alongside Dhoni.

For spin, Tewatia turned to Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and West Indian spinner Sunil Narine while he picked India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Sri Lanka’s yorker specialist Lasith Malinga to spearhead the pace attack.

Notably, he did not include multiple IPL legends like Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, David Warner, Suryakumar Yadav and Dwayne Bravo amongst others.

Rahul Tewatia’s all-time IPL XI

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga

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