IPL Predictions: Lineups and Points Table

13 min readMar 5, 2021

The IPL season is slowly approaching. It is most likely going to start on the 11th of April, with the Final being sometime in June. The auction is completed and the teams are set. Mumbai will be looking to win their third title in a row whilst, teams like Rajasthan and Chennai will try and mount a comeback. Here are my predictions for the 2021 IPL

Chennai Super Kings-8th

Starting XI prediction:

Ruturaj Gaikwad
Faf Du Plessis (overseas)
Suresh Raina
Ambati Rayudu
Moeen Ali (overseas)
MS Dhoni ( C )( WK )
Ravindra Jadeja
Sam Curran (overseas)
Mitchell Santner (overseas)
Deepak Chahar
Shardul Thakur

CSK struggled last year and one of their main problems was their batting depth. Most of their batsman struggled to get an innings going and every player was inconsistent. Gaikwad is a young prospect for CSK and hopefully, he will show the class that he showed towards the end of last season. Faf had a great start to the season last year but started to fall off towards the end. He is still a very good player and his experience will help Gaikwad to develop into a solid opener. Raina’s return could be the push that CSK needs to make a comeback. He scores at a rate that will be able to fill in what was missing last year. Rayudu has been consistent for the last few years and will look to pick up form after a dip last year. Moeen’s all-around ability will hopefully be able to lift CSK to their usual success. They will need him to play many long, big innings and he could bat higher up the order. Dhoni and Jadeja will be very important this season for CSK, as they had trouble finishing games last year. Curran was possibly CSK’s best player last year. He showed incredible development and became more flexible for them and he was able to play any role for them. Santner is a difficult choice because he could be replaced by Tahir. He is younger than Tahir and provides extra batting depth. He could also be replaced by Hazlewood or Ngidi and Gowtham would be in for Thakur or Chahar. Chahar must be used in the first 6 overs otherwise, he will not be useful. Thakur bowled extremely well in Australia. His one problem for CSK has been his economy rate.

Delhi Capitals-2nd

Shikhar Dhawan
Steve Smith (overseas)
Ajinkya Rahane ( C )
Shreyas Iyer
Rishabh Pant ( WK )
Marcus Stoinis (overseas)
Axar Patel
Ravichandran Ashwin
Kagiso Rabada (overseas)
Umesh Yadav
Anrich Nortje (overseas)

Delhi had an impressive season but fell to the mighty Mumbai because of inexperience. This season, they acquired some help and they have a strong starting 11. Dhawan had an incredible end to the 2020 season. He finished second in runs scored last year with 617 runs. Smith’s arrival will hopefully bring a new level of intensity to their batting lineup. He could be captain and he could bat lower down the order. I believe that Rahane should captain after his leadership in Australia. He can bat anywhere from 1–4. Iyer and Pant are perfect examples of the incredible youth in Delhi right now. Iyer probably shouldn't captain because of inexperience but if Rahane gets dropped, he is a good option to captain the side. Stoinis was the best all-rounder last year and he is one of the most versatile players in the world right now. Axar and Ashwin have shown how well they bowl in tandem against England. They are both different styles of spinners but they set each other up well. Rabada, Yadav, and Nortje as a combination sound incredibly scary. This will be one of the quickest bowling trios in the league.

Kolkata Knight Riders-5th

Shubman Gill
Nitish Rana
Rahul Tripathi
Eoin Morgan ( C ) (Overseas)
Dinesh Karthik ( WK )
Shakib Al Hasan (Overseas)
Andre Russell (Overseas)
Pat Cummins (Overseas)
Kuldeep Yadav
Shivam Mavi
Varun Chakravarthy

KKR just missed out on the playoffs last year due to Net Run Rate. Their main problem was their bowling attack. Morgan was captained and for some reason, they kept on backing Narine and Russell. This left only one overseas spot for Cummins who heavily underperformed. This year, I think they should back a young top 3 of Gill, Rana, and Tripathi. If they fail, they can go to Karun Nair or Rinku Singh. Morgan should definitely captain because of his white-ball success. Karthik will be a staple for the team but needs to keep his strike rate high. Shakib’s return is important, as it gives a better balance between batting and bowling. He is a better batter than Narine and is one of the best T20 spinners in the world. I would back Russell over Narine or Cutting because he gives a great pace option and if he starts striking the ball how he usually does, then he will fully earn his spot in the team. I think they should go with Cummins at the start of the tournament, and if it goes wrong they can replace him with Lockie Ferguson. Kuldeep should 100% return this year. He is better experienced now and is an incredible spinner. If he doesn't play, it would most likely mean they would have to play another pace option over him and that would destroy the balance of the team once again. Mavi and Chakravarthy were too wild cards for KKR last year, picking up 26 wickets combined.

Mumbai Indians-1st

Rohit Sharma ( C )
Quinton De Kock ( WK ) (Overseas)
Suryakumar Yadav
Ishan Kishan
Kieron Pollard (Overseas)
Hardik Pandya
Krunal Pandya
Nathan Coulter-Nile (Overseas)
Trent Boult (Overseas)
Jasprit Bumrah
Rahul Chahar

There is only one change in this team from Mumbai’s Final win last year. Jayant Yadav played over Rahul Chahar, who had a really successful year, but this was because Delhi had more left-handers in the and Yadav would spin the ball away from them. I think Rohit and De Kock will be the best opening partnership this IPL. The mix of Rohit’s success and experience combined with De Kock’s big-hitting and wide range of shots is unmatched in the league right now. Suryakumar and Kishan are two of the best finds from the IPL in the last few years. Their composure in pressure situations echos one similar to their captain, Rohit Sharma. Mumbai’s middle-order is SCARY. Pollard hits the ball over the boundary like he is back playing wind ball leagues in the Caribbean. The Pandya brothers are a mix of class and power. Their ability to come into the game at any time and change the speed of an innings is absurd. Coulter-Nile, Boult and Bumrah took 5, 25, and 27 wickets respectively last year. Rahul Chahar had a great year in the UAE last year and he picked up 15 wickets. His unorthodox style of bowling bamboozles batsmen at the crease.

Punjab Kings-6th

Chris Gayle (Overseas)
Dawid Malan (Overseas)
KL Rahul ( C ) ( WK )
Mayank Agarwal
Shahrukh Khan
Deepak Hooda
Jhye Richardson (Overseas)
Mohammed Shami
Riley Meredith (Overseas)
Ravi Bishnoi
Murugan Ashwin

Punjab had a season of ups and downs, as they were in and out of the top four until they eventually finished in 6th place. They added to their incredible list of openers this season by picking up the number one T20 batsman in the world, (as of 3/3/21) Dawid Malan. Malan paired with Chris Gayle will be an interesting partnership. They might decide to promote Rahul to 1/2 to have a left-hand/right-hand partnership. Rahul was the highest scorer last year with 670 runs in 14 innings. This was the 3rd highest season total by a player that didn't make the playoffs. Agarwal also had a great year but suffered an injury mid-way through the tournament. Shahrukh Khan is possibly the most exciting new player in the league. His striking ability is incredible and he fills that missing spot of finisher from last year. If Khan does not perform, Mandeep Singh will most likely replace him. Hooda is a 6th bowling option and can hit some big shots towards the end of the innings. Jhye Richardson averages 32.6 in T20 with the bat. This is mainly due to not outs but this season, he will need to up his batting game, otherwise, Punjab will have a long tail. Richardson is a quality bowler and will be one of the best new overseas players this year. Shami is one of the best Indian bowlers in the world and he will need to be economical this year to keep Punjab near/in the top 4. Meredith is an exciting addition to the IPL. Just like Richardson, Meredith has showcased his skills in this year's Big Bash League and earned his big price tag in the auction. The leg-spinning duo of Bishnoi and Ashwin will have to carry a heave bowling load this year as spinners grow increasingly important every year. Pooran just misses out because Punjab needs an extra bowler. If Gayle or Malan hit bad form, Pooran can come into the team.

Rajasthan Royals-7th

Jos Buttler (WK) (Overseas)
Sanju Samson ( C )
Ben Stokes (Overseas)
Riyan Parag
Shivam Dube
Chris Morris (Overseas)
Rahul Tewatia
Shreyas Gopal
Jofra Archer (Overseas)
Mayank Markande
Kartik Tyagi

Rajasthan was one of the biggest surprises last year. Halfway through the season, most people thought they could make the top 4. They then ended up finishing in 8th place. Buttler is famous for his innovation at the crease. One of his best qualities is his ability to hit yorkers to the boundary. Samson was impressive last season and was the Royals' highest scorer with 375 runs. He will need to step up and lead the team from the front if they want to be successful. Stokes had a relatively disappointing season. He hit 285 runs in 14 innings and took 2 wickets. For the amount that he was bought for, he didn't show his worth last year. Parag had a few impressive innings and he will be a good player in the future of the Royals. Dube is a more reliable finisher than what the Royals had last year. They were relying on Tewatia or the young Parag. Dube also adds to their big list of bowling options. Morris will need to prove he is worth his hefty price tag. He was mainly brought in to bowl in pressure situations alongside Archer. However, Morris is also a big hitter with the bat and can get some handy runs for the Royals. Tewatia will try to show that he is not just a one-season wonder and prove that he is a consistent all-rounder that the Royals can use as their wildcard. Gopal is the second leg-spinner in the team but also can get a few useful runs. His googly is one of the best in the league. Archer was the MVP last season with 113 runs, 10 sixes, and 20 wickets. He will undoubtedly have another successful year with bat and ball. Markande had a successful 2018 season for Mumbai but since then he hasn't really played. He completes a trio of skillful leg-spinners and hopefully, he can return to his form from 3 years ago. I chose Tyagi over Unadkat because he has been too expensive over the last couple of years. Tyagi has been net bowling for India recently and would have bowled to some of the best batsmen that will feature in this year’s IPL.

Royal Challengers Bangalore-3rd

Devdutt Paddikal
Virat Kohli ( C )
AB De Villiers (Overseas)
Dan Christian (Overseas)
Glenn Maxwell (Overseas)
Mohammed Azharuddeen ( WK )
Washington Sundar
Mohammed Siraj
Navdeep Saini
Yuzvendra Chahal
Kyle Jamieson (Overseas)

RCB made the Playoffs for the first time since 2016 last season and I think they will do it again. Paddikal is an exciting player and will most likely open for India in the future. He was RCB’s highest run-scorer last season, with 473 runs. Kohli opened in 2016 for RCB and scored 973 runs, the highest by anyone in an IPL season. Unless they play Phillipe, Kohli should definitely open, as it gives him the best opportunities to score again. AB De Villiers was incredible last year. He showed that he is still one of the best T20 batters in the world. I wouldn't have him as wicketkeeper so that he can focus on his batting. I think Christian should play over Phillipe because Christian can be another bowling option he also brings useful experience and he has been successful in T20 leagues around the world. Maxwell could be the game-changer for RCB this year, but he could also backfire if he performs similar to last season. He is the 3rd spin option and he will need to be a finisher as their tail is quite big this season. Azharhudeen is another exciting player for RCB and he will be able to relieve AB of his wicketkeeping duties. Azharhudeen has a T20 strike rate of 142.3 and a T20 high score of 137*. Sundar and Siraj have been 2 of India’s best performers over the last few months and they have now gained more confidence, experience, and skill. Saini also made his test debut in Australia. If his test debut proved anything, it was that he is not a test player, and his bowling style better suits the shorter formats. Chahal was RCB’s best bowler last year and he picked up 21 wickets. He was the highest wicket-taking spinner. He will be RCB’s most experienced bowler this year (Christian and Maxwell are all-rounders) and that could be a problem. Jamieson was the second most expensive buy at this year’s IPL auction. He has been successful so far in his international career but he mainly suits the quick New Zealand wickets. It will be interesting to see how he fares in India this year.

Sunrisers Hyderabad-4th

David Warner (Overseas)
Wriddhiman Saha ( WK )
Kane Williamson (Overseas) ( C )
Manish Pandey
Vijay Shankar
Abdul Samad
Mohammad Nabi (Overseas)
Rashid Khan (Overseas)
Bhuveheshwar Kumar
Sandeep Sharma
Thangarasu Natarajan

Hyderabad had an impressive season and finished 3rd. I think that they do not need to introduce any of their new players into the team this season. Warner has consistently been one of the best batsmen in the league. He exploded late last year and got them to their top 4 spot. Saha was also promising towards the end of last year and he performed well behind the stumps. Williamson scored 317 runs last year and I think he should captain this year. Warner has been an extremely successful captain for the Sunrisers but Williamson is one of the best captains in the world at the moment. Pandey was yet another strong performer last year. He hit 18 sixes and had a strike rate of 127.62. Shankar is an interesting player as he can be very inconsistent but when he is in good form he hits the ball better than anyone. Samad had a great breakout season with 111 runs. He can also bowl a bit of leg-spin. Nabi is a very useful bowler, as he can bowl at any stage of the game. He is a big hitter and is a great performer under pressure, due to his experience. Rashid Khan is one of the most skillful players in the world and every year he develops more and more into an all-rounder. He is an incredible fielder, he is the most economic IPL bowler ever (6.24) and he has a career IPL strike rate of 149.46. Bhuveneshwar, Sandeep, and Natarajan are the most skilled Indian pace trio this year. All 3 of them can bowl at any time of the game and all have their own specialty. Sunrisers have a lot of players who just missed out and could easily be in this team. They are Bairstow, Holder, Abhishek, M Marsh, Garg, Goswami, Kaul, K Ahmed, and Mujeeb.

Season Standings Prediction

Mumbai Indians-Mumbai are just simply the best in the league, once again. No other team can complete with their depth and star power. Obviously, there can be upsets and any team can finish anywhere.
Delhi Capitals-I think Delhi’s mix of youth and experience will get them to 2nd place again this year. They have one of the best bowling lineups in the league.
Royal Challengers Bangalore-RCB did not auction well but they did enough to plug some of the gaps. With the improvement of Saini, Siraj, and Sundar over the long break, Bangalore is now stronger.
Sunrisers Hyderabad-Hyderabad has consistently had one of the best bowling lineups and this year is no different. Their bowlers will be able to strangle the runs and their batting lineup is deep and skillful enough to score big runs.
Kolkata Knight Riders-KKR just miss out on the Playoffs because I don't think all their bowlers are experienced enough. Their batting is strong but they might be too expensive with the ball.
Punjab Kings-Punjab auctioned well but their lineup is quite awkward. They don't really have a 6th bowler and they have quite a long tail. Their top 4 are strong but they will have to hope their bowling can keep up.
Rajasthan Royals-This might be a shock but I don't think the Royals have the legs to get to the top 4. Archer and Morris are great but their spin attack is all heavily flawed. Their batting is strong but their tail could become longer if Morris and Tewatia don’t perform with the bat.
Chennai Super Kings-Chennai has a strong team and as a Chennai fan, it pains me to put them 8th. Chennai at 8th shows the ability in the league this year. Chennai, once again, didn't get much younger. A lot of the team are retired from international cricket. One positive is that they have good squad depth.

By Joshan Basi