IPL 2015: Best XI from Indian Premier League

The Mumbai Indians triumph over the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League final capped off another thrilling season of high-adrenaline Twenty20 action.

But one question remains...which players make the tournament's Best XI?

Some selections are obvious. Take Orange Cap winner David Warner who blasted 562 runs and Purple Cap winner Dwayne Bravo who claimed 26 wickets, for example.

However, the rest of the side is far from straightforward as there is plenty of competition for each place in the team.

So, after a great deal of deliberation, here—based on their cumulative performances and contributions to their teams over the last six-and-a-half weeks—is the overall Best XI from IPL 8.

1. David Warner

Manish Swarup/Associated Press

Matches: 14

Runs: 562

Average: 43.23

Strike rate: 156.54

Best: 91

David Warner claimed the Orange Cap, awarded to the tournament's highest run scorer, by scoring 22 more runs than any other batsman from his 14 innings.

The Australian clearly wasn't burdened by the pressure of being made Sunrisers captain on the eve of the competition and contributed seven fifties to his side's unsuccessful campaign.

Warner will turn his focus to red-ball cricket for the next few months as he joins up with his country for tours of the Caribbean and then England.

Honourable Mention: No IPL is complete without Chris Gayle; the Jamaican blasted 491 runs, 228 of which came from shots that crossed the rope without bouncing.

2. Lendl Simmons

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Matches: 13

Runs: 540

Average: 45.00

Strike rate: 122.44

Best: 71

When compared to some of the IPL's power hitters, a strike rate of just over 120.00 pales into insignificance, but statistics don't always tell the full story.

Which is certainly the case for Lendl Simmons who, with six half-centuries in 13 innings, has been a formidable presence at the top of the order for the Mumbai Indians.

Most impressively, most of these runs have come in the last couple of weeks during the business end of the tournament, including a knock of 68 to set a formidable platform against Chennai in the final.

Honourable Mention: Rajasthan's Ajinkya Rahane scored the same amount of runs as Simmons but is unlucky to miss out due to the sheer quality of the West Indian's knocks under severe pressure.

3. AB De Villiers

Saurabh Das/Associated Press

Matches: 16

Runs: 513

Average: 46.63

Strike rate: 175.08

Best: 133 not out

AB de Villiers carried his incredible World Cup form over to India to help Bangalore reach the play-offs for just the second time in IPL history.

The South African saved his best stuff for Mumbai, blasting an unbeaten 133 and a staggering 41 from just 11 balls against the long-suffering Indians' bowlers.

Overall, out of all the batsmen who scored a significant amount of runs (more than 113) in this year's IPL, only Andre Russell produced a higher strike rate than De Villiers.

Honourable Mention: Rohit Sharma delivered 482 runs and, when it mattered most, produced a 25-ball fifty, his third of the tournament, to help Mumbai post an unassailable total of 202 in the final.

4. Kieron Pollard

Rajanish Kakade/Associated Press

Matches: 16

Runs: 419

Strike rate: 163.67

Average: 38.09

Best: 70

Perennial T20 performer Kieron Pollard produced another strong campaign for the Mumbai Indians culminating in a brutal 36 off just 18 balls in the final.

The Trinidadian remains a middle-order game changer and can play rebuilding innings as well as putting the icing on the cake in the final few overs if necessary with his big hitting.

While his bowling skills were lightly used, Pollard still chipped in with three useful wickets, including the key scalp of Kolkata's Yusuf Pathan in a must-win clash.

Honourable Mention: Perhaps inspired by the Daredevils' captaincy, JP Duminy registered 414 runs in total, which included four half-centuries at a very respectable strike rate of 131.42.

5. MS Dhoni (Capt and WK)

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

Matches: 17

Runs: 372

Average: 31.00

Strike rate: 121.96

Best: 53

Former Indian Test skipper MS Dhoni guided his beloved Chennai Super Kings into their sixth IPL final but will, of course, be disappointed to have finished on the losing side for the fourth time.

On an individual note, the cool-headed 33-year-old scored 372 runs, many of which helped his side get over the line in tense run chases, and claimed 11 dismissals behind the stumps.

The years may be ticking by, but there remain few more inspirational captains of a cricket side so Dhoni takes the reins of this Best XI.

Honourable Mention: Competent behind the stumps, prolific with the bat, Robin Uthappa scored 364 runs at the top of the order for KKR and only misses out due to Dhoni's leadership skills.

6. Andre Russell

Martin Hunter/Getty Images

Matches: 13

Runs: 326

Strike rate: 192.89

Best: 66

Wickets: 14

Economy rate: 7.96

By scoring the fastest fifty in this year's IPL from just 19 balls, Andre Russell lifted himself into the upper echelon of the world's T20 players.

In fact, the West Indian was a consistent presence throughout the tournament and made major contributions with both bat and ball, earning himself the Most Valuable Player award.

Unfortunately, Russell's performances weren't enough to help Kolkata reach the play-offs, but the 27-year-old has probably earned himself a significantly bigger pay cheque in next year's auction. 

Honourable Mention: Moises Henriques did his chances of an improved contract in 2016 no harm by scoring 287 runs and taking 11 wickets with an exceptional economy rate of 6.32 for the Sunrisers.

7. Dwayne Bravo

Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

Matches: 17

Runs: 195

Strike rate: 131.75

Best: 62 not out

Wickets: 26

Bowling average: 16.38

Economy rate: 8.14

Dwayne Bravo claimed the Purple Cap for the second time in his career by claiming 26 victims from 17 games with a bowling strike rate of one scalp every 12 balls.

With his mixed bag of tricks, including a lethal slower ball, the Trinidadian collected a trio of three-wicket hauls including a match-winning spell of 3 for 22 in a crunch clash with CSK.

During the tournament, Bravo also became the first player to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in the IPL's eight-year history achieving the feat in 89 matches.

Honourable Mention: If a spinner all-rounder was required instead of a seaming all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 132 runs and took 11 wickets, would do a more-than-adequate job.

8. Harbhajan Singh

Rajanish Kakade/Associated Press

Matches: 15

Wickets: 18

Bowling average: 24.77

Economy rate: 7.82

Best: 3/27

In a microcosm of Mumbai's campaign, Harbhajan Singh started slowly but by the business end of the season was rolling back the years with his well-honed spinners.

Collecting 18 wickets in total, it was the 34-year-old's spell in the first qualifier that swung the game in the Indians' favour when he picked up the key scalps of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.

And despite his last appearance for India coming in 2013, who would bet against Singh getting an international recall in the near future?

Honourable Mention: With 20 wickets, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal enjoyed a breakthrough tournament and looks like one to keep an eye on for the future.

9. Mitchell Starc

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Matches: 13

Wickets: 20

Bowling average: 14.55

Economy rate: 6.76

Best: 4/15

Arguably the best seam bowler in the world today, Mitchell Starc can do no wrong at the moment, and the Australian earned more plaudits with his displays in the IPL.

As well as taking 20 wickets, the left-armer's devilish late swing makes him very difficult to score off as evidenced by a miserly economy rate, a rarity for a paceman in T20 cricket.

With the Ashes next up, it will be fascinating to see if Starc can achieve similar results in English conditions and when the colour of the ball is red. 

Honourable Mention: New Zealand's Mitchell McClenaghan proved to be an inspired signing for Mumbai, providing plenty of aggression and playing a starring role in the final, taking 3/25.

10. Lasith Malinga

Rob Griffith/Associated Press

Matches: 15

Wickets: 24

Bowling average: 18.50

Economy rate: 7.40

Best: 4/23

Nobody has taken more scalps in the history of T20 cricket than Lasith Malinga, and the wild-haired paceman added another 24 victims to his career haul during this tournament.

Bowling his usual armament of unplayable toe-crunching yorkers, the Mumbai Indian ace finished second only to Dwayne Bravo in the leading wicket-taker's charts.

As per usual, when the pressure was on, the veteran Malinga stepped up his game and picked up seven successes in the last three games of the campaign, including 2/25 in the final.

Honourable Mention: While Sunrisers Hyderabad missed the cut, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 18 wickets at 22.61, including 3/26 against eventual champions Mumbai.

11. Ashish Nehra

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Matches: 16

Wickets: 22

Bowling average: 20.40

Economy rate: 7.24

Best: 4/10

At the ripe old age of 36, Ashish Nehra used all his experience and nous to help fire Chennai into yet another IPL final.

The 17-Test veteran's total haul of wickets was only bettered by three players while his incredible return of four for 10 runs against Bangalore were the best match figures in the entire tournament.

Unfortunately, Nehra couldn't reproduce this form in the final where he went wicketless, but as long as he can remain fit, the seamer should be back next season.

Honourable Mention: Medium pacer Harshal Patel did himself no harm by taking 17 wickets in 15 matches for RCB and returning a useful economy rate of 7.48.