Dhoni, Warner, Russell, Malinga… Who are the IPL's GOATs?
ESPNcricinfo links up with Star Sports to mark the 12th anniversary of the start of the IPL with a special poll
April 18 is the 12th anniversary of the first match in IPL history, made memorable by Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum smashing Royal Challengers Bangalore for a 73-ball 158 not out. The 2020 edition of the IPL remains indefinitely suspended at this stage because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but we are very happy to join hands with Star Sports, which is marking the date by picking the IPL's GOATs in five categories: batsman, bowler, allrounder, captain and coach.
The jury, 50-strong, has prominent commentators, coaches, analysts, statisticians, broadcasters and journalists, including five ESPNcricinfo writers, to create shortlists in each category. The winners will be picked by a panel of experts on Star Sports Cricket Connected, to be aired in India on Saturday at 7pm.
Here's a look at the shortlists, the final contenders for each award.
Greatest batsman
AB de Villiers
M 154, Runs 4395, Ave 39.95, SR 151.23, Best 133*
De Villiers has been Royal Challengers Bangalore's poster boy since 2011, when he joined them, his numbers underscoring his utility to the set-up even though they've fallen short of the prize so far. He has done it all for the team, with the bat and in the field, and all that remains now is for him to get them a trophy.
Chris Gayle
M 125, Runs 4484, Ave 41.13, SR 151.02, Best 175*
Gayle once formed perhaps the most potent batting attack in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore alongside AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, and though he had a lean patch in 2016 and 2017, which led to the team letting him go, he remains a big draw.
David Warner
M 126, Runs 4706, Ave 43.17, SR 142.39, Best 126
Winner of three Orange Caps for most runs in a season, Warner led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL crown in 2016. A ban for ball-tampering made him miss the 2018 season, but he returned to top the run charts yet again in 2019.
Virat Kohli
M 177, Runs 5412, Ave 37.84, SR 131.61, Best 113
All these years on, Kohli remains a rare one-franchise player in the IPL, and it's tough to think of him playing for another team. Four of his five IPL centuries have come in a single season (2016), and he continues to be at the front and centre of the team's push for a maiden title.
Greatest bowler
Lasith Malinga
M 122, Wickets 170, Ave 19.80, ER 7.14, Best 5-13
If Mumbai Indians were to have a Hall of Fame, Malinga would be among the first entrants. His contribution goes beyond just turning up and taking wickets; his mentorship of Jasprit Bumrah has lent another dimension to the most successful IPL franchise. Still going strong at 36, he's got the most wickets in the league over the years.
Sunil Narine
M 110, Wickets 122, Ave 23.31, ER 6.67, Best 5-19
A proven match-winner, Narine has played key roles in each of Kolkata Knight Riders' two title-winning seasons (2012 and 2014). His economy rate of 6.67 is the best among those to have played at least 100 matches. While he hasn't been able to replicate the bowling magic of old, since 2015, he has proven his worth by providing batting firepower at the top of the order.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
M 117, Wickets 133, Ave 23.71, ER 7.24, Best 5-19
His natural swing, improved pace, and ability to bowl yorkers at will makes him Sunrisers Hyderabad's preferred death-bowling frontman. Over time, he has graduated to not just leading the pace pack but the side too, like he did in 2019. He finished with the Purple Cap for most wickets (23) to help Sunrisers win the IPL in 2016.
Greatest allrounder
Dwayne Bravo
M 134, Runs 1483, Ave 23.17, SR 128.28, Best 70*; Wickets 147, Ave 24.60, ER 8.39, Best 4-22
Bravo isn't quite the force he used to be, but has built such a formidable body of work in the IPL over the years that he is among the legends of the league, and a Chennai Super Kings hero. Especially in the field, Bravo has always pulled his weight, keeping things tight, picking up wickets, and routinely making a mark with his fielding - a true short-format allrounder.
Andre Russell
M 64, Runs 1400, Ave 33.33, SR 186.41, Best 88*; Wickets 55, Ave 27.96, ER 8.88, Best 4-20
Dre Russ is an emotion in Kolkata, thanks to his exploits for Knight Riders since 2015. Not too many players have turned games around from impossible situations like Russell has, and because of this, not even a ban for a doping violation made the team look elsewhere. Russell has moved his performances up a notch - or three - since his return, and his fearsome strike rate of 186.41 is the best among those with over 500 runs in the league.
Shane Watson
M 134, Runs 3575, Ave 31.08, SR 139.53, Best 117*; Wickets 92, Ave 29.15, ER 7.93, Best 4-29
Dodgy hamstrings, slowing reflexes and a severe drop in pace haven't come in the way of Watson's hunger and drive at 38. He was Rajasthan Royals' MVP in their run to the title in 2008. In 2019, he nearly won Chennai Super Kings their fourth title, a year after hitting a century in the final to give them their third trophy.
Greatest captain
MS Dhoni
As captain: M 174, Wins 104, Losses 69, Win% 60.11
The only captain to win more than a hundred IPL matches, Dhoni has led Chennai Super Kings into the final four each time [they were suspended for two years, in 2016 and 2017], and lifted the trophy three times.
Rohit Sharma
As captain: M 104, Wins 60, Losses 42, Win% 58.65
He has not only led Mumbai Indians to a record four titles, Sharma has achieved it in just seven seasons, having taken over the reins during the 2013 season.
Gautam Gambhir
As captain: M 129, Wins 71, Losses 57, Win% 55,42
An aggressive, no-quarters-given-and-none-asked-for captain, Gambhir achieved great success with Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the title under him in 2012 and 2014, after he started captaining them in 2011.
Greatest coach
After representing Chennai Super Kings as a player in 2008, Fleming has been their head coach all through, forming a brilliant leadership group with Dhoni and masterminding three title runs. He was also coach at Rising Pune Supergiant when they made the final in 2017 during Super Kings' suspension years.
Before he joined the England men's team, Bayliss enjoyed a productive stint at Kolkata Knight Riders and they won two titles under him, with Gambhir as captain.
While Mumbai Indians have fielded a settled line-up over the years, they have tried a number of head coaches over the years. And while Robin Singh and John Wright, especially, have great records, two title wins in three seasons in charge make Jayawardene a bit of a star.
****
The shortlists were arrived at after the jury members were given a list of ten names for the three player categories and six each for captain and coach. They then picked their top fives for the batsmen, bowlers, and allrounders, and top threes for captain and coach.
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