IPL 2019: MS Dhoni and David Warner anchor team of the season

Paul Radley has selected his best XI from this season's matches

1. David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad): Astonishing run-gathering, given he had been out of top-flight cricket for so long in the lead up to it. A haul of 692 runs at a strike-rate of 144, with five half-centuries and a ton. Noah Seelam / AFP

2. Lokesh Rahul (Kings XI Punjab): Entered the tournament under a cloud, but he did his best to change the narrative with an impressive harvest with the bat. His 593 runs included a century, and put him second in the charts behind Warner. Surjeet Yadav / AP Photo

3. Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Capitals): “A dream season” for his team, as he described it, as they made the last three. And much of the progress was directly brought about by the 24-year-old batsman’s upbeat leadership. Surjeet Yadav / AP Photo

4. Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals): The power-hitting remains, but the Delhi left-hander also added a new maturity to his game this season. Credit to him that his disappointment at missing India’s World Cup squad did not show. Surjeet Yadav / AP Photo

5. Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders): The tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The Jamaican powerhouse forced his way back into West Indies’ World Cup plans with a series of performances that had to be seen to be believed. Rafiq Maqbool / AP Photo

6. MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings): The game’s greatest finisher? Surely that cannot be argued. Even if he is the odd millimetre short when running from time to time. In this IPL, he was not out in seven of his 12 innings, and ended the tournament with an average of 83.2. Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

7. Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians): Said after the final in Hyderabad that he had had Mumbai Indians wallpaper on his phone when he was growing up. Since joining their playing ranks, he has been intrinsic in them winning three titles. Punit Paranjpe / AFP

8. Kagiso Rabada (Delhi Capitals): The side representing India’s capital city enjoyed their best season in seven years. It might have been even better had Rabada not been forced out early by a back injury, having taken 25 wickets already. Noah Seelam / AFP

9. Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings): Bounced back from being savaged by Quinton de Kock, to the tune of 20 off his second over, by taking the wicket of Rohit Sharma as part of a maiden over in the final. That was representative of a sparkling tournament. Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

10. Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians): Perhaps the ultimate compliment was MS Dhoni leaving balls from Bumrah during the final. Respect where it was due for Mumbai Indians’ most potent threat with the ball. Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

11. Imran Tahir (Chennai Super Kings): Heads off to his international swansong with South Africa at the World Cup knowing his spinning fingers are in perfect working order. The Purple Hat winner as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

With Season 12 of the Indian Premier League done and dusted, the time has come once again to put together a composite team made up of the best players across the eight franchises.

Some players pick themselves, of course, such as Sunrisers Hyderabad opener David Warner, Andre Russell of Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as two South African bowlers who took their respective teams to the play-offs this year: Imran Tahir of Chennai Super Kings and Kagiso Rabada of Delhi Capitals.

There are some surprising omissions, such as those of Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock - another South African to have excelled in IPL 2019 - and, perhaps, Parthiv Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

But both players had to make way for the brilliant Ms Dhoni who nearly led Chennai to another title.

To find out who else did and why, browse through the photo gallery above. To move on to the next position, click the arrows on the photo, or if using a mobile device simply swipe left/right.

And while you check out this team, take the chance to compare it to the one put together by Chitrabhanu Kadalayil.