In a first for the Indian Premier League, this year will host a special IPL 2020 all-star match, which is expected to feature big names from all eight teams in the competition.
As if the star factor in a regular season isn’t bedazzling enough, the IPL governing council has decided to hold an all-star exhibition match on March 26, three days before the IPL 2020 opener in Mumbai. Details are to be confirmed, but if this is meant to replace the erstwhile tradition of opening ceremonies – unfortunately mostly in the plural, and always cringe max – we’ll pick up our pom poms and join its cheer squad.
According to reports, players from the northern and eastern Indian franchises, i.e. Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders will form one team. The other will feature players from the franchises from southern and western India, i.e Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
There is still no clarity on how the players will be chosen and if all the big names, including the overseas signings, will be available for selection. We at Wisden, though, eager for the chance to line up our own galacticos, with neither budget nor fantasy league rules to hold us back, took a crack at choosing an XI for both teams.
We picked from their full IPL 2020 squads, as announced after the auction in December. Each team has four overseas names, and has been listed in the expected batting order.
All-star South-West XI
David Warner (SRH), Rohit Sharma (MI), Virat Kohli (RCB), AB de Villiers (RCB), MS Dhoni (c, wk) (CSK), Kieron Pollard (MI), Hardik Pandya (MI), Ravindra Jadeja (CSK), Rashid Khan (SRH), Deepak Chahar (CSK), Jasprit Bumrah (MI).
This team picks itself. The IPL titans, with their trophies, and records, and numbers before which the mortals baulk – and Deepak Chahar.
The places of any of this top four and Bumrah, especially on present form, is indisputable, and let’s nobody waste the next 10 minutes of our lives listing their train of T20 and IPL records in support of a debate nobody should even consider.
Dhoni, presently on his own version of a rumspringa, has no ‘form’ to back his inclusion, but Chennai’s yellow has always brought out the best in him, and if the IPL’s biggest star isn’t part of an all-star line-up, we might as well all pack up and go home.
Kuldeep Yadav is arguably one of India’s finest wrist-spinners, but recent IPL form dictates that Shreyas Gopal, who has an excellent record against Kohli and de Villiers, takes the wrist-spinner’s spot.
Despite the presence of the two fast-bowling all-rounders, Shami claims the final spot, with his knowledge of local conditions and formidable recent record at the death. Sorry Ishant Sharma.
