Opinion
Australians have been a huge part of the Indian Premier League – in fact Australia is the only country to yield IPL-winning captains apart from India.
Australians have won the Orange Cap – the award for most runs – in six of 12 seasons of the IPL, with Andrew Tye being the only Purple Cap winner for most wickets to come from Down Under.
Let’s take a look at an all-time Australian IPL XI
1. David Warner
With 4706 runs, 44 fifties, four tons and three Orange Caps, Warner has to be the first name on the team sheet. To go with all his exploits as a batsman, he even won the IPL as captain in 2016. He led his team beautifully, the Hyderabad franchise transformed from perennial underachievers to a ruthless winning machine. He may have faced competition from Matthew Hayden, himself an Orange Cup winner, for his position, but his exploits in the past few years have made him undoubtedly the first-choice opener.
(Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)
2. Adam Gilchrist (wicketkeeper)
No surprises here. Just like any Australian all-time team, in this side Gilly’s also our wicketkeeper. In fact he’s the only Australian wicketkeeper to have plied his trade in IPL. As for his record, he scored 2069 runs (fourth-most by Australian), two centuries and 11 fifties and led his team, Hyderabad, to the IPL title in 2009, also winning man of the tournament.
3. Shaun Marsh
The elder Marsh was a consistent performer for his Punjab team for close to a decade. He even won an Orange Cap in the inaugural edition, leading his team to the semi-final stage. He again reached the final in 2014, but the trophy has remained elusive. He faced tough competition from Steve Smith for the No. 3 spot, but since both haven’t won the competition, Marsh’s numbers at top of the order gave him the edge.
4. Shane Watson
Two IPL titles, 3575 runs, 92 wickets, two man-of-the-tournament awards, man of the match in 2018 final. Enough said.
5. Michael Hussey
Again, a competition with Steven Smith ensued. But Hussey’s better power hitting and two IPL titles gave him the edge. He also won an Orange Cap in te 2013 edition of the IPL with 733 runs, a record at the time. He has also batted for Australia in the lower-middle order, which makes him more suited to the role.
6. Glenn Maxwell
The Big Show takes the power-hitting role in the team. A delight to watch on his day, he absolutely decimated bowling attacks in 2014 on his way to winning man of the tournament. He has even won the most sixes award twice, in 2014 and 2017, thus proving his credentials as the finisher of the team. He can also be a handy off-spinner in the middle overs, with 16 wickets to his name to date.
7. James Faulkner
The other all-rounder in the team, Faulkner will supplement Maxwell in the power-hitting department. He had a brilliant few years in the IPL during which he took 59 wickets and scored 513 runs. He was at his attacking best in 2014 edition when he had the tournament-best strike rate of 192. He also has a bag full of tricks, with different slower deliveries and a good yorker, which makes him a great option in the death overs.
8. Shane Warne (captain)
The greatest leg spinner of all time makes his appearance, but this time leading a team of stalwarts. He won the inaugural edition of IPL as captain-coach leading a team of absolute nobodies. He had raw, unproven talent at his disposal that he transformed into seasoned campaigners, leaving behind teams that had spent millions in the auction. He claimed 57 wickets in his four-year IPL career, emerging as the leading leg spinner during his stay.
9. Mitchell Johnson
The leader of the attack, he took the IPL by storm in 2013 with 24 wickets, leading Mumbai to its first-ever title. He was again vital in Mumbai’s 2017 triumph after defending 11 runs in the last over. In between he also led Punjab’s bowling attack all the way to final in 2014. He has taken 61 wickets in the IPL, second only to Shane Watson. He is also a handy lower bat capable of some quick runs at the death.
10. Ryan Harris
Joining Johnson is his fellow 2013-14 Ashes hero, Ryan Harris. He won the IPL in 2009 after coming into the side as a replacement for West Indian Fidel Edwards. He was again a leader bowler in 2010 for Hyderabad before shifting to Punjab for the next three seasons. He captured a total of 45 wickets at an average of 23.27 before hanging up his boots after 2013.
11. Doug Bollinger
A two-time IPL champion with Chennai, Bollinger completes the bowling attack. He claimed 37 wickets in the IPL at an average of 18.73, the best among Aussies with at least 30 wickets. He faced competition from Andrew Tye for this spot, who himself won Purple Cap in 2018, but his two IPL titles and better average won him the duel.
Bench
Steven Smith (12th man), Moises Henriques, Brad Hogg, Andrew Tye.
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