The four best sides of the IPL 2020 league stage made it to the playoffs, but a few players from the teams that missed out would have made the knockouts even richer. List of players who deserved to be in IPL 2020 playoffs but missed out, compiled into a team.

Note: The XI follows the ‘maximum of four foreigners’ rule

KL Rahul
14 matches, 670 runs @ 55.83, SR: 129.34, HS: 132*

The Orange Cap holder, 670 runs, a century, five fifties, 58 fours, 23 sixes – few can argue against Rahul’s inclusion in this XI. Also part of our team of the league stage, Rahul’s KXIP were just one win from qualifying for the playoffs but lost their last two matches to fall off.

Mayank Agarwal
11 matches, 424 runs @ 38.54, SR: 156.45, HS: 106

Rahul’s partner in crime, Agarwal formed the most successful opening partnership of IPL 2020 with his captain but the duo couldn’t drag the team through to playoffs. This season saw a massive change in Agarwal’s approach too, who struck at 156.45, his best ever strike-rate in the IPL over the years.

Chris Gayle
7 matches, 288 runs @ 41.14, SR: 137.14, HS: 99

Completing the KXIP one, two and three is the Universe Boss himself. With Agarwal and Rahul giving the team solid starts, Gayle was made to bat at three and he still delivered. His selection after seven matches on the sidelines turned the league on its head. It’s the IPL’s loss that a showman as big as Gayle will not be part of the knockouts.

Sanju Samson
14 matches, 375 runs @ 28.84, SR: 158.89, HS: 85

Samson started off with a blast, his first two matches at Sharjah saw him slam 74 off 32 and 85 off 42, and though he had a lean patch as the league progressed, the wicketkeeper-batsman found his mojo again. Some of the cleanest hits of IPL 2020 came from Samson’s bat, and they were so pleasing to the eye that it prompted Gautam Gambhir to make some big claims.

Eoin Morgan
14 matches, 418 runs @ 41.80, SR: 138.41, HS: 68*

Captain Morgan. The England skipper almost saw KKR through to the playoffs but the lack of support from the other senior members of his squad brought an end to his IPL 2020 campaign right before the playoffs. By far the best middle-order batsman of the season, and no one even comes close.

Ravindra Jadeja
14 matches, 232 runs @ 46.40, SR: 171.85, HS: 50
6 wickets @ 53.00, Economy: 8.75

Jadeja is another player who made our team of the league phase but will not be a part of the playoffs. One of the very few Indians who delivered with the bat while batting in the lower-middle order, Jadeja’s runs came at a quick pace as a strike-rate of 171.85 suggests. Only Hardik Pandya and Pollard had a better strike-rate among players with at least 200 runs in the league stage.

Sam Curran
14 matches, 13 wickets @ 26.46, Economy: 8.19
186 runs @ 23.25, SR: 131.91, HS: 52

A shining light in an otherwise forgetful season for CSK, Curran readily accepted every challenge thrown at him by the team management. He scored 186 runs while being shuffled all over the batting order and took 13 wickets with the ball. Curran’s rescue act against Mumbai Indians, when CSK went down to 30-6, was the highlight of his campaign.

Rahul Tewatia
14 matches, 10 wickets @ 32.60, Economy: 7.08
255 runs @ 42.50, SR: 139.34, HS: 53

Tewatia’s 31-ball-53 against KXIP early in the league stage made him a cult hero. He was 14 off 21 at one point in the match but Sheldon Cottrell discovered how lethal the all-rounder can be – he was smashed for 30 runs by Tewatia as Rajasthan completed a chase of a lifetime. He was involved in another tight chase a few days later, and SRH were the victims then. He was the only player this season to complete the double of 200 runs and 10 wickets.

Jofra Archer
14 matches, 20 wickets @ 18.25, Economy: 6.55
113 runs @ 18.83, SR: 179.36, HS: 27*

Archer put on a hostile fast bowling exhibition while being economical too. His economy of 6.55 was the best for any bowler to have taken 20 or more wickets in the league stage.

Mohammed Shami
14 matches, 20 wickets @ 23.00, Economy: 8.57

Shami held his own among the plethora of quicks who dominated the IPL 2020. His super over heroics against MI, where he defended five runs against Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock was easily one of the best overs bowled in the tournament, if not the best. Unlucky to have missed out on the playoffs.

Varun Chakravarthy
13 matches, 17 wickets @ 20.94, Economy: 6.84

His 5-20 against Delhi Capitals were the best figures of the league stage and the performance was followed by a selection in the India T20I side for their Australia tour, and he went from strength to strength thereon, finishing with 17 wickets in 13 matches.

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