The Indian Premier League (IPL) has just finished its 15th season, with Gujarat Titans winning the title in their first season. The Hardik Pandya-led side, which finished first in the points standings, had a fantastic season. The Titans dominated in the playoffs, winning back-to-back games to capture the championship. The big game guys really have to step up at the end of the season.
Throughout the playoffs, we saw a number of game-winning performances. On the other hand, a few well-known stars did not perform well in the playoffs. The pressure of a knockout game may have gotten to them.
Best XI of players based on performance in playoffs :
1. KL Rahul :
The former Punjab Kings skipper ended yet another successful season with the bat, as he smashed 616 runs in 15 innings at a staggering average of 51.33. And, he also managed to take Lucknow to the playoffs in their debut season, which is surely a big positive going forward.
2. Jos Buttler (WK) :
Jos Buttler was again the top scorer for his side in the finals, scoring 39 runs off 35 balls. But the Royals collapsed with the bat posting only 130 runs with the bat. Buttler also won the Orange Cap for scoring a whopping 863 runs in the entire season.
3. Shubman Gill :
In the final, Shubman Gill orchestrated a mature inning, scoring an unbeaten knock of 45 runs off just 43 balls. He batted right through the 18 overs, helping Gujarat chase down a tricky target if 131 runs.
The eventual champions lost a couple of wickets in the middle, but Shubman Gill’s calm innings really steadied the ship for them. Hence, the youngster certainly deserves a spot in the Best XI of teams in playoffs.
4. Rajat Patidar :
Rajat Patidar rose to the occasion during the playoffs, as he was among the better players for Bangalore during the playoffs. He scored a blistering knock of 112 runs off just 54 balls against Lucknow in the Eliminator, which helped his side post a huge first innings total.
5. Hardik Pandya (C) :
Hardik Pandya was not only a fantastic leader throughout IPL 2022 but also contributed with both, bat and ball during the course of the playoffs. The Indian all-rounder led Gujarat Titans to IPL glory, after thoroughly dominating the season, right from the onset.
6. David Miller :
David Miller has had an IPL season of some magnitude, given how often he stood up for his side in high-pressure chases. The South African batter scored a match-winning knock of 68 runs off just 38 balls against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1.
7. Deepak Hooda :
The 27-year-old had a successful season with the bat, as he amassed 451 runs in 14 innings at an average of just over 32.
8. Rashid Khan :
Rashid Khan went about his business in the playoffs rather silently. He was as effective as expected and lived up to his reputation in the entire season as well. His contributions with both, bat and ball this season has played a huge role in Titans’ charge towards the title.
9. Mohsin Khan :
Mohsin Khan had a fruitful season with Lucknow as well picking 14 wickets in just nine matches and his overall economy rate read 5.96 which was exceptional.
10. Josh Hazlewood :
Josh Hazlewood put up a couple of good performances in the playoffs. He managed to pick up three wickets in his four-over spell against Lucknow in the Eliminator. He did go for a few runs but managed to get the key wicket of KL Rahul right towards the end of the chase.
11. Prasidh Krishna :
Prasidh Krishna did not have a great outing against Gujarat in Qualifier 1, where he conceded 40 runs in 3.3 overs, as David Miller took him to the cleaners in the final over. However, he bounced back pretty well, and picked up three wickets against Bangalore in Qualifier 2. Overall, Prasidh Krishna does make the cut into the side, given that he delivered a match winning performance against Bangalore in the second Qualifier.