IPL: An all-time XI consisting of the hardest hitters

The IPL is all about entertainment with the bat that fans come to witness. The league has done its bit over the years to give the jam-packed stadiums their money's worth. Big-hitting batsmen are an integral part of any T20 side as they are the ones who propel the score to a great extent.

The foundation laid down would be useless if the big-hitters won't fire. The Indian Premier League has been blessed to witness the biggest strikers in T20 cricket in action. At this juncture, let us take a look at an IPL all-time XI comprising of the biggest entertainers.

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#1 David Warner

David Warner

David Warner has been one of the best openers in the history of the IPL. What is commendable about his game is it is not just the entertainment but the consistency with which he has scored in the IPL.

Warner had an amazing season in 2016 when he scored 848 runs with the bat and led the Sunrisers to their maiden IPL title. One innings of his which is vividly remembered by the fans is 126 off 59 balls against the KKR at a strike rate of 213 in 2017. He is an automatic choice in this XI to bat at the top.

#2 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

The mighty Jamaican has been the biggest entertainer in the IPL for several years. Gayle is best known for his ferocious knocks for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, most notably his 175 off 66 balls in 2013.

There is so much about Chris Gayle's batting and his contribution in making the IPL a grand T20 league which cannot be described in words. When Gayle gets going, there is nothing you can do as a bowler or as the fielding captain apart from witnessing the massacre. His powerful hitting makes him too good to leave out of this XI.

#3 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper has made a habit of scoring runs for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the last few years. Kohli is an all-time IPL great who just does not know how to stop scoring runs.

He is a very underrated as a big-hitter since he prefers to score most of his runs by finding gaps and caressing boundaries. But when he decides to fire all cylinders, there is nothing that can stop him. One notable instance of this type is when he scored a hundred in a rain-curtailed 15-over game in 2016.

#4 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

Most big hitters are unattractive to watch on the eyes because of their use of brute power. However, in Rohit Sharma's case, it is all about class and finesse. The charisma that he brings to the game has made many people fall in love with his batting.

We all know how dangerous Rohit Sharma can be when he is on fire. For the Mumbai Indians, he has played countless fiery knocks in his IPL career. There can be no better man to bat at No.4 in this line-up than Rohit Sharma.

#5 Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina has been the numero uno in the CSK batting line-up every season. He has held the middle-order together and guided them to numerous inspiring totals over the years. Raina's batting style is about building the innings with singles, twos and the occasional boundary and going berserk once he is set.

When chasing a big target, Raina can be a tough customer to deal with since he is not afraid of taking risks. His blitzkrieg knock of 87 off 25 balls against the KXIP in the 2014 playoffs is etched in the memories of cricket fans.

#6 MS Dhoni (C/WK)

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni's inclusion in this batting line-up is a no-brainer as he someone who has had the reputation of being the best finisher in the limited-overs formats for a long time. Dhoni brings a lot to the table with his leadership and a great cricketing brain.

He will lead this bunch of big strikers of the cricket ball and also assume the role of the wicketkeeper. With Dhoni, it hasn't been one particular knock in the IPL that he is known for but rather a lot of scores of the fifties and sixties coming in a very quick time.

#7 Shane Watson

Shane Watson

Shane Watson has been one of the most dangerous batsmen in the IPL, first for the Rajasthan Royals for six years and then for the RCB and CSK. After being declared as the most valuable player (MVP) in the inaugural IPL season, Watson has come a long way to be known as an all-time T20 great.

Watson is a worthy inclusion as an all-rounder in this line-up. He has scored four IPL hundreds in his career, the most notable one coming in the final of IPL 2018 against the SRH.

#8 Andre Russell

Andre Russell

Andre Russell is the best all-rounder in T20 cricket at the moment. With the bat, he can strike as clean as anyone, bowl crucial overs and is the most acrobatic fielder around. He has proved his worth for the Kolkata Knight Riders over the years with his spectacular performances.

It was in a 2015 game against the KXIP that Russell came into prominence after scoring 51 off 20 balls and snatching a win from the jaws of defeat. Russell's bowling adds a lot of balance to this batting-heavy line-up.

#9 Glenn Maxwell

The 'Big Show' Glenn Maxwell is a devastating strike of the cricket ball. No boundary in the world is big enough when Maxwell gets going. He has played several match-winning knocks for the Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Daredevils.

He is a must in this line-up as he has lived up to the reputation of being a big striker consistently. Also, his off-spin gives balance with the ball and an extra bowling option.

#10 Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo

The West Indian all-rounder has mastered the art of bowling slower deliveries beautifully in the IPL over the years. He has been a potent force for the CSK with both the bat and the ball. Bravo has built a brand for himself at the Chennai Super Kings since joining the side in 2011.

Bravo is a specialist bowling option in this line-up who can contribute tremendously with the bat. His famous knock in the IPL is 68 runs off 30 balls against the MI which helped his team win out of nowhere in 2018.

#11 Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine is one of the hardest spinners to read and score against in the history of the IPL. He has spun a web around many sides and bamboozled the best batsmen with his impeccable bowling.

Narine has turned out to be a force to deal with as a hitter after he started opening the innings for the KKR in 2017 as a pinch-hitter. His all-round abilities provide a lot of value to this side.