Ever since its inception, the Indian Premier League has been a marquee event that has facilitated the coming together of stars from all across the world. Over the years, it has witnessed the congregation of nearly all the decorated stars of the cricket world, a large number of whom have been Australians.
Considered to be one of the most consistent and influential teams in the history of cricket, Australian cricketers have been some of the strongest pillars that have helped put up this incredible tournament. Right from the advent of the cash-rich league, Australian cricketers have not only been a constant feature in every edition of the league but have also taken up important responsibilities for their respective franchises, leaving behind an indelible mark in the history of the tournament. The impact Australian cricketers have had in this tournament can be gauged by the fact that the IPL trophy for the first ever time, was lifted by an Australian captain. Overall, a total of three Australians have led their respective teams to win the silverware in different seasons of the tournament.
In the 15 editions of the tournament played so far, innumerable Australians have been a part of the illustrious league and have managed to mesmerize viewers with some of the tournament's finest performances. As we wait to embrace the 16th edition with open arms, we take a pause to look back at the past editions and enumerate the best Australian playing XI in the history of the Indian Premier League.
Here is the best Australian playing XI in IPL History:
1. Adam Gilchrist (wk)
he former Australian swashbuckling opener had been an integral part of the tournament in its initial years till the legendary wicketkeeper decided to hang up his boots in 2013. Although he left IPL, the tournament would probably never leave his memory because it was in the IPL itself where Gilchrist picked his first and only wicket, dismissing Harbhajan Singh while playing against Mumbai Indians.
Gilchrist joined the league in its first-ever season after being picked up by Deccan Chargers at the inaugural auction. After a dismal performance in the inaugural season, the Deccan Chargers management sacked former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman from the captaincy duties and handed it to Gilchrist who then took the team to its first and only IPL title in 2009. Notably, even in the disastrous season of 2008, Gilchrist, at an individual level, did deliver great performances although not being able to garner support from the rest of the team on most occasions. Gilchrist ended the season as the highest run scorer for Deccan Chargers after having amassed 436 runs.
Gilchrist played in the IPL for six seasons where he played a whopping 82 matches. Courtesy of his aggressive playing style, he also became the first-ever player to score 1000 runs in IPL. Overall, he has 2069 IPL runs to his name along with 2 centuries and 11 half-centuries.
2. David Warner
David Warner played his first IPL in 2009, featuring up the order for Delhi Daredevils. Since then, he has been a regular feature in the tournament and has donned key roles for the teams he has represented so far.
Warner has so far played 162 IPL matches and has accumulated 5881 runs which include four centuries and 55 half-centuries. His best came in the year 2018 when he scored a mammoth 848 runs at an average of over 60. He also hit 9 half-centuries that year, his most in any single IPL season.
David Warner represented Sunrisers Hyderabad for a major part of his IPL career and led them to their first-ever IPL title in 2016. He led the Hyderbad-based franchise for 8 years before embarking on a homecoming to Delhi in 2022.
3. Shaun Marsh
Shaun Marsh is widely remembered in the context of the IPL for being the first-ever winner of the coveted Orange Cap. Representing Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural season, Marsh notched up 616 runs in 11 matches with the help of 1 century and 4 half-centuries. Barring the 2009 season, Marsh played at least 2 matches in each of the subsequent seasons till 2017 in all of which, he represented Kings XI Punjab.
The loyalist smashed a total of 2477 runs in 71 matches with the highest score of 115 which he smashed in the first season itself. His tally also includes one century and 20 half-centuries.
Marsh averaged over 30 in every season except for the eighth season where he could only score 81 runs from 4 matches. He had thus been a consistent performer for Punjab in the years he devoted to the service of the Mohali-based franchise.
4. Shane Watson
Shane Watson is another Australian who was associated with the tournament since its inception in 2008. He had featured in 13 editions of the cash-rich tournament before retiring in 2020. He was a part of the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals which went on to win the first-ever IPL.
Right from the first season of the tournament, Watson had put his power-hitting skills on display by smashing sixes and fours for fun. In the first season, he emerged as the highest run scorer for Rajasthan Royals and was integral in driving their maiden title-winning campaign. He scored 472 runs from the 15 matches he played in IPL 2008. After a breathtaking tenure with Rajasthan Royals, Watson joined Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016 before representing Chennai for three years in what eventually became his last assignment in IPL.
He won the IPL trophy for the second time in 2018 when he played one of the tournament's finest knocks in the final to lead Chennai to an 8-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was also adjudged 'Player of the Match' in the final for his unbeaten century knock of 117 runs, which also happens to be his highest IPL score. Overall, he played in 145 IPL matches and scored 3874 runs at a strike rate of 137.91. He also scored 4 centuries and 21 half-centuries throughout his illustrious career.
5. Glenn Maxwell
Maxwell's first tryst with the IPL started in 2012 when he was bought by Mumbai Indians. However, he had little in that season to count as he featured in only 2 matches, scoring just 6 runs.
His breakthrough moment came in the year 2014 when he was signed by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the seventh season. He went on to exhale fire in that season, propelling Punjab to the final for the first and the only time in the franchise's 15-year-long history. Maxwell became a household name by smashing 552 runs at an incredible strike rate of 187.75. His run included 4 half-centuries as well with 95 as his highest score. He finished the league as the third-highest run-scorer of the season.
Since then, he never had to look back and found patrons in each of the subsequent IPL seasons. After going through a lean patch, he again had a phoenix rise in 2021 when he joined Royal Challengers Bangalore, rising up to all the expectations that were tagged on him. Overall, in 110 matches that he has played so far, the right-handed batter has amassed a total of 2319 runs at a strike rate of over 153.
6. Mike Hussey
Dubbed Mr. Cricket, Hussey had a wonderful IPL career with one of the tournament's most successful teams Chennai Super Kings. In 2014, Hussey, however, had a one-off season with Mumbai Indians before returning to Chennai in 2015.
Hussey began his IPL career in 2008 itself with Chennai Super Kings procuring the services of the prolific Australian batter. Hussey played only four matches in the first season but managed to leave a mark after notching a century against Kings XI Punjab in the second match of the tournament itself. His unbeaten knock of 116 remained his best IPL innings till his retirement.
Hussey played a total of 59 matches in the tournament where he smashed 1977 runs, aided by one century and 15 half-centuries. He played crucial roles in Chennai's title-winning campaigns of 2010 and 2011.
7. James Faulkner
The Australian all-rounder had a 7-year-long stint in the IPL where he played for Pune Warriors India, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Lions. Between 2011 and 2017, he featured in 60 IPL matches where he scored a total of 527 runs, batting down the order. His highest score in the tournament happens to be 46*.
As far as his bowling records are concerned, he has 59 IPL wickets to his name which includes two five-wicket hauls, both of which came against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Faulkner's tryst as a prominent all-round option began only in 2013 prior to which, he had only played 3 matches in two IPL seasons. He managed to put up an impressive performance in 2013 where he got 16 matches to play and rose up to the occasion picking a whopping 28 wickets. He finished the season as the second-highest wicket-taker, only behind Dwayne Bravo. For half a decade thence, he remained a prominent all-round option in the realm of the tournament.
8. Brett Lee
The fiery Australian fast bowler joined IPL in 2008 when he was signed by Kings XI Punjab, whom he went on to represent till 2010. In 2010, Lee joined Kolkata Knight Riders where he played till his retirement in 2013.
Lee played a total of 38 IPL matches in his career where he picked up 25 wickets with his best figures being 3/15. He had a dismal season in 2010 where he played 4 matches but failed to pick a single wicket. Barring that dip, he had an impactful IPL career spanning 6 seasons. His best came in the year 2012 when he picked up 7 wickets in 10 matches.
Apart from his wicket tally, he also had an economical spell in the tournament. In all the matches he played, he had an overall economy rate of 7.51.
9. Mitchell Johnson
Former Australian bowling mainstay Mitchell Johnson had a gracious outing in the tournament after he was signed by Mumbai Indians in 2013. Apart from Mumbai Indians, he represented Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
In his debut IPL season itself, Johnson picked up 24 wickets in 17 matches which saw him finishing as the fourth-highest wicket-taker of the season and the best performer with the ball for Mumbai Indians. He carried this vein to the 2014 edition as well where he picked up 17 wickets in 14 matches to finish as the seventh-highest wicket-taker.
Overall, Johnson played 54 matches where he picked up 61 wickets at an economy of 8.29. Till his retirement in 2018, he had been a frontline bowler for his IPL teams.
10. Shane Warne (c)
Shane Warne had a strong impact on the overall growth of the tournament. He took up the responsibility to steer Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural edition, donning the dual roles of skipper and coach. Warne represented only Rajasthan Royals throughout his IPL career, playing 55 matches across 4 seasons.
Warne announced his venture into the T20 format by picking up 19 wickets in the inaugural IPL edition, thus finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament. Not only that, but he also stood tall on the economic front, discharging runs at a miserly rate of 7.76.
Overall, he picked up 57 wickets in 55 matches at an envious economy rate of 7.27. He finished his IPL career with a solitary four-wicket haul which renders him his best-bowling performance of 4/21.
11. Doug Bollinger
Doug Bollinger had a brief but impactful stint with Chennai Super Kings whom he represented in 27 IPL matches between 2010 and 2013. He played 8 matches for CSK in 2010, 13 in 2011, and six more in 2012 which was the last time he featured in the cash-rich league.
In the 27 matches he played, Bollinger was at the top of his form, picking up 37 wickets at a wonderful economy of 7.22. He picked up 17 wickets in the 2011 edition of the tournament which saw him clinch the sixth spot on the list of the tournament's highest wicket-takers. He was the second most successful bowler for CSK in 2011, after R. Ashwin.
His run includes one four-wicket haul which came in the 2010 edition against Deccan Chargers in the tournament semi-final which led CSK to their second IPL final which the MS Dhoni-led side eventually won to clinch their first IPL title.
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