Ahead of the rescheduled IPL 2020, which begins on September 19 in the UAE, four Wisden India writers had a stab at picking an all-time IPL XI. It wasn’t easy.

The Indian Premier League, the leading franchise-based T20 competition in the world, has been graced by numerous ‘Galacticos’ over the years. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves either, sticking to the four-overseas-players limit. And so, it wasn’t the least bit surprising that each of us had an overseas player as 12th man.

While MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Lasith Malinga were the common picks, Chris Gayle and David Warner made for an incredibly tough challenge for the opener’s slot. Meanwhile, stalwarts like Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir and Shane Watson were the most notable absentees, as were the the established game-changers Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan.

Here’s a look at some interesting combinations:

Manoj Narayan, Wisden India editor

Rohit Sharma
Chris Gayle
Virat Kohli
AB de Villiers
Ambati Rayudu
MS Dhoni (c/wk)
Kieron Pollard
Ravindra Jadeja
Harbhajan Singh
Jasprit Bumrah
Lasith Malinga

12th man: David Warner

This was a tough one. Picking between Gayle and Warner, I reckon the others on here have gone with Warner, and understandably so, given his mind-boggling performances in the IPL over the last few years. But Gayle … he goes beyond numbers, which is saying something given his numbers are astounding in itself. His impact on T20 cricket, and indeed opening an innings, cannot be understated.

Most of the rest of this IPL XI is self-explanatory: Rohit partners Gayle. Kohli and de Villiers, the spine of RCB, just had to be in this XI, and Dhoni captains the side – it was between him and Rohit, and the veteran’s aura is what got him the job. There is no Raina – you don’t want more than one ‘anchor’ in the side – and Rayudu was a tough call. His consistent performances for the two champion teams he’s represented have seen him make the cut. Jadeja and Pollard make for a stellar all-round pairing, with a yorker-attack comprising Bumrah and Malinga sealing things off.

Aadya Sharma, Wisden India staff writer

David Warner
Virat Kohli
Suresh Raina
Rohit Sharma (c)
AB de Villiers
MS Dhoni (wk)
Kieron Pollard
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravichandran Ashwin
Jasprit Bumrah
Lasith Malinga

12th man: Andre Russell

Warner manages to edge out Gayle for me, but only just – his recent consistency has been second to none. Kohli, Raina and Rohit, simply put, are the best Indian batsmen to grace the league, while there isn’t a wicketkeeper-batsman who quite challenges Dhoni. De Villiers fights off competition from other middle-order options, his remarkable abilities in the end overs make him a must-have. The ever-dependable Pollard makes it in ahead of Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell, bringing an additional option for the bowling attack to follow.

Jadeja and Ashwin, two cunning spinners, are too good to miss out – Jadeja’s fielding and batting add to the package. Bumrah and Malinga, two stellar T20 performers, finish the line-up. There’s isn’t a pair like them that can conjure magic with both the new ball and at the death. Rohit Sharma leads the side.

Sankalp Srivastava, Wisden India staff writer

David Warner
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Suresh raina
AB de Villiers
MS Dhoni (c/wk)
Sunil Narine
Ravichandran Ashwin
Harbhajan Singh
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Lasith Malinga

12th man: Dwayne Bravo

It was a toss-up between de Villiers, Bravo and Russell for the final overseas spot. The other three foreign players – Warner, Narine and Malinga – pick themselves and Narine’s exploits with the bat for KKR allow me to have ABD in the line-up. Ashwin, Harbhajan and Bhuvneshwar, I believe, have quietly gone about their work over the years and have been the integral parts of some of the best-ever IPL teams.

Rohit, Kohli, Raina and Dhoni have been the best Indian batsmen in the tournament’s history at their respective batting positions and while the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir deserve a shout-out, perhaps the big four are too big to be denied a spot in an all-time IPL XI. Dhoni to captain this side.

Roshan Gede, Wisden India staff writer

David Warner
Virat Kohli
Suresh Raina
Rohit Sharma
MS Dhoni (c/wk)
Andre Russell
Dwayne Bravo
Harbhajan Singh
Amit Mishra
Jasprit Bumrah
Lasith Malinga

12th man: AB de Villiers

Gayle has been the undisputed T20 superstar but Warner’s phenomenal consistency for SRH – a fifty-plus score every alternate game, pips him to the spot at the top. The next four –IPL’s most prolific run-scorers followed by the most successful captain, pick themselves, with Dhoni leading the side. It was a major toss-up between de Villiers and Russell for the final overseas spot, and the latter’s extra discipline and him getting the best suited batting slot (No.6) puts him ahead in this IPL XI. Bravo follows at 7.

Wrist-spinner is the much sought after weapon in the shortest format and so, Amit Mishra, the competition’s second-highest wicket-taker to pair with Harbhajan, gets the nod. Bumrah and Malinga form the most lethal of bowling pairs, and Bravo’s availability at the death gives captain the liberty to use one of them as a strike-weapon in the middle-overs.

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