let’s give some flowers 💐 to the UAE kings of IPL — the ones who turned up every time the league landed in the desert 🌴🔥
There have been three IPL editions (or partial editions) in the UAE:
Let’s break down the top UAE performers across these editions — with a mix of batting and bowling beasts 👇
🏏 Top UAE Performers – Batting Edition
💣 1. Glenn Maxwell (KXIP, 2014)
-
🔥 Absolutely exploded in UAE
-
5 UAE innings in 2014: 95, 89, 95, 15, 45
-
Struck fear into bowlers with his reverse sweeps and 360-degree hitting
🎯 UAE Avg (2014): ~70+
💥 Strike rate: 200+
"Peak Mad Max mode — UAE was his playground."
🎯 2. KL Rahul (KXIP, 2020)
-
Orange Cap winner — 670 runs in IPL 2020
-
Started strong in UAE, including a century vs RCB
-
Calm, consistent, and clinical in the powerplay and death
✅ Anchor and aggressor — all in one
⚡ 3. Shikhar Dhawan (DC, 2020 & 2021)
-
UAE conditions suited his timing-based game
-
Two back-to-back centuries in 2020 — first ever in IPL history
-
Stayed among the top run-getters in both 2020 & 2021
🎯 UAE + Dhawan = 🔄 Clockwork consistency
🧨 4. AB de Villiers (RCB, 2020)
-
Took down bowlers in Sharjah like it was stick cricket
-
Match-winning knocks vs MI, KKR
-
Adapted to slower pitches with brilliant range
👑 “Mr. 360 found his true radius in UAE.”
🛡️ 5. Faf du Plessis (CSK, 2020 & 2021)
-
Silky smooth at the top
-
Key reason CSK bounced back in 2021 and won the title
-
Great at building innings, rotating strike, and exploding late
🎯 Top UAE Performers – Bowling Edition
🌪️ 1. Kagiso Rabada (DC, 2020)
-
Purple Cap winner, 30 wickets
-
Deadly in the UAE heat — searing yorkers and change-ups
-
Formed a lethal duo with Anrich Nortje
🎯 Every spell had a wicket waiting to happen.
🧙 2. Sunil Narine (KKR, 2014, 2020, 2021)
-
Loved bowling on slower UAE tracks
-
Even as mystery faded, UAE gave him grip and guile
-
Plus, big cameos with the bat (especially 2021 playoffs!)
🔥 3. Rashid Khan (SRH, 2020 & 2021)
-
UAE surfaces = dream for Rashid’s tight, skiddy spin
-
Economy under 6.0 in both seasons!
-
Unhittable in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah especially
“You don’t attack Rashid in UAE. You just hope to survive him.”
🚀 4. Jasprit Bumrah (MI, 2020)
-
One of the main reasons MI dominated IPL 2020
-
Pinpoint death bowling, toe-crushing yorkers
-
His rhythm was elite, even with no crowd pressure
🎯 27 wickets, big-game killer energy
🌕 5. Varun Chakravarthy (KKR, 2020 & 2021)
-
UAE catapulted him from “mystery spinner” to match-winner
-
5-wicket haul in 2020, crucial spells in 2021’s playoff run
-
Loved those gripping Sharjah decks
👑 UAE IPL MVP Candidates (All Editions Combined):
-
Batsmen: Glenn Maxwell (2014), KL Rahul (2020), Shikhar Dhawan
-
Bowlers: Rabada (2020), Rashid Khan, Bumrah
🧠 TL;DR:
Players who combined adaptability, game IQ, and calm under heat became UAE legends. Whether it was Maxwell's carnage in 2014 or Rabada’s laser shows in 2020 — these guys made the desert their home 🏜️💯
Want me to build a dream “UAE All-Star IPL XI”? Or compare Sharjah vs Dubai stats? Let’s dive deeper 🕵️♂️📊