Former Australian bowler Brad Hogg has picked his top IPL XI from the recently concluded edition of the tournament.
On his official YouTube channel. Hogg called tournament-winning skipper Hardik Pandya the captain and made some fascinating choices in his lineup.
Hogg chose Jos Buttler and David Warner as his openers, beginning with his openers. With 863 runs and 4-centuries, the Rajasthan Royals star appeared as the highest run-getter of the edition. (DC)Delhi Capitals’ Warner also had a good season, scoring 432 runs in 12 matches at an average of 48.
“Jos Buttler – obviously, first-choice opener, leading run-scorer, and most 100s in the tournament. He generally bats through the innings for the Rajasthan Royals and does a fantastic job, so he is at number one. At number two, I have the batsman with a higher strike rate and I’ve got David Warner there. He’s got a pretty good average throughout the year as well, so he complements Buttler.”
Hogg went ahead with SunRisers Hyderabad’s Rahul Tripathi to bat at number 3; the batter secured 413 runs in 14 matches at 37.54. The veteran thinks Tripathi’s clutch knocks should inspire an India call-up sooner or after.
“Coming to number three, I thought Tripathi was one of the best batsmen from the SunRisers Hyderabad team and he carried that middle-order. Under pressure, he delivered and he’s been very consistent over the last two years. He might get an opportunity for India sooner than later, but he is my number three for this year’s IPL.”
Pandya and David Miller absorb the next two spots in the West Australian’s hypothetical XU. He nominated the Baroda all-rounder as his skipper after his impactful all-around abilities. While, Hogg hailed Miller as the best finisher of the match, doing the job for the Titans many times.
“Number four – Can’t go past Hardik Pandya. Brilliant with the bat, brilliant with the ball, all-round ability, and the best captain of the tournament is going to lead my team. At number five, I’ve got David Miller – one of the best finishers of the competition. He did the job for the Gujarat Titans a number of times, where he got them over the line in those final stages under pressure. So, he’s in at number five.”
The Proteas middle-order batter scored 481 runs in 16 matches at 68.71, striking at 142.72. In the final, he lent the ending touches to the Titan’s innings with a successful 19-ball 32.
From now on, Hogg picked (RCB)Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Dinesh Karthik at number 6 for his ability to finish matches against all kinds of bowlers. Hogg also put Karthik rear the stumps in his conjectural XI.
“Number six – Well, it’s Dinesh Karthik from RCB. I also loved the way he finishes off innings. He is able to play those ramp shots against pace bowlers, but also hit them back over the head. He is good against spin and he was one of the better keepers in the tournament. So, he’s going to keep in my lineup.”
The 51-year-old was also affected by Ravichandran Ashwin’s batting exploits and capability to bowl spin at what point of the innings. Picking him at number 7, Hogg stated:
“Coming in at number seven is Ravichandran Ashwin. I was really impressed with the way he batted. He was used as a floater for the Rajasthan Royals, but he also had a great economy with the ball and he can bowl in all different phases of the innings. So, he is my off-spinner at number seven.”
The Royals sometimes utilized Ashwin at number 3, and he played decently, including retiring on one occasion. Although the veteran was unhappy with the ball in the final, he snared 12 wickets in 17 matches in the competition.
Brad Hogg picks 3 Indian fast bowlers in his best IPL 2022 XI
Hogg selected the dynamic Rashid Khan of Gujarat Titans(GT) after this season’s all-around show. He believed that the Afghan leg-spinner makes life simpler for the other bowlers by keeping things tight, perfecting:
“Coming in at number eight – also good with the bat, but some damaging blows at the backend. But one of the most dominant leg-spinners in T20 cricket around the globe. It’s Rashid Khan. I could’ve gone for other spinners, who have got more wickets than him, but I like his economy rate and with that, he applies the pressure and creates opportunities for the bowlers at the other end. So, it’s more of a team effort and I’ve got Rashid Khan in there.”
Khan picked up 19 wickets in 16 matches at 22.15, including figures of 4-0-18-1. He also scored a successful 31 off 11 deliveries against SunRisers Hyderabad(SRH) to script a thrilling victory for the Titans.
Eventually, Hogg went with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Harshal Patel as his 3-bowlers. He thinks Bumrah and Shami can open the bowling, with Patel coming in handy in the middle and final overs.
“For the bowlers, I’ve got Jasprit Bumrah to open the bowling with Mohammed Shami. But Bumrah will be at the backend with Harshal Patel, with those slower balls. I like how Harshal Patel could bowl with the spinners in the middle overs and then control the death overs. That’s my XI in this year’s IPL.”
Brad Hogg’s IPL 2022 XI: Jos Buttler, David Warner, Harshal Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tripathi, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami.
Brad Hogg’s Indian XI: KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Tripathi, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel, Mohammad Shami.
Brad Hogg’s overseas XI: Jos Buttler, Quinton de Kock, Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Trent Boult, Mitchell Marsh, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Shimron Hetmyer, Kagiso Rabada, Josh Hazlewood.
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