Dream Team: A XI comprising Australians who have featured in IPL history
Dream Team: A XI comprising Australians who have featured in IPL history
One of the most aggressive openers in the history of cricket, Hayden set the stage on fire in the first couple of editions of IPL. Hayden was a force to be reckoned with for Chennai Super Kings, scoring 1,107 runs at 36.90 with a strike rate of 137.51. He was also the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2009. Adam Gilchrist (wicketkeeper): 
Gilchrist was as belligerent in IPL as he was in international cricket. Gilchrist led Deccan Chargers to an IPL 2009 triumph before shifting base to Kings XI Punjab. With 2,069 runs at 27.22, Gilchrist was not as consistent as Hayden was; but a strike rate of 138.39 with two centuries and 11 fifties made up for that. He will, of course, be the wicketkeeper. David Warner: 
Warner is renowned as an opening batsman, but he has also batted in the middle-order with a lot of success. With 2,525 runs at 34.12, Warner will be the perfect man coming in at No. 3. His strike-rate of 139.34 will ensure that there is no let-up for the bowlers. His two centuries and 23 fifties prove his worth as a long-innings player, and the fact that he finished as Orange Cap holder in IPL 2015 proves his consistency. Shaun Marsh: 
One of the few men who has played every season of IPL to date for the same team, Shaun Marsh actually owes a lot to IPL. He went from just another talented domestic player to a household name after winning the Orange Cap in IPL 2008. He has since been outstanding in the tournament, scoring 2,054 runs at 41.91 and a strike-rate of 133.55 with one century and 17 fifties. Shane Watson: 
Perhaps Australia’s finest all-rounder in the 2000s, Watson’s career was reinvigorated after IPL 2008, where he was the Player of the Tournament. Excellent with the bat and more than useful with the ball, Watson has scored 2,372 runs at 36.49 and a strike-rate of 141.27. He also has 61 wickets at a healthy 27.88 and a reasonable economy rate of 7.49. Andrew Symonds: 
Symonds was not particularly phenomenal in IPL, but was good enough that he could make it at No. 6 in the line-up. Unfortunately for Symonds, the IPL coincided with his decline in international cricket, and he only played 39 matches. He managed to score 974 runs at 36.07 though, with five fifties and a century. His electric fielding is always an added advantage. Moises Henriques: 
Perhaps the most surprising inclusion in this team, Moises Henriques has been grossly underrated. Dependable with both bat and ball, the all-rounder has impressive numbers in IPL. In 28 games, Henriques has 510 runs at 31.87 and a strike rate of 129.11 (though he is capable of some clean hitting as well). He also has 25 wickets at 23.24 and a strike rate of 17.36. The economy rate of 8.03 is decent for a fifth bowler. James Faulkner: 
If Symonds and Henriques are good hitters of the cricket ball, Faulkner is an absolute basher. Faulkner is yet to score a fifty in IPL, but he averages a healthy 22 at a strike-rate of 145.05; but he has played some absolutely astonishing cameos as well. With the ball, Faulkner has 51 wickets in 45 matches with two five-wicket hauls. Though he is slightly expensive, he has a knack of taking wickets. Shane Warne (captain): 
The first ever IPL-winning captain, Shane Warne will be the leader of this side. The way he led Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2008 showed that Warne could have been a great captain for Australia, had he been given the chance. His four overs were often the most crucial for RR, and his sheer presence on the field could spur on his side. Warne's overall figures do not show just how well he bowled; with 57 wickets in 55 games at 25.38, Warne's figures look pedestrian. However, he would often bowl when the opposition was on top and scoring freely, and took the responsibility of bowling the most crucial overs of the match. Mitchell Starc: 
Without doubt one of the most dangerous bowlers in world cricket on present form, Starc makes the cut ahead of the likes of Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson. Though he has only played 27 games, Starc has captured 34 wickets at 20.38 and an economy rate of 7.16; excellent numbers by any yardstick. Doug Bollinger: 
If Starc is a lean, mean, fighting machine, Doug Bollinger was a nuclear warhead who could explode on the opposition and intimidate them with his pace and bounce. With 37 wickets in 27 matches at a mere 18.72 and a strike rate of 15.5, Bollinger is among a small number of bowlers with an average of under 20 and a strike rate of less than 16. Ricky Ponting (Coach): 
Ponting had a terrible record with the bat, but in his first season as head coach, he led Mumbai Indians to their second IPL triumph, and makes the cut as coach of the side. NOTE: A number of iconic names such as Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Michael Hussey miss out on making the cut due to the fact that their performances were not as good as those selected here. The likes of Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, and Hussey miss out very narrowly, but Lee, Ponting, and McGrath have mediocre IPL records. (Shiamak Unwalla is proud Whovian and all-round geek who also dabbles in cricket writing as a reporter with CricketCountry. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla) More from this writer: 10 best bowlers in IPL 2015 Joe Root: The numbers boggle the mind India pay Bangladesh huge compliment by naming full strength ODI, Test squads