Best playing 11 with Impact Sub from Week 1 of IPL 2025 ft. Noor Ahmad & Rajat Patidar

The 2025 IPL season is off to a rollicking start, with all 10 teams thrilling the fans with their revamped squads and strategies. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are currently on top of the table as the only side to record two wins in as many outings.

While RCB fans have already begun wondering if 2025 will finally be their year for the elusive title, the other two major fanbases - Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) - have expressed frustrations with their sides' slow starts. CSK won their opening encounter against MI before being handed a beating by RCB in Chennai.

Meanwhile, MI have lived up to their uncherished billing of 'Slow Starters,' suffering back-to-back comprehensive defeats. Results aside, the first week of IPL 2025 also saw a few sparkling individual performances with bat and ball.

Some of the younger players have begun with a bang, showing why they belong at this level, while a few star performers have continued from where they left off in seasons gone by.

On that note, let us pay tribute to the stars of Week 1 of IPL 2025 (until Match No. 9 on Saturday, March 29) by selecting a 'Playing XI of the Week,' including an Impact Sub.

Best playing 11 with Impact Sub from Week 1 of IPL 2025

Openers: Sai Sudharsan & Mitchell Marsh

The opening position is almost always spoilt for choices in the IPL, with the top-order batters making merry in the powerplay on largely true batting surfaces. However, Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) respective openers, Sai Sudharsan and Mitchell Marsh, pipped other contenders like Travis Head, Rachin Ravindra, and Quinton de Kock, among others.

Sai scored back-to-back half-centuries in GT's first two outings against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Mumbai Indians (MI). The southpaw is second on the run-scoring chart for IPL 2025 with 137 runs at an average of 68.50 and a strike rate of 167.07.

Meanwhile, Marsh has begun his LSG stint in style with half-centuries in the side's first two matches. His 72 against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in LSG's opener helped the side score over 200, while his 52 against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) won them their first game of the season.

The Aussie veteran is third on the Orange Cap list with 124 runs at a strike rate of over 185.

Middle-order: Nicholas Pooran, Shreyas Iyer & Rajat Patidar (c)

Nicholas Pooran has terrorized bowlers in Week 1 of IPL 2025 [Credit: Getty]

Undoubtedly the batter of the tournament thus far, Nicholas Pooran, comes in at No. 3. The West Indian sensation has smashed sixes (13) for fun in his two matches for LSG, helping the side hunt down 191 against SRH with ease.

Pooran began the season with a 30-ball 75 against DC, followed by a 26-ball 70 against SRH. He has amassed a league-leading 145 runs in his two innings at an incredible strike rate of 258.92.

Following Pooran are the two most impressive captains of IPL 2025, Shreyas Iyer (PBKS) and Rajat Patidar (RCB). Iyer continued from where he left off in IPL 2024, leading PBKS to an impressive 11-run win over GT in their lone outing. The right-hander starred for the side with the bat, scoring a breathtaking 97* off 42 deliveries.

Meanwhile, Patidar has answered all the questions about how he would take to RCB captaincy in style, leading the side to two convincing victories to start IPL 2025. Leadership aside, he has also shown terrific intent with the willow in both matches, scoring a combined 85 runs at a strike rate of 177.08.

His 51 against CSK helped RCB break their 17-year losing streak in Chennai, earning him the Player of the Match honor.

Lower middle-order: Dhruv Jurel (wk) & Ashutosh Sharma

Rajasthan Royals (RR) wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel has thus far lived up to his surprisingly high auction price (₹14 crore) in two games. Despite the side losing both outings, the 24-year-old has held the middle order together with scores of 70 and 33 at a combined strike rate of 163.49.

On the other hand, Delhi Capitals (DC) batter Ashutosh Sharma has undoubtedly played the innings of the tournament thus far. Walking in to bat with DC struggling at 65/5 in their run-chase of 210 against LSG, Ashutosh smashed 66* off 31 deliveries to help the side pull off a miraculous one-wicket win in the final over.

The talented 26-year-old finished off the perfect outing with the winning six, earning him the Player of the Match honor.

Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad & Josh Hazlewood

Sai Kishore has been the best Indian spinner thus far in IPL 2025 [Credit: Getty]

Some of our favorite movies are the ones where the hero comes back from the proverbial dead and rises to the top. The IPL 2025 has been such a movie thus far for LSG pacer Shardul Thakur.

After going unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, Thakur was a late inclusion in LSG as a replacement for Mohsin Khan. The pacer has made the opportunity count, picking up six wickets in two games, including figures of 4/34 in LSG's lone win.

The 33-year-old is second on the Purple Cap leaderboard and is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament among Indian bowlers.

GT's left-arm spinner Sai Kishore had impressed in his limited opportunities in previous IPLs. However, with the chance to start in the playing XI from the get-go this season, the 28-year-old has been at his relentless best.

Sai Kishore wrecked PBKS in the middle overs with figures of 3/30 in GT's first encounter of IPL 2025. He followed it with a miserly spell of 1/37 against MI, helping GT win their first match of the season.

Another left-arm spinner, Noor Ahmad, has been arguably the bowler of the tournament in the first week of IPL 2025. Relishing the Chennai pitches, the Afghanistan spinner produced figures of 4/18 in CSK's season opener against MI.

He backed up his impressive CSK debut with a three-wicket haul in their loss to RCB. Noor is currently leading the charge for wickets with seven scalps at an average of 7.71 and an economy of 6.75.

The ever-reliable Josh Hazlewood rounds off the Weekly Playing XI, thanks to his incisive new-ball spells for RCB. The tall Aussie has five wickets in two matches at a stellar average of 8.60 and an economy of 5.37.

Hazlewood has played a massive role in RCB sitting atop the points table with two wins in as many games.

Impact Sub: Khaleel Ahmed

CSK left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed has been the lone shining light in the side's otherwise shaky pace attack in the two games. The 27-year-old picked up three big wickets in CSK's season-opening win over MI, followed by respectable figures of 1/28 amid the carnage against RCB.

Best Playing XI from Week 1 of IPL 2025:

Sai Sudharsan, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ashutosh Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Sai Kishore, Josh Hazlewood, Noor Ahmad

Impact Sub: Khaleel Ahmed