The IPL has wrapped up, and Royal Challengers Bangalore took home the title. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra put together a team featuring the best uncapped Indian players for 2025. Let’s dive into his picks.
Chopra shared his team on his YouTube channel. For openers, he chose Prabhsimran Singh from Punjab Kings and Priyansh Arya. At number three, he went with Vaibhav Suryavanshi from Rajasthan Royals.
His team captain is Shashank Singh, a finisher from Punjab Kings. Other players on his list include Naman Dhir from Mumbai Indians, Nehal Wadhera from Punjab Kings, Vijaykumar Vyshak, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, and spin all-rounder Vipraj Singh from Delhi Capitals.
Elsewhere, ESPN Cricinfo selected the tournament’s best team, with Shreyas Iyer as captain and Virat Kohli also making the cut.
Sai Sudharsan topped the run charts, with Suryakumar Yadav closing in 50 runs behind. Sudharsan scored 30 or more runs in 12 out of 15 innings, including seven half-centuries. His strike rate of 156.17 was the best of his IPL career.
Virat Kohli finally got his hands on the IPL trophy after 18 years. He had a stellar season, scoring over 600 runs for the third consecutive year. Eight of his half-centuries came in RCB’s winning matches.
Jos Buttler had a great season at number three for Gujarat Titans, with his best-ever IPL strike rate. He scored four half-centuries with a strike rate of over 170, including a 97* off 54 balls against Delhi Capitals.
Suryakumar Yadav made a smashing comeback after a poor run in T20 internationals. He scored at least 25 runs in every innings, a world record in men’s T20 tournaments. He was also the most impactful player of the season.
Shreyas Iyer changed the fortunes of Punjab Kings, scoring two crucial half-centuries – 97 off 42 against Gujarat Titans and 87 off 41 against Mumbai Indians in the final.
Hardik Pandya took on the responsibility of bowling in the initial matches, picking up 10 wickets in the first four games. He also played some quickfire innings, including 42 off 15 against RCB and 48* off 23 against Rajasthan Royals.
Jitesh Sharma played some explosive innings, including 40 off 19 against Mumbai Indians and 85 off 33 against Lucknow Super Giants. He was also the most successful wicketkeeper.
Krunal Pandya started the season with 3/29 against KKR and picked up 2/17 in the final against Punjab Kings, earning him the player of the match award on both occasions. He also scored a match-winning 73* off 27 against Delhi Capitals.
Noor Ahmad was the only player from a non-playoff team to make the best team. He was far ahead of other spinners and missed out on the purple cap by just one wicket. He picked up two or more wickets in six innings and was one of the most consistent wicket-takers.
Jasprit Bumrah had the best economy rate among bowlers who overs 5 or more. His economy rate in death overs was 7.5, the best among all bowlers. He was a game-changer for Mumbai Indians.
Prasidh Krishna won the purple cap after a three-year gap. He picked up two or more wickets in nine innings and bowled with an economy of 7 or less on eight occasions. He took 11 wickets in the middle overs, the most among fast bowlers.
Josh Hazlewood led the RCB bowling attack, making an impact in the powerplay, middle overs, and death overs. He picked up 3/21 in the first qualifier, his first match in a month.
These players made significant contributions to their teams, with some even leading their teams to victory.