The strongest all-time IPL XI from every squad between 2008 and 2025, ranked one to eleven, with one keeper and no more than four overseas players.
Every IPL fan has an all-time XI. Eighteen seasons and 156 squads go into it, and only eleven players come out. This list ranks the strongest eleven BuildXI can build from all of them, keeping to the rules a real side has to keep to: one wicketkeeper and no more than 4 overseas players.
The all-time IPL XI, ranked
- Virat Kohli
Opener, Royal Challengers Bangalore 2016. Rated 99 in BuildXI. - Shubman Gill
Opener, Gujarat Titans 2023. Rated 97 in BuildXI. - Lasith Malinga
Pace bowler, Mumbai Indians 2011. Rated 97 in BuildXI, and one of the four overseas places. - AB de Villiers
Middle order, Royal Challengers Bangalore 2016. Rated 96 in BuildXI, and one of the four overseas places. - Andre Russell
All-rounder, Kolkata Knight Riders 2019. Rated 96 in BuildXI, and one of the four overseas places. - Jasprit Bumrah
Pace bowler, Mumbai Indians 2020. Rated 96 in BuildXI. - Dwayne Bravo
All-rounder, Chennai Super Kings 2013. Rated 95 in BuildXI, and one of the four overseas places. - Suryakumar Yadav
Middle order, Mumbai Indians 2025. Rated 94 in BuildXI. - Rishabh Pant
Wicketkeeper, Delhi Daredevils 2018. Rated 94 in BuildXI. - Yuzvendra Chahal
Spinner, Rajasthan Royals 2022. Rated 93 in BuildXI. - Shreyas Iyer
Middle order, Punjab Kings 2025. Rated 91 in BuildXI.
How the list was picked
Each player is taken at his best season, and each season carries one BuildXI rating from 62 to 99: our own judgement of what that player was that year, not an official number. The side follows a balanced shape of two openers, three in the middle order, a keeper, two all-rounders, two pace bowlers and a spinner.
A player can only appear once, whichever season he comes from, so a great second season never pushes a teammate out.
Who misses out
The overseas cap decides more than the ratings do. Chris Gayle, rated 98, is the highest-rated overseas player left out, and Jos Buttler (97) is next. The four overseas seats already belong to AB de Villiers, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Lasith Malinga. See the shortlist at every position.
Build your own
A list settles nothing. In BuildXI you spin eleven real IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, take one player from each, and play a full season with the side you end up with. The target is 14–0: fourteen league games, fourteen wins.