As the title states, this piece is going to be all about the Englishmen in the Indian Premier League. There weren’t many English players to garner the limelight during the early years of this high-profile tournament. But over the years, they have swarmed through the ranks to become an indispensable part of IPL. That’s why we decided to come up with an all-time IPL XI consisting of only English players. This XI consists of English players who have shined throughout the history of this league.
All-time IPL XI of English players:
1. Jos Buttler:
There are only two English openers to make a mark in IPL to date. One of them is Jos Buttler. Often innovative, Buttler has a few tricks up his sleeve to be among runs. You rarely see him scoring close to run a ball. He is the kind of batter who likes to dominate the bowlers from the beginning.
Buttler has scored 1968 IPL runs with a career strike rate of 150. He has piled these runs at an average of 35.14 and has also managed to hit 11 half-centuries and an IPL century in the process. Buttler has single-handedly turned several games in the favor of his team Rajasthan Royals. Hence, he is a well-deserving contender for the opening spot.
2. Jonny Bairstow:
The only other opener who is deserving of a place in this XI is Jonny Bairstow. Bairstow is not much innovative as his partner Buttler but muscling the ball is one of his major strengths. A proper opener, Bairstow makes good use of the powerplay and rarely fails to give a quick start to the innings.
Bairstow has played only 28 matches in his IPL career but has still managed to climb a mountain of 1000 runs. He has amassed 1038 at an average of 41.52 and a strike rate of 142.19 from these 28 matches. Bairstow even has an IPL century in his name. Partnered with Jos Buttler, this duo can bring utter destruction to any bowling lineup in IPL.
3. Kevin Pietersen:
Kevin Pietersen is one of the few English cricketers of his era to have a successful time at the Indian Premier League. Pietersen used to be one of the best all-format English batters of all time. He also used to be good at playing on Indian pitches, which is evident from his recent performance in the Road Safety Series.
KP played 36 matches in his IPL career spanning five seasons. In these 36 matches, he managed to accumulate 1001 runs at an average of 37.07. A career strike rate of 134.72 and an IPL century are evidence of his T20 heroics in India. And this needs to be rewarded with a spot in this all-time IPL XI is English players.
4. Owais Shah:
Born in Pakistan, Owais Shah had a faint experience of how Indian pitches can be. That’s why he was one of the few English players of his time to make a mark in IPL.
Owais Shah averaged 33.73 throughout his IPL, scoring 506 runs from 23 matches. During these 23 games, he maintained a strike rate of 130 as well. So, Owais Shah takes the number four in the all-time IPL XI of English players.
5. Eoin Morgan(c):
Eoin Morgan is someone you want to have in your side while chasing averaged to big totals. He is someone who can take both an offensive or responsible role in the batting lineup. Morgan can also come in handy as a finisher.
Apart from his batting, Morgan is also the only one with captainship experience among this bunch. He is a world cup winning captain and has captained an IPL side as well. So, it would be fitting to hand him the leadership of this all-time IPL XI of English players.
6. Ben Stokes:
The best all-rounder in the English set-up in a long time, Ben Stokes is a complete package. From batting to fielding and bowling, Stokes aces in all departments. His IPL numbers can vouch for that as they are just phenomenal.
Stokes has scored close to 1000 runs and has two IPL centuries in his name. A career strike rate of 134 enhances his batting portfolio. Apart from his batting, he has also taken 28 IPL wickets at a bowling average of 34.78. With these numbers, Stokes has earned his place in this XI.
7. Moeen Ali:
Moeen Ali is the only English all-rounded to have succeeded as a spinner in the IPL. He is also the only English spinner to solidify his place in this grand T20 league. Moeen has taken 15 wickets from just 25 matches in IPL with a bowling average of 25.46. He has also been very economic in his bowling, going at just 6.92 runs per over in his IPL career.
Apart from his bowling, Moeen can also be a good finisher. He carries a career strike rate of 157.97 in IPL, having scored 515 runs from just 326 deliveries in IPL. Being the only spinner in this XI and his hitting skills in the middle order makes him a vital part of this XI.
8. Sam Curran:
Sam Curran as an all-rounder is a lite version of Ben Stokes. However, as a young lad, Curran Jr. has a long way to go to match Stokes. Sam Curran also aces in batting, bowling as well as fielding. He has inherited the calmness of his CSK captain MS Dhoni in his batting which makes him crucial for run chases and finishing.
Apart from his batting, Curran Jr is also good at bowling in shorter formats of the game. In just 30 matches, he has already taken as many as 32 wickets. Add to that a career strike rate of over 150 in IPL, and he makes a perfect lower-order all-rounder for this XI.
9. Jofra Archer:
Jofra Archer has been the best English pacer in the history of the Indian Premier League. In the span of just three seasons and 35 matches, Archer has made a huge impact with his bowling for his team Rajasthan Royals. His pacing deliveries disguised behind his slow runup are a perfect ingredient for deceiving the best batters in the world.
Archer has taken 46 wickets from just 35 matches averaging 21.32 with the ball in his IPL career. He had also been very economic, with an economy rate of just 7.13. Apart from his top-class bowling, Archer also provides the required lower-order firepower with his bat. And this makes him a valuable addition to this XI.
10. Chris Jordan:
Chris Jordan may not be among the best bowlers for the England Cricket Team, but he has surely been among the only few English pacers to give noteworthy performances in IPL.
Jordan has featured in 23 IPL matches so far in five seasons. He has taken as many wickets in these appearances at a bowling average of 29.47. Jordon specializes in slower balls and cutters, which can come in handy at death. He also knows his way around with the bat and increases the depth of this XI till number 10.
11. Chris Woakes:
Chris Woakes is the second-best among all English pacers to ever feature in IPL. He has managed to take 30 wickets from just 21 IPL appearances. Woakes has achieved these remarkable bowling figures at a bowling average of 21.93 in IPL.
Although he has gone for some runs in the 2019 season, Woakes has been very economic in the current season. He has bowled at an economy rate of just 7.45 in IPL 2021. Woakes inclusion in this XI provides six bowling options. And with this, we wrap the all-time IPL XI of English players.
