The best (Indian Premier League) IPL XI of retired legends

The second half of IPL 2021 is set to begin after the tournament was terminated midway due to the outbreak of Covid-19 early this year. The 12 seasons of IPL have seen numerous legends retiring from all forms of cricket after bidding adieu from this T20 tournament. 

Cricwizz makes the best IPL XI of retired legends.

OPENERS

Sachin Tendulkar

The Indian cricketing god has played only for Mumbai Indians in his IPL career. He even led the team to the final of IPL 2010 that they lost to CSK. He was part of the squad that won the 2013 IPL title, but he didn’t play the final. He was later appointed as a mentor of the squad.

Gautam Gambhir (captain)

Gauti is the captain of this IPL XI of retired legends. He captained KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. He also led from the front with the bat on various occasions. However, KKR snubbed Gambhir after few unsuccessful seasons, and he was bagged by Delhi Capitals at the base price in 2018. But a few failures made him drop himself as a captain and player, and he never played another IPL match again as he hung up his boots from all forms of cricket. 

Middle-order

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvi was always in great demand in IPL. He bagged record price in the auction not once but twice. He was part of the winning campaign for SRH in IPL 2016. He was later bagged by Mumbai Indians and was part of the 2019 IPL winning campaign, but warmed the benches most of the season. He then retired from all forms of cricket.

Rahul Dravid

Dravid reinvented his game to suit the shortest format of the game. He led Rajasthan Royals admirably, but could not help them bag a title under his leadership. However, he was one of the best T20 innovators and left IPL on a high. 

All-rounders

Yusuf Pathan

Pathan was a lucky charm for franchises, as he was part of not once or twice, but four winning campaigns for three different teams. He was part of the 2008 IPL winning campaign for Royals, 2012 and 2014 successful campaigns for KKR, and another one for SRH in 2016 IPL. He was destructive with the bat and was quite handy with the ball.

Jacques Kallis

The South African legendary all-rounder played a vital role in KKR winning their maiden IPL title in 2012. He struck a vital 69 batting at no 3 while chasing 191 for a win in 2012 final. However, Manvinder Bisla stole the show with his 89. Later, Kallis was part of the KKR management team after he retired as a player. 

Shane Watson

Watson was a handy asset in any IPL team he played for. He played a crucial role in the Royals winning the inaugural IPL campaign in 2008. Later, he was part of the losing finalists for RCB in 2016 IPL. He was then bought by CSK and struck a title-winning century in 2018 IPL to help CSK win their third title. He has now retired, but his exploits in IPL are worth mentioning. 

Keeper

Adam Gilchrist

Gilly guided Deccan Chargers, which ended as of last in the 2008 IPL points table, to title glory in 2009 IPL. He led from the front in 2009 IPL and guided a young bunch of players to glory. However, he could not repeat the same magic with his next team, Kings XI Punjab. His last IPL match where he bagged a wicket on his own bowling, and his wild celebration made his IPL career memorable.

Spinner

Shane Warne

Shane Warne inspired a young Rajasthan Royals team to IPL glory in 2008, defeating favorites CSK in the final. That campaign saw new heroes in Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan making their presence felt in the global cricketing world. Although Royals failed to lift another title so far, Warne’s Royals legacy has remained intact. 

Pace bowlers

Lasith Malinga

Malinga was the leader of the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack for many seasons. His unplayable yorkers were the hallmark of his IPL career. His last ball for Mumbai Indians saw the team win the 2019 IPL final by a run against CSK. He is the leading wicket-taker in IPL currently, with 170 wickets in 122 matches for Mumbai Indians.

Zaheer Khan

Zaheer is the most successful left-arm bowler for India. He was also highly successful in IPL, playing for three teams – RCB, MI, and Delhi Daredevils. Although he was not part of any winning IPL team, his bowling was difficult to score off, and Zak ended up with over 100 wickets in 100 IPL games.

Best XI of IPL retired legends: Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir (captain), Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid, Adam Gilchrist (keeper), Shane Watson, Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Shane Warne, Lasith Malinga, Zaheer Khan