Over the years, several top-notch English cricketers have plied their trade in the Indian Premier League, and here’s a look at an all-time IPL XI, comprising of players hailing from England.
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For the purpose of this side, the players’ IPL records have been taken into account without looking at their potential and what they have accomplished for the national side. A healthy chunk of the XI is formed by players currently playing for England, considering the white-ball revolution they have undergone since the 2015 World Cup debacle. Without further ado, here is a look at the all-time England IPL XI:
Jos Buttler (C/wk)
2459 runs @ 39.66, SR: 152.17
For his first couple of IPL seasons, Buttler found it tough to impose himself on the competition. Ever since he started opening for the Rajasthan Royals in 2018, though, he has been irresistible at the top of the order. He has a vast array of strokes and can be equally destructive against pace and spin. This season alone, he has creamed three centuries. He is also on course to challenge the highest-ever individual run tally in a season – a record currently held by Virat Kohli, who scored 973 runs in the 2016 edition. Such is his current dominance, he captains this XI.
Jonny Bairstow
1079 runs @ 37.21, SR: 140.31
Similar to Buttler, Bairstow has a superb record in the IPL. Most of his impactful knocks came at the top of the order for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he formed arguably the most belligerent opening pair in the competition’s history alongside David Warner. He hasn’t been too shabby in the middle order either, although with each passing game for the Punjab Kings, it feels that he is much better suited at the top. And, that is exactly where he slots into this eleven.
Kevin Pietersen
1001 runs @ 37.07, SR: 134.72
Arguably England’s first great T20 batter. During his career, Pietersen drew plenty of flak for stating his desire to play in the IPL. But during his stints at various IPL outfits, he only outlined how special a cricketer he was. He scored more than 1,000 IPL runs at an average of more than 37, which included a sumptuous hundred for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2012.
Moeen Ali
753 runs @ 22.15, SR: 143.43; 16 wickets @ 33.56
Moeen’s IPL journey began with a tough season in 2018 when he played only five games. In 2019, he scored more than 200 runs at a strike rate of 165 but it was in 2021 that he came into his own. Representing the Chennai Super Kings, he scored 357 runs at a strike rate of 137.3, and also picked up six wickets, conceding runs at an economy rate of 6.35. The all-rounder played a pivotal role as CSK clinched the title; he smashed a belligerent 37-run knock in the final.
Ben Stokes
920 runs at 25.56, SR: 134.5; 28 wickets @ 34.79
One of the finest all-rounders in the world, Stokes is a shoo-in for this XI. He might not have world-beating numbers in the IPL but he has shown more than a few glimpses of his immense quality. In the 2017 season, he was named the Player of the Tournament as Rising Pune Supergiant reached the final. For RR, he didn’t scale the peaks expected of him but was still someone the opposition regularly feared, scoring a memorable hundred in the 2020 edition to go on top of one he scored for RPS in 2017. With this team slightly short on bowling resources, he will have a major role to play as the fourth seamer.
Liam Livingstone
338 runs @ 22.53, SR: 158.69, 2 wickets @ 53.5
Livingstone can change the complexion of the game in the blink of an eye, and he has done that regularly for the Punjab Kings in 2022. Prior to that, he wasn’t as effective but with him finally finding his feet, he could be an IPL stalwart for years to come. He is a pretty handy bowler too – capable of bowling off-spin and leg-spin based on the team’s needs.
Owais Shah
506 runs @ 33.73, SR: 130.08
Shah represented the Delhi Daredevils, the Kochi Tuskers Kerala, the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. The right-handed batter fared decently too, scoring more than 500 runs at an average in excess of 30 and a strike rate of 130. He might not be remembered as much as some of his contemporaries, but he will be a pretty useful addition to this line-up.
Sam Curran
337 runs @ 22.47, SR: 149.78; 32 wickets @ 31.09
Curran, who missed out on the 2022 IPL due to a lower back injury, has made a very good start to his IPL career. For the Kings XI Punjab (now the Punjab Kings), he took a hat-trick. For CSK, he was one of the few bright sparks in a lacklustre 2020 campaign. His 2021 campaign – a victorious one for CSK – didn’t quite live up to the same heights but overall, he has still made a positive impact on the tournament.
Dimitri Mascarenhas
79 runs @ 8.78, SR: 101.28; 19 wickets @ 18.74
In 13 IPL matches, he picked up 19 wickets at aN average of 18.74. He could hit sixes lower down the order too, and while that didn’t materialise often in the IPL, he adds depth to this line-up.
Chris Woakes
78 runs @ 13, SR: 101.3; 30 wickets @ 21.93
A powerplay specialist with the ball, Woakes has a decent, if not spectacular, IPL record. He has gone for a few runs towards the death (as his economy rate of 8.97 testifies) but has been unplayable on occasions with the new ball. With his 30 wickets coming in 21 games, he qualifies as a genuine wicket-taker and partnership-breaker in this side.
Jofra Archer
195 runs @ 15, SR: 157.26; 41 wickets at 21.33
Archer has been sensational in the IPL and was RR’s spearhead in 2019 and 2020. He has been slightly unfortunate with injuries in recent times but when fit, there is no denying that he is arguably one of the three best T20 fast bowlers on the planet (alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi). Capable of bowling with the new ball and at the death, Archer is a bowler every team would love to have in their T20 side.
