#IPLGOAT: Dhoni vs Tendulkar vs Sehwag

05/21/2016

The #IPLGOAT is a knockout competition to determine the greatest IPL player of all time. We have done our homework and have come up with a list of 24 players. It will be a knock-out competition. Each day, you will see head to head matchups, with the winner progressing to the next round. The round of 24 will be followed by the Quarter-Finals, then the Semi-Finals, and ultimately the Grand Finale to determine the Greatest IPL player of all time. So what are you waiting for? Cast your vote and make it count.

Beware though, do not get carried away by merely the exploits of the current IPL; remember that you are selecting the Greatest IPL player of All Time! Choose wisely.

Malinga vs Steyn vs Nehra - Click on the link to vote.Follow us on FB and Twitter to keep track of the GOAT contest! Vote to see your favourite player crowned as the Greatest IPL Player of All Time. #IPLGOAT

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The Stats:

Matches: Matches: 141, Runs: 3206, Batting Average: 38.62, Strike Rate: 138.07

Claim to Greatness:

MS Dhoni has played 142 IPL matches. Only his ex-teammate, Suresh Raina, has played more; 143 matches. What is staggering though is that he has led in all of those 142 matches and has kept wickets in almost all of them. If an All-Time IPL XI team is made, MS Dhoni would captain it. He has defined the Chennai Super Kings, one of the most successful IPL teams, and in turn, he is not just adored but has been adopted by the CSK fans. Chennai Super Kings, under MS Dhoni, have won 2 titles and have reached the playoffs in every single season, with a win percentage of above 60, an incredible achievement. MS Dhoni, though, is so much more than just a successful captain. As a batsman alone, he is an IPL legend. 3200 runs at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 138. Impressive figures, but there is more to it. With an ice-cool composure, Dhoni, over the years has engineered some sensational chases; his mere presence at the crease was enough to intimidate the bowlers. In addition to all these, he kept wickets; a true all-rounder indeed.

2. Sachin Tendulkar

The Stats:

Matches: 78, Runs: 2334, Batting Average: 34.83, Strike Rate: 119.81

Claim to Greatness:

T-20 was supposed to be a young man’s game. That’s what the fans thought, that’s what the experts thought and hell that’s what Tendulkar himself thought; which is why Tendulkar opted out of the 2007 T-20 World Cup. But when the IPL first rolled in 2008, Tendulkar was the star attraction. As the Icon Player and captain of Mumbai, he was single-handedly responsible for Mumbai being the most popular IPL team. Across grounds in India, fans divided by team loyalties were united by one factor; Tendulkar. Tendulkar doing well and the home team winning, this was the refrain from IPL fans across the country. And as usual, Tendulkar’s performances met the expectation of the fans. Tendulkar scored 2334 runs across 6 seasons at an impressive average of 35. In these seasons, he was the only Indian to win the orange cap and he is also the only Indian thus far to win the player of the series award. He also overcame the one blemish in his international career by winning the ‘Best Captain’ award in 2010. But more than that, he proved that there was place for the conventional in T-20, a Tendulkar straight drive was just as glorious in a T-20 match as it was in a Test Match and the Saaachin……..Saaaachin chant was just as magical.

3. Virender Sehwag

The Stats:

Matches: 104, Runs: 2728, Batting Average: 27.55, Strike Rate: 155.44

Claim to Greatness:

There are few more thrilling sights in cricket than Virendar Sehwag in full flow. Sehwag was an embodiment of the joy inherent in the game. Sehwag played with such care-free abandon that it set your heart aflutter. And IPL gave him the freedom to express himself. Sehwag scored his runs at a dizzying strike rate of 155. Among players, who have scored more than 1000 runs, Sehwag has the highest strike rate, more than Gayle, AB De Villiers or Pollard. The pace at which Sehwag scores his runs ensures that his team ends up on the winning side whenever he performs. Sehwag also has the record of scoring 5 consecutive half centuries in T-20.