Sanjay Manjrekar (Twitter/@sanjaymanjrekar) Photograph:( Twitter )
While there were many high-octane matches, it took all 56 league matches to determine the final four teams of the IPL 2020 for the playoffs. With league stage successfully done and dusted, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar picked his best IPL 2020 XI.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 is all set to come to a conclusion on November 10, with the final scheduled to be played in Dubai. While there were many high-octane matches, it took all 56 league matches to determine the final four teams of the IPL 2020 for the playoffs. With league stage successfully done and dusted, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar picked his best IPL 2020 XI.
However, there were some big-names missing from Manjrekar’s IPL 2020 XI.
IPL 2020 is being held completely outside India, in the UAE, amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the entire tournament being staged behind closed doors.
There have been many great performances in IPL 2020 be it the cracking form of young Devdutt Padikkal or Suryakumar Yadav’s scintillating form with the bat. The bowlers, too, have impressed in the lucrative tournament as they made the most out of the longer boundaries in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Reviewing the entire IPL 2020, Manjrekar kept the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma out of his IPL 2020 XI, largely due to the fact that the Indian duo has blown hot and cold throughout the IPL 2020.
In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar went with KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal as his opening pair while opting Suryakumar Yadav over Kohli for the number three spot.
“My No. 3 is Suryakumar Yadav, which is great for someone like him to have made it to this IPL XI. He bats at No. 3 and I don’t think any No. 3 has batted as well and as consistently as he’s done. It’s not just about runs and consistency but also about the quality of shots as well that he’s played,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo backing Suryakumar's inclusion.
Continuing his IPL 2020 XI, Manjrekar picked AB de Villiers, Nicholas Pooran, Axar Patel with Rashid Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal being his automatic pics for the XI.
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Surprisingly, Delhi Capitals pacer Kagiso Rabada missed out on a spot as Manjrekar went with Jofra Archer, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to complete his IPL 2020 XI.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s IPL 2020 XI: KL Rahul (WK), Mayank Agarwal, Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers, Nicholas Pooran, Axar Patel, Rashid Khan, Jofra Archer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah