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Dream IPL team


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Dream IPL team - Source Indian Premier League 'dream team' by Travis Hopkins This is my Indian Premier League 'dream team' after the 59-match, five-week IPL that ended Sunday with Deccan Chargers defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final. 1 Matthew Hayden (Chennai Super Kings) The standout performer of the tournament, it was Hayden's consistency that was most impressive. Having retired from international cricket at the beginning of the year, the opener was a picture of calm as he wrought destruction on opposition bowlers and finished top run-scorer in the competition despite missing several matches through injury. 2 Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers) Another Australian retiree who clearly still has it. More than a year since he last donned his country's colours, Gilchrist remains one of the game's most explosive hitters, best glovemen, and a nifty captain to boot. In his first full season as Deccan skipper he turned them from 2008 whipping boys to 2009 champions. 3 Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings) The left-hander's stock just keeps on rising. After a superb 2008 IPL promoted him to India's one-day side, another brilliant showing in 2009 has cemented his spot as one of the world's best young limited-overs players. 434 runs, seven wickets and some sublime catches were a wonderful contribution to Chennai's campaign. 4 AB de Villiers (Delhi Daredevils) With Delhi's top order often misfiring, it was De Villiers who masterminded more victories than anyone else as he racked up 465 runs at a remarkable average of 51.66. His clean hitting was a wonderful spectacle, not least when he scored a magnificent unbeaten century to lead the Daredevils to victory over Chennai in the early stages of the tournament. 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan (Delhi Daredevils) Formed many a crucial partnership with De Villiers and had an equally impressive tournament, scoring 418 runs at an average of 41.8. As a part-time bowler he wasn't a regular wicket-taker but did provide his captain with an experienced spin option when things weren't going Delhi's way. 6 Jean-Paul Duminy (Mumbai Indians) One of the few players who lived up to a big price tag, Duminy justified his 950,000-dollar contract by scoring 372 runs at an average of 41.33 and providing able back-up with his left-arm spin. With Mumbai's openers rarely coming to the party, Duminy's middle-order resistance was worth every cent. 7 Anil Kumble (Bangalore Royal Challengers) Reminded the world of his class with two knock-out performances for Bangalore - one in their opening game and one in the final. Figures of 4 for 16 should have been enough to clinch the prize in the latter but sadly for the veteran his batsmen just weren't up to the task. 8 Pragyan Ojha (Deccan Chargers) Spun his way into the Indian side for the ICC World Twenty20 in June with a string of fine showings as Deccan's premier spinner. Picked up more wickets than fellow spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Harbhajan Singh and Shane Warne, and his 3 for 28 helped swing the final in Deccan's favour. 9 Rudra Pratap Singh (Deccan Chargers) The winner of the purple cap competition as the tournament's highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps, Singh was sensational throughout for the champions. He played every single match and kept his nerve at the end, bowling the final over of the tournament to secure the trophy for his team. 10 Ashish Nehra (Delhi Daredevils) The forgotten man of Indian cricket sent a reminder to selectors with 19 wickets at an average of 18.21 as he became the man around whom Delhi built their bowling attack. He hasn't played for India since 2005 but may well return to the one-day side on the back of this effort. 11 Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians) He might have missed out on the purple cap but batsmen found Malinga's round-arm style impossible to get away at times and his economy rate for the tournament was just 6.3 runs per over. His ability to constantly hit a yorker length was also second to none and he picked up 18 wickets in his 13 outings. - SApa-AFP
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