Sandeep Sharma reveals alltime IPL XI and views on selection

Rajasthan Royals pacer Sandeep Sharma on Tuesday unveiled his alltime Indian Premier League playing XI and used the same interview to recount a behind‑the‑scenes award-room story and set out his views on selection, aging and the pressures of franchise cricket. Speaking to CricTracker, the 31-year-old, a veteran of 137 IPL matches with 146 wickets, named a side that mixes destructive openers and proven matchwinners with a pace attack he called uncompromising.

Sharma’s XI, as he listed it, reads: Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma as openers, Virat Kohli at three, Suresh Raina and AB de Villiers in the middle order, MS Dhoni as wicketkeeper and captain, Hardik Pandya and Sunil Narine as allround options, Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah as the new-ball pair, and Yuzvendra Chahal as the specialist spinner. Sharma said his choices reflect impact across conditions and eras, particularly valuing wicket-taking and match-defining contributions.

He also acknowledged notable exclusions, naming KL Rahul, David Warner, Andre Russell, Suryakumar Yadav and Rashid Khan as players who missed out despite exceptional credentials. Sharma said Rahul’s consistency is impressive even as strike-rate...