IPL 2018: Team of the week 1

Right, so one week has whizzed past us, the Indian Premier League is slowly warming up, the teams are getting close to the combination which might help them go all way, the franchises are establishing connections with their fan bases again, and along the way, Chennai Super Kings have been moved out from Chennai to Pune.

Seven days, eight matches, and plenty of highlights already from the league. The usual suspects have not yet arrived, the new prodigies are doing their reputation no harm, and brand IPL looks solid.

So now we try to mould a team which will have the best players from week one.

Openers

KL Rahul

The Karnataka-boy was a big ticket signing for Kings XI Punjab and in the two innings he has played so far, he has already vindicated the decision.

From smoking a 14-ball half-century against the Delhi Daredevils to playing a stroke-filled 47 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rahul seems to have his eyes fixed on a more permanent role with the Indian team across all the three formats.

Shikhar Dhawan

The southpaw has been in sublime form for India in white ball cricket over the last 15 months and he has carried this form into the IPL for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In the absence of David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan has taken the responsibility on his shoulders to not only bat with an elevated strike rate but also bat deep into the innings and win matches for his team.

He has scored 123 runs in the two matches so far with an average of 123 and at an impressive strike rate of 144.70. No surprises that SRH have won both their matches!

Middle Order

Sanju Samson

The young batsman from Rajasthan Royals is now a veteran in the IPL and perhaps this season might well be his breakthrough year.

He has started with aplomb in the two matches so far and what has caught the eye is his aesthetic stroke play and relaxed mannerisms at the crease.

86 runs in the two matches at an average of 43 and with a strike rate of 134 are positive numbers and Royals would hope that he goes all the way this season.

AB de Villiers

The man from the Rainbow nation has almost become synonymous to a reverberating Chinnaswamy stadium and he has started this season with a bang.

He looked in sublime form in the first match against the Kolkata Knight Riders and scored an authoritative 44, before stepping out in his home turf and grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck against the Kings XI Punjab and single-handedly won his side the game by scoring a smashing half-century.

Krunal Pandya

The older sibling has been quite special for the defending champions Mumbai Indians in the two innings with both bat and ball. Although his side has not been able to get off the mark in the points table, Krunal has looked very solid with the bat.

56 runs in two matches, with an unbeaten 41 in the first match and Krunal is looking to be the deal this season.

All-rounders

Andre Russell

Another man who brings a lot of flair into the IPL, Russell was at his explosive best against the Chennai Super Kings when he smoked 88 runs in 36 balls with 11 sixes.

He has also come of age as a bowler and for Dinesh Karthik, he is the death bowler and with the ability to nail his Yorkers, his role in the team cannot be emphasised enough.

Dwayne Bravo

One of the spice boys from the Caribbean, Dwayne Bravo has been a critical cog in the Chennai Super Kings' outfit both with the bat and ball.

While he won the match against the Mumbai Indians with his bat, he always picks up wickets with the ball and is MS Dhoni’s go-to bowler in the death overs.

Bowlers

Mujeeb ur Rahman

Another young man from Afghanistan who is making all the right moves this season, 17-year old Mujeeb has been quite a story this season already.

He has picked up three wickets this season which includes the big one of Virat Kohli and has looked the part at this level.

With a plethora of variations up his sleeve, the spinner has the promise to be a future star.

Mayank Markande

The young leggie is already being hailed as the find of the season and there is every reason to attach this label.

The 20-year old from Punjab picked up three wickets in his debut match against Chennai Super Kings and then followed it up with a four-wicket haul against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

He has all the variations and the required control to be the real deal, and with the genuine leg break and a googly being his main weapons and this season could well define his career in all the formats.

Umesh Yadav

The fast man has turned up for the Royal Challengers Bangalore this season and Virat Kohli has used him with a lot of intent.

Yadav has been asked to run in bowl fast and this has allowed him to hassle the batsmen and then pick up wickets to boot.

In a couple of matches played this week, the Vidarbha man has picked up 5 wickets which also included three wickets in one over against the Kings XI Punjab.

Siddarth Kaul

Another Punjab bowler, Siddarth Kaul has been a quiet performer for whichever franchise he turns up for.

This season he is under the tutelage of Tom Moody for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and has gone about his business quite unassumingly.

Four wickets in two matches at an economy rate of 5.47 and with an average of 11.50 is proof enough of the quality he has brought to the table.