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The second week of the Champions League T20 is now at an end, with a number of teams having taken superb victories and others having slipped to defeat.
In the midst of the collective triumphs and failures, some individual players have also impressed either with bat or ball or both in the high-paced tourney.
What if we were to put the best players from this week into a team of their own?
Read on for just that—a best XI from the second week of competition.
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Tim Paine: The Hobart Hurricanes opener, captain and wicketkeeper has looked in decent touch as his side won three in a row this week.
Ravindra Jadeja: Impressing with his left-arm spin and batting at various points, Ravindra Jadeja remains one of the top performers in Twenty20 cricket.
Xavier Doherty: Still crucial for the Hurricanes, Xavier Doherty’s spin has taken wickets and kept their opponents’ run rate down as well.
1. Ahmed Shehzad (Lahore Lions)
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Opening for our best XI is Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad, who has looked in good form for the Lahore Lions this week.
His 59 against Kolkata Knight Riders came off 42 balls and was a superb knock that would have helped his side to victory had he received more run support from his colleagues.
2. Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)
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Also in the opening pair is Gautam Gambhir, who continues to lead from the front with the Knight Riders with both the bat and the captaincy.
His 60 against Lahore helped take them to a close victory, and he appears to be handling the pressures of the CLT20 in his home country brilliantly.
3. Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)
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In at No. 3 comes Suresh Raina, thanks to his superb 90 against Dolphins that came from just 43 balls.
It was a brilliant knock that was comprised of four fours and a stunning eight sixes, and it is indicative of his ability in the shortest form of the game.
4. Aiden Blizzard (Hobart Hurricanes)
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Following Raina comes Aiden Blizzard, who has looked very impressive for Hobart Hurricanes near the top of their order.
He has been consistently good this week, having kicked off with an unbeaten 78 against Cape Cobras and 62 against Northern Districts, both made at a great strike rate.
5. Jonathan Carter (Barbados Tridents)
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It would have been impossible to leave Jonathan Carter out of this team after his unbeaten 111 for the Barbados Tridents against Cape Cobras.
Made from just 68 balls, it contained 10 fours and five sixes and was by far his side’s top score, although they lost the one-over eliminator to the South Africans.
6. Umar Akmal (Lahore Lions, Wicketkeeper)
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Keeping wicket for our team is Umar Akmal, who has looked tidy with the gloves and typically aggressive with the bat.
Having made 40 against Kolkata, Akmal then made a brilliant 73 not out against Dolphins to complete a brilliant few days for the Pakistan international.
7. Robbie Frylinck (Dolphins)
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Coming in at No. 7 for his bowling more than his batting is Robbie Frylinck of the Dolphins, who has taken a good few wickets this week.
The highlight was his 3-22 against the Lahore Lions, although it was not enough to prevent the South Africans going down to defeat by 16 runs.
8. Ben Hilfenhaus (Hobart Hurricanes)
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One of our best XI’s seam bowlers is Ben Hilfenhaus, who continues to lead the Hobart Hurricanes well in spite of his advancing years.
His 3-14 against Northern Districts showed his mastery of swing and seam movement, while his 2-14 against Barbados was an example of how he can bring the run rate right down.
9. Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders)
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One of our team’s spinners is Sunil Narine, who took 3-9 for Kolkata against the Lahore Lions and bowled yet another maiden over.
He then took 4-31 against the Perth Scorchers to complete a brilliant week and to show he is still one of the best T20 spinners in the world.
10. Jeevan Mendis (Barbados Tridents)
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Jeevan Mendis joins Narine as another of our spinners, having looked mightily impressive for the Barbados Tridents on some spin-friendly pitches.
He took 4-27 against the Cape Cobras in his only game of the week, although it was not enough to prevent the South Africans from taking the win.
11. Karanveer Singh (Kings XI Punjab)
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Finally, Karanveer Singh completes a spin triumvirate having looked in good form for Kings XI Punjab.
His 4-15 against Northern Districts helped spin the New Zealanders to defeat, while his removal of Hashim Amla against Cape Cobras was useful in another win for Punjab.