IPL – The biggest ever T-20 league in the world since its inception. Over the years many T-20 leagues have been started while following up the same format of Indian Premier League. Eight different teams have filled up with the world-class players to play the round-robin format to reach the playoffs. The very first edition of this cash-rich league was started in 2008 after team India became the champions of first-ever T-20 tournament in 2007. Over the years, many players have been produced by this league who have gone onto become modern-day greats of cricket like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina.
From the nail-biting finishes to the Super overs the years this league has its own uniqueness which crave the fans for more. Although this format is more batsman-friendly as hardly there is anything for the bowlers to be effective in this tournament. But still they have formed the frame for themselves to make the batsman run for cash most of the time. In this segment of Chase your sport, we have created the team of greatest left-handed IPL- XI of all-time.
The selection criteria of the players in this team is as the players have to left-handed and in case of all-rounder player has to be both as left-arm batsman and left-arm bowler.
Chris Gayle:
It's hard to think of any T-20 team without this exceptional talent. The player who has defined the tag of Swashbuckling opener with his whirlwind batting in the second half of his IPL Career like no other. In the first half it was a decent performance from Chris Gayle but it was in the second half when he was drafted into Royal challengers Bangalore as the replacement of Dirk Nannes.
Chris Gayle went berserk after and created many records which are still under his name like the 37 runs in a over, his unbeaten 66-ball 175 runs knock and 1000 sixes in the T-20 Cricket (the most by any player in the history). Although Gayle was the part of RCB when he had created unreal records of IPL but couldn't help his side to win its maiden IPL Trophy.
Also Read | When Chris Gayle Created Record In IPL
Starring in 132 matches, Gayle has scored 4772 runs at an average of 41.14 with the strike rate of 150.11 which include 6 centuries and 31 half-centuries.
Mathew Hayden:
When he was on its peak there was no better left-handed opening batsman than Mathew Hayden. On his day, Hayden not only destroyed the opposition with his whirlwind batting but also had created the fear to better not against him in the next match. Such was the impact of this player. If Chennai Super Kings was so successful from the good 'ol days, at that point it was all a direct result of Mathew Hayden.
This T-20 format revolves around batting greats and if there is Mathew Hayden who has the ability to score runs with enormous power combined with his sound technique turned out to be complete nightmare for any opposition and who can forget his 43-ball 93 runs knock against Delhi Daredevils in 2010 which include 9 fours and 7 Sixes. This innings was the brief look of his character and his batting strengths how dangerous Hayden could've been turned into to win the game single handedly for his team.
Suresh Raina:
No IPL XI is complete without this dependable middle-order batsman known as Mr Consistent of IPL. Over the years, Raina has been the genuine match-winner for the team. Suresh Raina was the first player in the IPL history to score 5000 runs and 400 runs in the 7 consecutive seasons.
Raina has the ability to play the anchor role which makes him the most valuable player of this tournament over the years. Apart from his Snazzy batting Raina acrobatic catching abilities makes him the most complete cricketer to have ever played in the IPL tournament.
Raina has scored 5368 runs at an average of 33.34 in 193 games which include 1 hundred and 38 half-centuries with the highest score of 100.
Gautam Gambhir (Captain):
One of the best captain in the history of IPL. If Kolkata knight riders is the force to reckon then here was the captain called Gautam Gambhir behind that. A complete minnows team called Kolkata knight riders before the arrival of Gautam Gambhir to the one best teams to emerge out of the tournament definitely needed a captain with vision to make it possible and it was not possible without this exceptional talent.
Gambhir has everything to mould himself into the situation to play either the anchor role or to play defensive knock to provide resistance to the team to lead the foundation of a big score. Gautam Gambhir is an ideal number 4 batsman in this team to make the middle-order more solid with Suresh Raina.
Featured in 154 games, Gambhir has scored 4218 runs at an average of 31.01 with the strike rate of 123.91 which include 36 half-centuries with highest score of 93.
Adam Gilchrist (Wicket keeper):
A genuine pinch-hitter who could take away the game from opposition with his whirlwind batting at any point of the match. Although he was the great wicket keeper but it was his absolute clean hitting turned him into the big match-winner for the team. Gilchrist helped Deccan Charges to win its maiden IPL Trophy in 2009 but it was somewhere not possible if Gilchrist was not part of that team.
Many knocks were played by Gilchrist in his IPL Career but his 55-ball 106 which include 8 fours and 9 sixes against Royal challengers Bangalore at Dharamshala remains one of the best knocks of IPL when he went berserk to destroy the RCB team in his way. It was the knock that gave the brief look about his batting strengths and calibre of this southpaw.
David Miller:
Known as, “Killer Miller" In his 8 year of IPL Career, Miller has formed the frame for himself to be called as the genuine pinch-hitter in the league. In 2011 Miller was drafted as a replacement of Dimitri Mascarenhas. But it was the 2013 and 2014 season which has turned him into a big match player when he has played for KXIP.
Many knocks have defined his batting strengths and character in the crisis situation but it was his 101 against Royal Challengers Bangalore which has rocket launched his batting strengths. Miller would be the ideal number 6 in this team who could shift his gears to play the anchor role both in crisis or good situations to provide depth in the batting line-up.
Shakib-Al-Hasan:
A genuine all-rounder who has the ability to turn around things either with his bat or bowl on his day. Over the years he has proved himself at the various stages to define his character for the team. In the IPL Shakib-Al-Hasan has played for two franchises SRH and KKR where he has taken 59 wickets in 63 games with an economy of 7.46 and at an average of 28.00.
Not having good numbers and out of the action from the recent time but again abilities are not to be ignored and who can forget his 49-ball 66 runs unbeaten knock which featured 4 fours and 4 Sixes when KKR after being reduced to 24/4 to put KKR back into the match. Shakib-al-Hasan is better all-rounder ahead of Jadeja in this team.
Sohail Tanvir:
Featured in 11 games picked up 22 wickets at an average of 12.09 and with an economy of 6.46 which include the best bowling figures of 6/14 (which was the record for more than a decade). However, Tanvir was the part of first season of IPL as after the inaugural season no Pakistan players were included after due to the fragile political relations between the two countries.
But Sohail Tanvir was the first left -arm fast pacer who had terrorized the batsman with his action, swing and pace that he had generated from the pitch. Batsman had the complete tough time to pick up his line and lengths before he knocked him off.
If Rajasthan Royals were winners for the inaugural IPL season then this left-arm pacer was the big reason behind that who was the highest wicket taker (22) also after the season and dominated the whole tournament with his bowling where other bowlers have failed to produce any effort.
Dirk Nannes:
The enigma called Dirk Nannes. The first-ever genuine left-arm fast bowler who could bowl at 150 kmph at the consistent base before the arrival of Johnson, Starc and Trent Boult. Maybe he couldn't achieve after his rare talent but in terms of impact he will remain at the top from the other left-arm fast bowlers in the circuit these days.
Dirk Nannes was the very underrated bowler but his extraordinary pace, bounce and swing makes him the rare talent to have played in IPL league. Dirk Nannes has played three teams in his IPL career Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings while playing for Delhi Daredevils picked up 15 wickets in 13 games and 7 wickets in 9 games in two seasons for Delhi Daredevils.
Before drafted to Royal challengers Bangalore in 2011 he couldn't managed to produce same effort and in the end he played for Chennai Super Kings in 2013 to end his IPL career with 28 wickets in 29 games with an economy of 7.3 and Nannes will be the first front-line bowler of this side.
Mitchell Starc:
Another case of a very underrated bowler who has everything in his repertoire to destroy any opposition with his pace, bounce and swing. With 34 wickets in 27 games at an excellent economy of 7.16 Starc will be the second front-line bowler alongside Nannes in this line-up.
Starc IPL career has revolved around injuries too much and he has spend more time on the bench but his class of genuine left-arm fast bowling needs no introduction who could hit the stumps real hard.
Mitchell Johnson:
It's the tough one to pick between Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson but Johnson wins this battle with more wickets under his name. In his IPL career Johnson had taken 61 wickets in 54 games at an excellent economy of 8.29 who could hit the deck hard on his day to destroy the opposition team with pace, bounce and swing.
Johnson can bat as well which is another advantage over others inclusion in his team. With three genuine left-arm fast bowlers makes this team completely invincible.
Suggested Read | All-Time Greatest Left-Handed ODI XI
