IPL 2021: No Raina, Sehwag and Bumrah included in RCB star AB de Villiers’ XI; Ahead of the. upcoming IPL 2021, Royal Challengers Bangalore star batsman AB de Villiers named his all-time IPL XI. The team featured seven Indian cricketers and four overseas players. The Proteas was a little hesitant about his own place in his XI as one of the four overseas players, but kept himself as one of the three options at No. 4.
“Last night I was thinking that if I pick my IPL XI and I include myself, how bad would that look. So, opening the batting, I would pick someone whom I started with at Delhi, Viru (Virender Sehwag) at 1 and someone who I think has played some of the best cricket in the world in the last five years, Rohit at No. 2,” according to Cricbuzz.
The No. 3 spot in de Villiers’ IPL XI belongs to RCB captain Virat Kohli, who is also the leading run-getter in the history of the IPL, leading the charts with 5878 runs including five centuries at 39 fifties.
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The two candidates de Villiers has considered for the No. 4 spot along with himself are Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, calling them his ‘replacements’ if need be. MS Dhoni makes it as the captain of the team, followed by Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar as two of the three frontline fast bowlers.
IPL 2021: No Raina, Sehwag and Bumrah included in RCB star AB de Villiers’ XI
Then obviously Virat at No. 3, followed by I’d say either Williamson, or Smith, or myself… these are the two replacements. Ben Stokes at 5, MS at six as captain, and at No. 7, I’d put Jaddu, Mr. Jadeja. Rashid Khan at 8, Bhuvi at 9, Kagiso Rabada at 10 and Bumrah at 11,” de Villiers said.
Also known as Mr. 360, de Villiers explained the reason behind Stokes’ inclusion over any other option. “I’d put Stokes because obviously we know what he can do with the bat, but also considering that extra seaming option. Got the two spinners and then Bumrah, Rabada and Bhuvi as fast bowlers. So that pretty much covers everything,” de Villiers mentioned.
