Wisden’s IPL 2020 team of the week – week one
As the first week of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 comes to an end with Kolkata Knight Riders’ win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, we pick the tournament’s best XI of week one.
Note: The XI follows the ‘maximum of four foreigners’ rule
KL Rahul (KXIP)
2 matches, 153 run, strike-rate: 173.86
The only centurion of the 2020 IPL, KL Rahul, so far, doesn’t look bogged down by the weight of captaincy. A 21 in the first match against Delhi Capitals was followed by a 132-run blockbuster knock against his former franchise, the highest ever score by an Indian in the IPL. With 153 runs, he is currently the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament.
Highest scores by an Indian in IPL:
KL RAHUL – 132* (2020)
Rishabh Pant – 128* (2018)
Murali Vijay – 127 (2010)#IPL2020 | #KXIPvsRCB pic.twitter.com/BpRaxeTKsU— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) September 24, 2020
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Mayank Agarwal (KXIP)
2 matches, 115 runs, strike-rate: 143.75
Alongside Rahul, Mayank Agarwal has formed a (so far) successful opening partnership for KXIP. While in the first match the duo added 30 runs together, they put up 57 for the first wicket against RCB. Agarwal, personally, scored 89 against Delhi Capitals and added 26 in the next. He is third on the Orange Cap leaders list.
Sanju Samson (RR)
1 match, 74 runs, strike-rate: 231.25
Sanju Samson gets into the team courtesy a whirlwind 32-ball-74 against the Chennai Super Kings which featured nine maximums. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s knock facilitated RR’s 16-run win in their only match of the tournament so far.
Do you agree with Gambhir? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/8vMxaBKTxJ
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) September 23, 2020
Faf du Plessis (CSK)
3 matches, 173 runs, strike-rate: 149.13
The Orange Cap holder with 173 runs, Faf du Plessis has been one of the very few positives in what has been a forgettable campaign for the Chennai Super Kings so far. He started off with a 58* against Mumbai Indians and followed it up with 72 v Rajasthan and 43 against Delhi. Unarguably one of the four best overseas players in the first week of the tournament.
Manish Pandey (SRH)
2 matches, 85 runs, strike-rate: 119.71
Though SRH have lost both their encounters so far, Manish Pandey, batting at number three, has managed to pick up form early on in the tournament. He started off with a 34 against RCB before a half-century against KKR took him into the top five of the top run-getter list.
Marcus Stoinis (DC)
2 matches, 58 runs, strike-rate: 241.66; 2 wickets @ 14.50, economy: 9.66
Stoinis started his 2020 IPL campaign with a Player of the Match performance, a 21-ball-53 and 2-29 in Capital’s thrilling win over Kings XI. Walking in with Delhi 86-4, Stoinis’s knock took his side to a first innings total of 157. With the ball, he dismissed Mayank Agarwal and Chris Jordan in the 20th over to force a super over, which DC comfortably won.
The two 🌟 of @DelhiCapitals' win!#IPL2020 | #DCvKXIP pic.twitter.com/WkGNLttkV8
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) September 20, 2020
Sam Curran (CSK)
3 matches, 5 wickets @ 17.60, economy: 7.33; 36 runs, strike-rate: 257.14
Sam Curran had an eventful first year in the IPL in 2019 as he picked up a hat-trick playing for Kings XI Punjab, finishing the season with 10 wickets. His first three matches for CSK have seen him pick up half of that tally already. The England all-rounder is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far and has scored 36 very quick runs with the bat too.
Sam Curran finishes with 3-33… but he couldn't get rid of Tom. #RRvCSK | #IPL2020pic.twitter.com/lVq1L9CZwl
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 22, 2020
Axar Patel (DC)
2 matches, 2 wickets @ 16.00, economy: 4.00
The most economical bowler of IPL 2020, Axar Patel has two wickets to his name as well. The left-arm spinner has conceded only 32 runs in two matches – an economy of four runs per over – and was instrumental in his side’s defence of 176 against CSK. Whether he can stay consistent remains to be seen.
Mohammed Shami (KXIP)
2 matches, 4 wickets, economy: 4.36
Four wickets at an average of 8.0 and strike rate of 4.36, Shami has been the best Indian bowler in the tournament so far, picking the joint-most wickets by an Indian as well. Having claimed 3-15 against Delhi and 1-14 against RCB, Shami was a straightforward pick for this XI.
Shami's bowling figures tonight: 4-1-15-3 🔥
His victims:
❌Shaw
❌Hetmyer
❌IyerTop spell!#DCvKXIP | #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/RBrLMUW1kK
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) September 20, 2020
Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB)
2 matches, 4 wickets, economy: 5.37
One of the very few spinners who have had an impact in the first week of IPL 2020, Chahal was the star in RCB’s win over SRH in their opening encounter. And though the Virat Kohli-led side conceded 206 in their next match, against KXIP, Chahal leaked only 25 runs in his four overs and broke the dangerous-looking opening partnership by castling Agarwal.
.@yuzi_chahal's victims today:
☝️ Pandey
☝️ Bairstow
☝️ Shankar#IPL2020 #SRHvsRCB pic.twitter.com/MA7Fyz1ad7— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) September 21, 2020
Kagiso Rabada (DC)
2 matches, 5 wickets, economy: 6.75
The current Purple Cap holder completes our XI. Rabada has five wickets to his name, two against Punjab followed by three more against Chennai. He has been economical as well, maintaining an economy of 6.75. An easy pick for our IPL 2020 team of the first week.
