Ravichandran Ashwin's Best Playing 12 Of IPL 2026 Does Not Have Virat Kohli As Opener

The IPL 2026 is over. And it has left some indelible marks on Indian cricket. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's assertion as a top cricket talent in the world with an Orange Cap finish, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's standout 28 wickets, and Virat Kohli's unbeaten knock in the final were some of the crucial moments. Two days after the IPL 2026 final, which Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru won against Gujarat Titans, India spin great Ravichandran Ashwin picked his best 12 of IPL 2026.

In a video on his YouTube Channel, Rajasthan Royals' Sooryavanshi was the top pick for the opener's slot by Ashwin, while GT skipper Shubman Gill was the other player in the role. Interestingly, Kohli, who opened the batting for RCB, was slotted in the No. 3 spot. Kohli scored 675 runs at an average of 56.25. In Ashwin's team, the fourth spot went to Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 624 runs. For the No. 5 and 6 spots, RCB captain Rajat Patidar and Nitish Reddy were chosen by Ashwin.

While Patidar scored 500 at a stunning strike rate of 192.69, Reddy slammed 300 runs and picked eight wickets. RCB spin all-rounder Krunal Pandya too made it to the top seven. He took 14 wickets and scored 226 runs.

In the bowling, Ashwin picked three overseas stars - Jamie Overton, Sunil Narine and Kagiso Rabada. The last spot in the XI went to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took 28 wickets. As impact player, he selected Jofra Archer.

Ashwin picked five people who contributed the most to IPL 2026 champion RCB's success. "RCB can even go on to achieve a three-peat. GT [Gujarat Titans] can be extremely proud of themselves, but for this run chase, I want to credit five people: Andy Flower, Mo Bobat, Dinesh Karthik and his support staff, Rajat Patidar, and Virat Kohli," Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli Royal Challengers Bengaluru Gujarat Titans Ravichandran Ashwin IPL 2026 Cricket