IPL 2022 got over on Sunday and it got the finale it deserved. In front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Titans and the Rajasthan Royals – the two best teams in the tournament, battled it out for glory. The Titans ultimately won the competition but it wasn’t before RR had caused a bit of a flutter.
As always, this season of the IPL had everything. It had stunning batting displays. Exceptional bowling performances. Mind-boggling catches and youngsters rising to the occasion, telling the veterans that they deserve to be where they are.
A lot of players bagged the limelight during the course of the season. Many batsmen slammed marvellous knocks while many bowlers bowled impressive spells. Some of them also became the leaders in the lists of most runs and most wickets. In this listicle, we take a glance at the Best XI of the IPL 2022 tournament –
Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals)
Jos Buttler scored the most runs in IPL 2022
Senior English batter Jos Buttler delivered outstanding performances with the bat in IPL 2022. He scored a mammoth 863 runs in 17 games with a magnificent average of 57.53. Rajasthan won a lot of matches due to his heroics. He struggled in the second half of the league stage but returned to his best form in the playoffs, smashing a stunning ton against RCB in the second qualifier.
Overall, Buttler scored four centuries and as many half-centuries. He is now the second-highest run-scorer in a single season of the IPL after the former Indian skipper and great batter Virat Kohli who smashed 973 runs in the 2016 season.
KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants)
KL Rahul performed excellently throughout the season for the new franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He led the side well too while scoring the second-most runs in IPL 2022. Rahul led from the front with the bat, amassing 616 runs in 15 innings at an average of 51.33 at a strike rate of 135.38.
However, his strike rate in the chases came under scrutiny especially in the Eliminator against RCB when LSG were chasing more than 200 runs. Nevertheless, it was a terrific effort from Rahul with the bat continuing his good run in the last few IPL seasons.
Rahul Tripathi (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Rahul Tripathi was one of the consistent batters in this edition of the IPL
Rahul Tripathi had a great season with the bat once again in this year’s IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Tripathi cemented his spot at the No. 3 position by scoring 413 runs in 14 matches at an average of 37.55 with a strike rate of 158.24. He managed three 50+ scores as his highest score of 76 runs off 44 balls came against Mumbai Indians.
As an uncapped player, Tripathi has become the first player to score more than 1500 runs in the IPL. In the last few years, he has been the most consistent player in the tournament. He is even tipped to get a national team call-up in the coming days for his consistent performances.
Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans) – Captain
Hardik Pandya should be picked as the best captain of the season and gets the post of captain on this list. Leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022, Pandya lead the team to the top of the points table after the league stage and also won the title under his leadership.
He dazzled with his batting display – becoming an accumulator rather than a pinch-hitter and scored 487 runs – the most for Gujarat Titans. And he bowled as well, taking eight wickets including three in the final. And then he was spot on with his tactics, bowling change and impressed with his calm demeanour. Such was his impact that few experts have even started projecting him as the next Indian captain.
Liam Livingstone (Punjab Kings)
Liam Livingstone lived up to his reputation in the 15th edition of the IPL playing for Punjab Kings this season. He played a few blistering knocks showcasing his power-hitting abilities. Appearing in all 14 matches for the franchise, Livingstone scored 437 runs at an average of 36.42 smashing four half-centuries.
Livingstone’s strike rate of 182.08 was one of the best throughout the season as he went on to smack 29 fours and 34 sixes. Moreover, he also smashed the longest six in IPL 2022 which travelled a whopping 117 metres.
Dinesh Karthik (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – Wicketkeeper-Batter
Dinesh Karthik had a strike rate of 183 in the 2022 IPL
Dinesh Karthik should be picked as the wicketkeeper-batsman on this list. The veteran enjoyed a season of redemption and pulled numerous victories out of the fire for RCB. In a campaign where Kohli and Glenn Maxwell failed more often than not, he held things together and injected the requisite impetus.
Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in all 16 matches, the right-handed batsman smacked 330 runs at an average of 55.0. He held an impeccable strike rate of 183+. He also hit one fifty and many crucial knocks for the team in the death overs.
Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)
All-rounder Andre Russell came into his own this season and shouldered KKR’s batting and bowling burden. He scored runs when his team needed them. He picked wickets when his side required them; and, did everything with his usual flamboyance.
In 12 innings, Russell scored 335 runs at an average of 37.22. His strike rate was 174.48 as he smashed 32 sixes in the tournament. He picked up 17 wickets as well in 13 innings at an economy of 9.87.
Wanindu Hasaranga (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
RCB spent a fortune on landing Hasaranga despite not retaining him ahead of the auction. And he justified the price tag by picking up 26 wickets from 16 matches – the second most in the season. He would control the middle-overs effectively, more often than not denting the progress of opponents.
Bowling at an economy of 7.54, he averaged 16.54 and also bagged a career-best 5/18 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also came up with some useful cameos with the bat when he got opportunities down the order.
Mohammed Shami (Gujarat Titans)
Mohammed Shami was a key player in Gujarat’s title run. He bowled in the Powerplay overs and then at the death proving how much his captain relied on his skills. He was their lead pacer who showed why sticking to line and length can be an effective way to tackle batters in T20 who come in with a mindset to hit everything. He would often trouble batters with his line and swing. And then surprised them with his pinpoint yorkers too.
In 16 matches, Shami picked up 20 wickets at an average of 24.4 and an economy of eight. His best figures came against LSG as he bagged three wickets by conceding only 25 runs. In the final, he picked up the wicket of Riyan Parag in his full four-over quota by giving away 33 runs.