Bengaluru, April 29: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 crossing the halfway mark, in terms of matches, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has picked his "Best XI" based on the performances so far in the 10th edition of the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament. (Dhoni to retire?)
The 42-year-old Ponting, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and later coached MI, has chosen compatriot David Warner as the captain of the side. Ponting unveiled his XI on Cricket Australia's (CA) website.
The left-handed Warner, who leads Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has been in top form in the tournament so far. As on Friday (April 28), he had scored 333 runs, second most in this edition, behind Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir (376 runs).
Ponting, however, has not included Gambhir in his side and opted for Kings XI Punjab's (KXIP) Hashim Amla to partner Warner. (Orange Cap standings)
Only 4 Indians - Suresh Raina, Nitish Rana, Harbhajan Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, feature in Ponting's XI. (Purple Cap standings)
On Raina, Ponting said, "He has been one of the best IPL players for the last 5 or 6 seasons. (He is a) consistent run scorer and match-winning player."
Ponting praised left-handed youngster Rana and said he will play for India.
"He (Rana) is a very dynamic left-handed batsman. Hits spin particularly well. He has got a weakness against good quality fast bowling. But so far in the tournament, he has been outstanding. He is potentially someone who can play for India down the track. He is an exciting young talent," Ponting said.
Who are the others in Ponting's team? Find out here. IPL 2017 ends on May 21.
Here is Ponting's "Team of IPL" at halfway stage of the 10th edition (after 30 matches)
1. Hashim Amla (Kings XI Punjab) - South Africa
2. David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) (Captain) - Australia
3. Suresh Raina (Gujarat Lions)
4. Jos Buttler (Mumbai Indians) (Wicketkeeper) - England
5. Nitish Rana (Mumbai)
6. Glenn Maxwell (Kings XI Punjab) - Australia
7. Chris Morris (Delhi Daredevils) - South Africa
8. Harbhajan Singh (Mumbai)
9. Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - Afghanistan
10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Hyderabad)
11. Mitchell McCleneghan (Mumbai) - New Zealand
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