The conclusion of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) might have been anti-climactic, with Kolkata Knight Riders securing their third title in arguably the most one-sided final of this competition, but the preceding 73 matches produced moments aplenty which made the 2024 edition an unparalleled and memorable season.
As we draw curtains to the season, here is The Quint's IPL 2024 Team of the Tournament:
Openers – Sunil Narine & Abhishek Sharma
Sunil Narine had an excellent season with the bat in 2018, but it was followed by a couple of underwhelming campaigns. After the 2020 season, he pulled the plug on his time as a pinch-hitting opener – not because the KKR management wanted him to do so, but owing to a confidence dip in this facet of the game.
Returning in KKR colours this season was Gautam Gambhir, who was responsible for Narine’s transition from a specialist spinner to an all-rounder in 2017. Fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate revealed how the management’s pleas to return as an opener the innings fell on deaf ears, until Gambhir somehow convinced him to take the leap of faith.
The leap turned out to be an almighty jump, as Narine scored 488 runs this season, finishing as the ninth-highest run-scorer. His strike rate of 180.74 highlights the role he was assigned – numbing any and every threat of the opposition bowlers in the powerplay overs. He scored his maiden IPL century this year – a 56-ball 109 against Rajasthan Royals – and also got three half-centuries.
Travis Head could easily have been selected for the vacant opening slot, albeit selecting two overseas players upfront runs the risk of strength disparity across departments. Hence, this position goes to Head’s opening partner – Abhishek Sharma.
Despite a forgettable campaign in IPL 2023, Sunrisers Hyderabad deserve credit for continuing with him as their opener, whilst skipper Pat Cummins should be credited for giving Abhishek the license to play his natural, uninhibited game.
With 484 runs, Abhishek finished as the tenth-highest run-scorer in the season. But that figure, in isolation, does not portray the influence his batting had on his team. The 23-year-old scored those runs at a strike rate of 204.21, which is the highest among any batter who scored over 350 runs.
Number 3 – Virat Kohli
IPL 2024 served as a testament to individual brilliance not warranting collective success in a team sport, as whilst Virat Kohli successfully secured his second Orange Cap, his team – Royal Challengers Bengaluru – remained unsuccessful in their search for the elusive trophy.
That being said, there was nothing that Kohli could have offered more. He scored 741 runs – 158 more than his nearest competitor. The former Indian skipper had an average of 61.75 – the highest among the players who scored in excess of 500 runs, and for all debates about his scoring rate, he declared the discourse null and void by accumulating those runs at a strike rate of 154.70 – his highest-ever figure in an IPL season.
Number 4 – Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper)
Sanju Samson has had an established template in the IPL – he would play a few exemplary knocks every season and show immense promise, but it would never materialise into a truly remarkable campaign. This year was a deviation from the usual, as for the first time since his debut 11 years ago, Samson crossed the 500-run barrier in a singular IPL edition.
He scored 531 runs at an average of 48.27, which also happens to be his best-ever tally in this tournament. The Rajasthan Royals captain might not have led his team to a second title, but he struck five half-centuries – joint-highest alongside Kohli. The wicketkeeper-batter has been duly rewarded with a place in the Indian team for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Number 5 – Riyan Parag
Having made his IPL debut in 2019, Riyan Parag had scored merely 600 runs across five seasons. It led to incessant scrutiny, as questions were raised on Rajasthan’s decision to persist with the youngster. In his sixth season, Parag proved that eventually, if not immediately, persistence is certain to pay off.
He scored 537 runs in 16 matches at an average of 52.09, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer. While he scored four half-centuries, it was his consistency which was more impressive, for Parag scored north of 30 runs in 10 of his fourteen innings.
Number 6 – Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran happens to be the only player on our team whose team could not qualify for the playoffs, which might indicate a thing or two about the season he had. Signed for Rs 16 crore in the 2022 mega auction, the Trinidadian wicketkeeper-batter’s performances in the last couple of seasons were far from unsatisfactory, yet he never really was successful in rationalising the hype around him.
That was, until this season, where he scored 499 runs at an average of 62.37, and finished as the eighth-highest run-scorer. In a team where the top-order batters are not particularly renowned for their hitting prowess, Pooran was tasked with the seemingly improbable role of accumulating runs at a brisk pace whilst not losing his wicket, but he was successful in his ordeal, highlighted by his strike rate and average – 178.21 and 62.38 respectively.
All-Rounder – Andre Russell
In KKR’s maiden IPL triumph in 2012, Andre Russell was playing for the erstwhile Delhi Daredevils. In their second triumph in 2014, he was a member of the KKR team, but could only feature in two matches. The Knight Riders’ third triumph was special for the all-rounder, as he had finally played a significant role in the success of a franchise that has shown unwavering belief in his abilities.
Russell could only 222 runs this season, not for any fault of his own, but because the top-order batter rarely left the task for their successors. He was, however, needed to deliver with the ball, and deliver he did, by picking up 19 wickets at an average of 15.53. He was also KKR’s leading wicket-taker in the final.
Pacer 1 – Pat Cummins (Captain)
Though Pat Cummins is among the top 10 on the list of leading wicket-takers, with 18 scalps at an average of 31.44, his numbers with the ball is not the solitary reason why he has made the cut. Instead, it was his leadership qualities which led to the rather unforeseen Sunrisers Hyderabad resurgence.
Having finished in tenth place last season, Hyderabad were second to only Kolkata this year, both in the final and the league stage. Cummins was flawless with his bowling changes, whilst the inculcation of his fearless approach saw the batters breaking records of all sorts.
Pacer 2 – Jasprit Bumrah
Harshal Patel won the Purple Cap, so why have we selected Jasprit Bumrah?
Fair point, but a few factors need to be considered. Firstly, specialist death bowlers are always likely to pick more wickets than all-phase bowlers, with risk-taking shots increasing exponentially in the latter overs.
Moreover, Patel scalped 24 wickets at an economy rate of 9.73 runs per over, whilst Bumrah scalped 20 wickets at an economy rate of 6.48 runs per over, plotting the batters’ downfall when their predominant approach was defensive.
Spinner 1 – Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal became the only player to scalp 200 wickets in this competition, and rightfully so, has reclaimed his place in the Indian T20 team. The second-highest wicket-taker among spinners, Chahal had 18 scalps to his name.
Among the more impressive facets of Chahal’s game was his prowess to break partnerships, and having a trick or two up his sleeve in every game. In the 16 matches he featured for Rajasthan Royals this season, Chahal could not open his wickets tally only thrice.
Spinner 2 – Varun Chakaravarthy
Following an excellent 2021 season, which led to his retention, Varun Chakaravarthy was part of a demystifying session over the last couple of campaigns. It seemed that the presumed mystery spinner had no mystery to his game, until he found the incantation to unlock his expertise.
Chakaravarthy was the second-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps, and the highest among spinners. He had an average of 19.14 and an economy rate of 8.04 – second to only Jasprit Bumrah among the top 10 on the wicket-takers’ list.
The Quint's Team of the Tournament
Sunil Narine
Abhishek Sharma
Virat Kohli
Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper)
Riyan Parag
Nicholas Pooran
Andre Russell
Pat Cummins (Captain)
Jasprit Bumrah
Yuzvendra Chahal
Varun Chakaravarthy
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Impact Subs: Travis Head, Harshit Rana, T Natarajan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan.
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