Kolkata Knight Riders: Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden has named Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah in his IPL team of the tournament ahead of the summit clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The Australian revealed his 12-member team on broadcasters’ official X handle on Sunday. He picked Sunil Narine and Travis Head as the openers of his side. Narine has amassed 482 runs including a century and three fifties for Kolkata in the season at the top. On the other hand, Head accumulated 567 runs for the finalist and also notched up a hundred and four half-centuries to become the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament.
The veteran cricketer named Kohli for the no. 3 spot after his stellar IPL season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He finished as the highest run-getter of the tournament after his campaign ended in Eliminator. In 15 games, Kohli slammed 741 runs including a century and five fifties.
In the middle order, Hayden chipped in the Rajasthan Royals duo of captain Sanju Samson (531 runs) and Riyan Parag (573 runs), Lucknow Super Giants’ Nicholas Pooran (499 runs) and Hyderabad’s Heinrich Klaasen (463 runs).
In the spin department, Rajasthan’s Yuzvendra Chahal (18 wickets) and KKR’s Varun Chakaravarthy (20 wickets) were named while Mumbai Indians’ pacer Jasprit Bumrah (20 wickets) would spearhead the pace bowling department along with Rajasthan’s Avesh Khan (19 wickets) and Sandeep Sharma (13 wickets).
Hayden’s team of the tournament: Sunil Narine, Travis Head, Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson, Nicholas Pooran, Riyan Paran, Heinrich Klaasen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma.
