Robin Uthappa picks his all-time IPL playing XI; includes 6 overseas players

Published - 10 May 2026, 15:51 IST | Updated - 10 May 2026, 16:23 IST

Former Orange Cap winner Robin Uthappa picked a very strong all-time IPL (Indian Premier League) playing XII but surprisingly included six overseas players.

Uthappa had a stellar IPL career, playing 205 matches and scoring 4952 runs at an average of 27.51 and a strike rate of 130.36. He is also a two-time IPL winner (once with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and once with the Chennai Super Kings in 2021).

Via his Instagram handle, the cricketer-turned-commentator picked Chris Gayle and KL Rahul as his openers. The former is the only player to win the Orange Cap in back-to-back seasons of the IPL. Meanwhile, Rahul is still going strong at the age of 34, having amassed 468 runs in 11 innings already in IPL 2026.

At the important No. 3 position, Uthappa kept his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Virat Kohli, who is the leading run-getter in the IPL. This year, Kohli has seemingly reinvented himself, where he is targeting bowlers from the get-go.

In the middle order, Uthappa named the trio of Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, and MS Dhoni. Raina was nicknamed 'Mr. IPL' for his remarkable consistency during his career. He amassed 5528 runs in 200 innings at an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73. Meanwhile, de Villiers is considered one of the finest overseas players to have played in the IPL. He is a bona fide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) legend. Coming to Dhoni, his achievements speak for themselves. He is a five-time IPL-winning captain. Fans are waiting with bated breath for his return to competitive cricket during the ongoing IPL season.

At No. 7, Uthappa picked the current Mumbai Indians' captain, Hardik Pandya. The Baroda all-rounder has 2895 runs and 282 wickets to his name after playing 160 matches in the IPL.

Uthappa has played with and against some legendary domestic spinners in the IPL. However, in his squad, he picked the overseas spin duo of Sunil Narine and Rashid Khan. The former recently became only the third bowler to pick up 200 wickets in the IPL. He is also the only player to win the IPL MVP (Most Valuable Player) award thrice. Meanwhile, Rashid is also a household name in the league, having 173 scalps to his name at an average of 23.73. Both Narine and Rashid have enviable economy rates of 6.78 and 7.17, respectively.

In the seam-bowling department, Uthappa paired Bhuvneshwar Kumar with Trent Boult. Bhuvneshwar is the only bowler to win the Purple Cap in consecutive seasons. Trent Boult, on the other hand, has picked up 145 wickets in 124 matches and is a formidable bowler with the new ball.

Lastly, Uthappa included both Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah in his all-time IPL XII. Malinga was one of the fiercest bowlers of his time as he could nail the yorker time and again under pressure. The same goes with Bumrah. Malinga is now the bowling coach of the Mumbai Indians, the same team that Bumrah plays for.