A phenomenal batting line-up, seven bowling options, some excellent fielders… that’s our XI for IPL 2021
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2021 year sounds silly, but Harshal did, didn’t he?Varun Chakravarthy was one of the key reasons for Kolkata Knight Riders’ progress to the final•BCCI10. Varun Chakravarthy (18 wickets, ave 24.88, ER 6.58, Best 3-13)
It was almost impossible to get Chakravarthy away, right through the IPL, for the second IPL in a row, in fact, and in tandem with Narine, he formed a sensational pair in the middle overs, drying up the runs and setting Knight Riders up for one unlikely win after another. Chakravarthy picked up wickets with some regularity, but his great achievement was definitely in the economy department.11. Avesh Khan (24 wickets, ave 18.75, ER 7.37, Best 3-13)
Avesh enjoyed a true breakthrough season. Second only to Harshal in the wicket-takers’ tally, it was almost as if Avesh would get a wicket each time he came on to bowl, in every stage of the innings. Still uncapped at the international level, though he is on the fringes, Avesh showed how he has improved in the past couple of years, still hitting the deck as he always did, but now with more control, and at what pace. He can hit 140kph, but also has a bagful of slower deliveries, and bowls both in the powerplay and at the death.
Almost there: Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Andre Russell, Yuzvendra Chahal, Anrich Nortje.
