NEW DELHI: The legendary Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday was named the captain of the all-time greatest IPL team, chosen to commemorate the success of the world's most popular T20 league launched in 2008.
The selection panel included former cricketers Wasim Akram, Matthew Hayden, Tom Moody and Dale Steyn, with approximately 70 journalists participating in the selection process.
Australia's dynamic
David Warner
and India's batting stalwart
Virat Kohli
were selected as the opening pair, with the 'Universe Boss'
Chris Gayle
taking the number three spot in the batting order.
The middle-order comprised
Suresh Raina
,
AB de Villiers
, Suryakumar Yadav, and Dhoni. The trio of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kieron Pollard filled the all-rounder positions in the 15-member squad.
Rashid Khan, crafty Sunil Narine and Yuzvendra Chahal constituted the spin attack, while Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the unanimous choices for the fast bowlers' slots.
The marquee tournament will complete 16 years of the first-ever IPL auction on February 20, 2024.
In the realm of IPL cricket, few names shine as brightly as that of Dhoni. Widely regarded as one of the most successful captains in cricket history, his leadership prowess has garnered praise from peers and pundits alike.
Speaking exclusively on the 'Star Sports Incredible 16 of IPL' show, former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn echoed sentiments shared by many when he hailed Dhoni as the epitome of leadership excellence.
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"It has to be MS Dhoni. He has won everything -- World Cup, IPL, ICC Champions Trophy," said Steyn.
"He's a leader of men, and you've got a bunch of men here that are all at the highest level of their game, and they need someone who has been there and done that and can manage them extremely well on and off the field, so I will have to go with MS Dhoni," he said.
Former Australia cricketer and coach Tom Moody emphasised on Dhoni's remarkable feat.
"It has to be MS Dhoni for me, the reason being MS Dhoni has won the title with very good squads and average squads, and that tells me a lot about the captain and how he can lead a variety of talent in a squad to success. "Rohit Sharma has been a brilliant captain for MI but MI have always had the best squads or up there with the best squads in the IPL since its inception," he said.
It wasn't just Dhoni's captaincy prowess that drew praise. Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden delved deeper, stating that he has potential to be a coach as well.
"It's an obvious choice, it's not a debate over here. It's going to be unanimous amongst the entire Indian community.
"Of course, Rohit Sharma, the Hitman, is such an incredible leader as well, so it's a tough choice, but I'm going to be bold and I'm going to pick Dhoni as a Captain and Coach as well.
"He started in 2008, Shane Warne was captain and coach, and he took the franchise, the double R's, to a title that year, and I just feel that MS Dhoni can also be a coach," he said.
All-time great IPL squad:
MS Dhoni (C), Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, David Warner, Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah.
(With inputs from PTI)
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