Best IPL 2023 XI after completion of first 14 matches

Here we take a look at Khel Now's best IPL 2023 XI after completion of first 14 matches in the season.

The 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has lived up to its hype as the 14 completed matches have produced some incredible cricket. The new rules, notably that of impact player has divided the fans and experts, but simultaneously, it has been intriguing to see how it affects the franchises as the tournament moves forward.

As for the standard of cricket, it has been nothing short of exciting and rip-roaring as the best cricketers have battled it out for supremacy. There have been several standout performances, even from those that the fans and experts hardly expect from. However, it is what makes the marquee tournament a standout one from the rest and it continues to prove it again and again.

We take a look at the best XI from the first 14 matches of IPL 2023

1) Jos Buttler:

Jos Buttler was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2022 and is one of the strongest contenders to bag it yet again this year. The England white-ball captain started the season with a bang, hitting 54 off 22 deliveries against the SunRisers Hyderabad, followed by a 51-ball 79 against the Delhi Capitals.

The 32-year-old has also got an able opening partner in Yashasvi Jaiswal. Hence, the Royals are not over-reliant on Buttler for a solid start. In three matches, the Lancashire keeper-batter has amassed 152 runs at 50.66, striking at 180.95.

2) Ruturaj Gaikwad:

Chennai Super Kings' Ruturaj Gaikwad continues to grow in stature with every IPL season. The right-handed batter emerged with three fifty-plus scores in six innings in the 2020 edition in the UAE and has seen his career grow leaps and bounds ever since. The 26-year-old won the Orange Cap the next season, hitting 635 runs in 16 innings at 45.35.

The Maharashtra-born batter is currently the second-highest run-getter in IPL 2023 with 189 runs in three matches at 94.50. He made a 50-ball 92 in the season opener against the Gujarat Titans and stayed unbeaten at 40 to ace a tricky chase against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.

3) B Sai Sudharsan:

Gujarat Titans' B Sai Sudharsan has indeed been a revelation as his step up from domestic cricket to the IPL has been extremely smooth. The left-handed batter made his IPL debut last year and has carried his form this year, hitting two fifties in three games. The youngster has accumulated 137 runs in three matches in IPL 2023 at 68.50.

After his nerveless innings against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to nail a tricky target, the 21-year-old credited last year's IPL win with the Titans behind his enhanced confidence. The unbeaten 62 against the Capitals came after the defending champions lost early wickets in pursuit of 163. He stayed till the end to see his side over the line.

4) Vijay Shankar:

Not many expected the Gujarat Titans to retain Vijay Shankar ahead of the 2023 edition, especially after an ordinary outing last year. The 32-year-old's failure to convert his starts to telling scores has also kept him out of the side has kept him out of the national side despite promising performances in the domestic circuit.

However, Shankar has repaid the Titans' faith in style. The seam-bowling all-rounder played a significant role in the Titans' win over the Delhi Capitals by raising a half-century stand with B Sai Sudharsan. He went on to play a destructive knock of 63 off 24 deliveries to propel the defending champions to 204 against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

5) Jitesh Sharma:

Punjab Kings' Jitesh Sharma became a rising star after his exploits for the Punjab Kings last year as he maintained a strike rate of 163.63 and hit 234 runs in 12 games. The 29-year-old keeper-batter has shown glimpses of his best, scoring 52 runs in three matches, but has kept a strike rate of 144.44. It would be interesting to see what he can pull off in the remaining games.

6) Shimron Hetmyer:

West Indian hard-hitting batter Shimron Hetmyer plays as a designated finisher for the Rajasthan Royals and has done a commendable job at it. The Guyanese finished IPL 2022 with 314 runs in 15 fixtures while keeping a strike rate of 153.92. The current season has seen him score at 176.97 in three games.

However, the Royals have often done the mistake of not promoting the southpaw up the order. Hetmyer batted at seven against the Punjab Kings and the Royals lost by a mere five runs in the end as the Caribbean batter stayed unbeaten at 36 off 18 balls.

7) Shardul Thakur:

Although Shardul Thakur hasn't been impactful with the ball in hand, he has done the job with the bat for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Thakur, traded by the Delhi Capitals to the Knight Riders for all-rounder Aman Khan, left the Royal Challengers Bangalore gasping for breath with his batting heroics.

From 89-5, Thakur lifted the two-time champions to 204 with some enterprising strokeplay via a partnership of 103 with Rinku Singh. The 31-year-old backed up his batting performance with a handy two overs that yielded a wicket in a massive win for Kolkata.

8) Rashid Khan:

Gujarat Titans has become one of the most valuable players in IPL and keeps elevating his performances with every passing season. The Afghan leggie hit two boundaries in the season opener against the Chennai Super Kings to make it comfortable for the Gujarat Titans in their season opener.

With the ball, the youngster hasn't been short on impact with the ball and became the first player to take a hat-trick when he did so against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Ahmedabad. However, it resulted in a losing cause as Rinku Singh's five sixes fashioned an incredible victory.

9) Yuzvendra Chahal:

Rajasthan Royals' Yuzvendra Chahal was the purple cap winner in IPL 2022 with 27 scalps in 17 matches at 19.51. He has taken off from where he left the last season and has eight wickets in three games in IPL 2023. Chahal's best figures of 4-0-17-4 came against the SunRisers Hyderabad, dismissing Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, Adil Rashid, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

10) Mohammed Shami:

Mohammed Shami has been a consistent fixture for the Gujarat Titans and has opened the bowling for the franchise on most occasions. With 20 wickets in 16 matches, the right-arm seamer was the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2022 for the Gujarat Titans. The veteran seamer has taken six wickets in three fixtures in the current season at 24.40. The dismissal of Devon Conway in the season opener was also his 100th IPL wicket.

11) Mark Wood:

England speedster Mark Wood might have missed the entire IPL 2022 due to an elbow injury, but he made a sparkling comeback this year. Playing his first IPL game since 2018, Wood spit fire against the Delhi Capitals as he took a fifer to fire the Lucknow Super Giants to a massive win. With eight wickets in three completed games, he is currently the highest wicket-taker.