All-time West Indies IPL XI

Kieron Pollard

West Indies has a reputation for producing hard-hitting batsmen who can take down any opposition anywhere in the world. With two T20 World Cup trophies to their credit, West Indies has successfully established itself as a T20 specialist nation. Therefore, it is no surprise that there are some phenomenal Caribbean batters who are an integral part of the Indian Premier League. Most of the batsmen, hailing from the West Indies are nothing less than a nightmare for all the bowlers featuring in IPL.

In this article, we discuss the strongest West Indies playing XI to have played the IPL

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle can be easily considered as the most destructive batsman in the shortest format of the game. Age is no bar for the 41-year-old as he is still capable of destroying the opposition with his explosive batting. Gayle is best known for causing carnage on the field and single-handedly taking his team to victory. The Universe Boss has terrific 4950 runs under his belt from 140 matches at a strike rate of 149.4.

Dwayne Smith

The batsman to join Chris Gayle at the top of the order in all-time West Indies IPL XI is Dwayne Smith. Playing for teams like Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, and Chennai Super Kings, Smith made a name for himself as a destructive opening batter. The veteran accumulated 2385 runs at an average of 28.39 and a strike rate of 135.20 in 91 IPL matches.

Lendl Simmons

The right-handed batsman Lendl Simmons enjoyed a relatively shorter run in the Indian Premier League. However, in his IPL journey that spanned from 2014 to 2017 Simmons made sure to leave an impact. The 36-year-old played a crucial role for Mumbai Indians as he helped them in lifting the cup in 2015 and 2017. Simmons has 1079 runs in his kitty in 29 matches.

Nicholas Pooran (WK)

The young Nicholas Pooran finds the place in the playing XI as the first-choice wicketkeeper. Though it is too early to consider Pooran in the elite charts, the left-hander has shown signs of brilliance with his power-hitting abilities. The 25-year-old has hammered 549 runs in 28 games at a strike rate of 157.8.

Kieron Pollard (c)

Kieron Pollard has the reputation of being the most successful West Indies batter in the history of the Indian league. The hard-hitter has been phenomenal with the willow as he has smashed 3191 runs in 154 games at a strike rate of 150.87. Pollard has also showcased his brilliant captaincy skills as he has led his franchise Mumbai Indians in a handful of matches in the absence of Rohit Sharma.

Andre Russell

Just like Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell is another all-rounder from the Caribbean nation who has taken the Indian Premier League by storm. Russell has been absolutely brutal with the willow as he has hammered the ball like anything all over the park against every franchise. The all-rounder has hit 1680 runs in 68 games at a scoring rate of 179.30. Andre has also performed well with the ball as he has 68 scalps to his credit.

Dwayne Bravo

The next name to feature in the strongest West Indies IPL playing XI is Dwyane Bravo. The 37-year-old has been an asset for his franchise Chennai Super Kings as he has won the games for them by being a lower-order power-hitter and a part-time seamer. Bravo is the only overseas player in the history of IPL to win the purple cap twice. The cricketer has 1510 runs at a strike rate of 129.1 and 156 wickets under his belt from 144 IPL matches.

Jason Holder

Jason Holder is another terrific all-rounder produced by West Indies. Holder is quite new in the Indian Premier League as he has featured in just 19 games so far. However, the all-rounder is gradually improving his game and popularity owing to his exploits by the ball and willow. In 19 matches, Jason has 108 runs and 22 wickets to his name.

Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine’s IPL career took a new turn when he was promoted as an opener while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders. Initially, Narine came across as a mystery spinner who fetched a lot of success with the ball. However, the all-rounder is also a pinch-hitter who can take down any opposition especially in the Indian T20 extravaganza. The 33-year-old has hammered 902 runs at a strike rate of 161 while picking a massive 130 scalps in 124 games.

Kevon Cooper

Kevon Cooper isn’t as successful and famous in the Indian Premier League as his other colleagues from West Indies. However, one can’t ignore the impact Cooper had in the T20 extravaganza. With slow deliveries and yorkers at his arsenal, Kevon Copper picked 33 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 22.94.

Samuel Badree

One of the best West Indies bowlers in the T20 format, Samuel Badree could experience a very short stint in the Indian T20 league. Badree has picked 11 scalps in 12 matches. One of the most memorable moments of Badree’s IPL career came when he picked a hat-trick against Mumbai Indian while plying his trade for Royal Challengers Bangalore.