IPL 2024: Forbes India's team of the tournament

From the experienced Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah to youngsters such as Abhishek Sharma, Shashank Singh and Harshit Rana, the T20 tournament saw several impressive performances when it mattered the most. We pick the best of the lot

By Mohsin Kamal

Published: May 27, 2024 05:31:38 PM IST

Updated: May 27, 2024 06:32:52 PM IST

With 741 runs in 15 matches, Virat Kohli finished as the highest run-getter of the tournament and winner of the Orange Cap. Image: Arun Sankar / AFP

The Indian Premier League (IPL) entered a new era with an explosive season of cricket in its 17th edition. Sixes and fours rained like never before as a plethora of records were broken in the T20 tournament. Over 250 runs in 20 overs—which seemed an improbability not long ago—were scored several times with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) 287 runs setting a new record for the highest total in a T20 match.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged as the winners by beating SRH in the finals at Chennai on Sunday to lift their third IPL trophy. Several players turned up the heat in the tournament with their scintillating performances. It was a batters tournament overall, but there were a few bowlers who made a mark amid the onslaught. Here is Forbes India’s team of the tournament.

1. Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The Indian batting stalwart was yet again at his very best. With 741 runs in 15 matches, Kohli finished as the highest run-getter of the tournament and winner of the Orange Cap. Before the start of IPL 2024, several people had reservations about his T20 form and ability to score quickly, but he hit back at the critics in style. Batting at the top of the order, Kohli didn’t just score big runs but also ensured they came at a good pace. He maintained a strike rate of 154.69 and hit 38 sixes—the second highest in the tournament.

Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine Image: Dibyangshu Sarkar / AFP

2. Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Narine, the batter, made more headlines than Narine, the bowler, thanks to his brisk starts at the top. He played an instrumental part in KKR’s successful IPL 2024 campaign. He would open the innings and start taking the bowlers apart from the word go, which helped the team set the tone for the rest of the match. The Windies all-rounder scored 488 runs at a staggering strike rate of 180.74 and also picked up 17 wickets in 15 matches. His economy rate of 6.69 also stood apart from the rest of the bowlers. For his all-round brilliance, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of IPL 2024.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma Image: Noah Seelam / AFP

3. Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

SRH looked a completely different team this year and it was mainly because of their explosive batting at the top. Sharma and Travis Head gave them explosive starts, as both of them smashed almost everything out of the park. Sharma, who is yet to don the Indian cap, particularly dominated the show scoring 484 runs in 16 matches at an unbelievable strike rate of 204.21. The left-handed batter hit 42 sixes—the most in the tournament. He also bowled a match-winning spell in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, finishing with 2 for 24 in his four overs.

Also read: IPL 2024: India's T20 future is secure with Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma

Rajasthan Royals' Riyan Parag Image: Punit Paranjpe / AFP

4. Riyan Parag (Rajasthan Royals)

IPL 2024 unveiled a new Parag. The youngster had faced endless trolling over the years for his lack of performances in the IPL, but this season, he decided to show the world what he is capable of. The 22 year old scored 573 runs in 16 matches at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21 to end as the third-highest run-scorer. Things changed for him majorly because of a shift in batting position. Earlier he used to bat down the order and had no time to settle in before trying to go the aerial route, but this year, the Rajasthan Royals think tank decided to bat him at number 4, which did wonders for him.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen Image Noah Seelam/ AFP

5. Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - Wicketkeeper

Klaasen is arguably the most consistent batter in T20 cricket right now. His ability to take on both spin and pace at will is unmatched. He continued his golden run in IPL 2024, helping SRH make it to the finals. He amassed 479 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 171.07 and was brilliant behind the stumps as well. He not only played those explosive innings but also steadied Hyderabad’s ship from sinking a few times after they suffered early blows. Even in Qualifier 2—when the pressure was mounting high—it was his brilliance that led the Sunrisers to put on a fighting total.

Rajasthan Royals' captain Sanju Samson Image: Arun Sankar / AFP

6. Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)

Rajasthan Royals had another brilliant season and skipper Samson ensured he was leading from the front. The wicketkeeper-batter played some brilliant innings with the bat for his team. He scored 531 runs in 15 innings at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46, finishing among the top five run-getters of IPL 2024. The best thing about his campaign this year was that he stood up for his team under pressure and didn’t lose his calm—which used to be the case earlier. His heroics in IPL 2024 even helped him secure a place in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

Also read: IPL 2024: Picked by 'accident', Shashank Singh turns out to be the real Punjab King

Punjab Kings' Shashank Singh
Image: Noah Seelam / AFP Punjab Kings' Shashank Singh Image: Noah Seelam / AFP

7. Shashank Singh (Punjab Kings)

You won’t find his name among the highest run scorers, but the impact he had on his team’s performance shouldn’t go unnoticed. The finisher’s role is one of the toughest in cricket and Singh played it better than anyone else this year. The right-handed batter played some blinders, helping Punjab Kings win a few matches that almost seemed impossible. His mantra was simple: Come and rescue his team from a dire situation. He scored 354 runs in 14 innings at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 164.65, and was one of the revelations of the tournament.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's captain Pat Cummins Image: R.Satish Babu / AFP

8. Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - Captain

With an ICC ODI World Cup trophy and Test Championship already in his pocket, skipper Cummins almost added another feather to his cap with his brilliant leadership. After getting a whopping Rs20.5 crore contract in the IPL auction from SRH, many thought the franchise overspent on him since his T20 numbers aren’t too impressive. But the Australian turned up in style, leading SRH to the finals of IPL 2024 in his first stint as IPL captain. While his captaincy was the major highlight, he also bowled some good spells, taking 18 wickets in 16 matches apart from playing a few cameos with the bat as well.

Also Read: Top 10 most expensive players in IPL 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders' Varun Chakravarthy Image: Dibyangshu Sarkar / AFP

9. Varun Chakaravarthy (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The spin duo of Sunil Narine and Chakaravarthy helped KKR tighten the screws in the middle overs and most often than not take charge of the game. Chakaravarthy, in particular, was brilliant, especially in the latter half of the tournament. He had not started on an impressive note, but made a quick comeback. The right-arm mystery spinner not only made run-scoring tough for batters, but also picked up wickets at regular intervals. He scalped 21 wickets in 15 matches, ending as the second-highest wicket-taker of IPL 2024. His ability to strike consistently irrespective of the conditions and pitch made him stand apart.

Kolkata Knight Riders' Harshit Rana Image: R. Satish Babu / AFP

10. Harshit Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders)

A young domestic pacer who bowls at a good pace and has the smarts to vary his pace when needed is a rarity in IPL and KKR were lucky to unveil such a gem. The Delhi-born fast bowler played whatever role he was offered with utmost discipline and consistency. Be it with the new ball, in the middle overs or at the death, Rana never said no to anything. He used the conditions perfectly well. His ability to identify how to bowl on different pitches took everyone by surprise. The 22 year old picked up 19 wickets in 13 matches to finish among the top five wicket-takers of IPL 2024. Most of his wickets came from pace-off deliveries, which suggests the smarts he has for T20 cricket.

Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah Image: Indranil Mukherjee / AFP

11. Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)

Bumrah’s name might appear last on this list, but he is the first to walk into any best IPL 2024 XI. In a tournament that was all about sixes and fours, Bumrah was the only bowler who no batter could really get better off. His skills are so rare that if a batter hits a six off his bowling, it becomes an event that is talked about for days and weeks. He was at his absolute best in IPL 2024, taking 20 wickets in 13 matches at an impressive economy of 6.48. Mumbai Indians had a horrible tournament, and the pacer was the only sparkle in their campaign—he would be the first name they would retain ahead of the next season.

Impact Subs: T Natarajan (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Harshal Patel (Punjab Kings), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings), Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders), Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad)