Eleven men that were a cut above the rest

After 59 matches and some breath-taking performances, DH attempted to choose an XI of IPL-10 season. Having applied the rule of four foreign players, we have arrived at the “best” XI that finds no mention of RCB trio of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and the title-winning Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma. Consistency through the league, the impact of their performances both with bat and ball and in terms of their tactical inputs have been taken into account to pick the team to be led by two-time winner Gautam Gambhir.       

»David Warner: With 641 runs at a strike rate of 142, the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper is an obvious pick to open the innings in any IPL team. He had some competition from Punjab’s Hashim Amla (420 runs at strike rate of 146) and Kolkata’s Chris Lynn, but sheer consistency that Warner brings earns him that place.   
M: 14; Runs: 641; HS: 126; Avg: 58.27; SR: 141.81.

»Gautam Gambhir (captain): Another consistent performer at the top of the tree is the Kolkata skipper. With nearly 500 runs in this season, he is just one spot behind Warner. Gambhir, already with two IPL titles, has shown some astute leadership this year like promoting Sunil Narine and guiding the team to play-offs.
M: 16; Runs: 498; HS: 76 n.o.; Avg: 41.50; SR: 128.02.

»Suresh Raina: When it comes to consistency, there is none to beat Suresh Raina who has topped 400 runs in all but one of season of IPL. With 442 runs (SR 143.97), he was one of the few bright spots for Gujarat Lions. He beats some strong contenders like Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik.  
M: 14; Runs: 442; HS: 84; Avg: 40.18; SR: 143.97.

»Ben Stokes: Declared the most valuable player of IPL-10, the English all-rounder played a crucial role in Pune’s progress to play-offs. His contributions both with and ball were worth the price (Rs 14.50 crore) he was bought for. Who knows, the result could have been different had he been available for the final.
Batting: M: 12; Runs: 316; HS: 103 n.o.; Avg: 31.60; SR: 142.98. Bowling: Wkts: 12; BB: 3/18; Avg: 26.33; Econ: 7.18.

»Kieron Pollard: Without being at his devastating best, the big Trinidadian managed to make some impact with a couple of match-winning knocks. He amassed 385 runs at nearly 140 strike rate in a team which mainly thrived on team effort. With his fielding skills in the deep, he manages to pip Aaron Finch.  
M: 17; Runs: 385; HS: 70; Avg: 29.61; SR: 139.49.

»Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK): The former India skipper’s tally of 290 runs (SR 116) isn’t flattering but his contribution goes well beyond these numbers. He was easily the best wicketkeeper on scene and his invaluable inputs and smart field settings were instrumental in Pune’s good show.
M: 16; Runs: 290; HS: 61 n.o.; Avg: 26.36; SR: 116.

»Krunal Pandya: The fast-improving all-rounder has become an integral part of the Mumbai set-up. While his 10 wickets (economy 6.82 runs per over) and 243 runs (SR 136) are impressive, his ability to perform in crunch situations makes him a special talent. His 47 in Sunday’s final is perhaps one of the most important innings in IPL finals.    
Batting: M: 13; Runs: 243; HS: 47; Avg: 34.71; SR: 135.75. Bowling: Wkts: 10; BB: 3/14; Avg: 27.30; Econ: 6.82.

»Bhuvneshwar Kumar: He walks into the team just like his Sunrisers’ skipper Warner does. With 26 wickets (economy 7 per over), Bhuvneshwar was the lifeline of Sunrisers’ attack, bowling with equal effect both in the Powerplay and in the death.
M: 14; Wkts: 26; BB: 5/19; Avg: 14.19; Econ: 7.05.

»Rashid Khan: Everyone raised his eye-brows when SRH bought him for over Rs 4 crore, but only a few matches into the season the leggie from Afghanistan showed why he was paid such a big purse. His well disguised googlies and cleverly bowled leg-spinners foxed many top-class batsmen, eventually fetching him 17 wickets at an economy rate of 6.6.     
M: 14; Wkts: 17; BB: 3/19; Avg: 21.05; Econ: 6.62.

»Jaydev Unadkat: The Saurashtra bowler has been around for a while but for the first time in his career, he made a telling impact. The left-arm paceman finished with 24 scalps, just two behind Orange Cap winner Bhuvneshwar, to play an important role Pune’s progress to the final.
M: 12; Wkts: 24; BB: 5/30; Avg: 13.41; Econ: 7.02.

»Jasprit Bumrah: His skipper Rohit Sharma calls him one of the best bowlers in the death and anyone who saw him constrict Pune in a chase of 128 in the final would agree to that. Bumrah has been particularly impressive this season excelling with the new ball and executing yorkers with precision during the death. A tally of 20 wickets proves his worth.
M: 16; Wkts: 20; BB: 3/7; Avg: 22.20; Econ: 7.35.