It’s finally here. The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to begin on 19th September with the defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings. After all the troubles that the game of cricket suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, after the baby steps that cricket took to come back, it’s time for the biggest carnival of franchise cricket. Keep reading to find out Predicted 4 Teams that would Qualify for the Playoffs
The league is arriving 5 months post the original schedule. But the cricket fans are rejoicing with the fact that the league is returning even if it is late and would be without the spectators. However, the game needs to get going in the new normal. This is the third time IPL is being held outside India and the second time to be held in the UAE.
The whole scenario of the tournament now changes with the league being played outside India. The teams, that preferred playing in the batting-friendly conditions of the Indians surfaces, will now have to change the dynamics of the team in the expected slow conditions. Because of that, the favorites to make it to the playoffs have also changed. Let’s find out Prediction for the 4 Teams that would Qualify for the Playoffs of IPL 2020.
Here are the 4 teams that could make it to the playoffs
#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad
One of the most consistent franchises in the league in the last 5 years is Sunrisers Hyderabad. They possess enough strength in all 3 departments to beat any team on a given day. The champions of the 2016 edition would be one of the favorites to finish in the top 4 because of several reasons. The biggest reason is the opening pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow. This has to be the most explosive opening combination amongst all the 8 teams.
Both Warner and Bairstow can launch from ball one and take the game away from the opposition in the powerplay itself. Then, they have one of the best batsmen in the world – Kane Williamson. But due to the restriction of the 4 overseas players, it’s quite possible that he might have to sit out. It could be a toss-up between him and Mohammad Nabi. The Afghan veteran has plenty of experience of playing on these kinds of pitches and he can be handy with his off-spin as well. If Williamson plays, he could be the No.3 and if Nabi plays, Nabi could play the role of a finisher.
In the middle-order, Manish Pandey is reliable for the shortest format. Vijay Shankar could be a handy all-rounder and Abhishek Sharma could be a pinch hitter at the end of the innings. Rashid Khan has been one of the most vital players for SRH. Even though he didn’t taste that much success in the recent Caribbean Premier League, SRH would still depend on him on bigger grounds and helpful conditions.
Another spinner who could play a big role is Shahbaz Nadeem. On grounds like Abu Dhani and Dubai, the left-arm spinners could prove to be the wicket-takers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is an absolute giant of the game when it comes to bowling with both new and old ball. In Khaleel Ahmed and Siddharth Kaul, they have two good young Indian pacers. But both would need to bowl with a lot of variations or this could be the only weak link.
In the backup, the team has Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Marsh, Fabien Allen as the overseas players. But they would need their top 13 players to perform consistently throughout the tournament as they may not find a lot of strength on the bench.
Best XI of Sunrisers Hyderabad
David Warner (C), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Kane Williamson/Mohammad Nabi, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shahbaz Nadeem, Siddharth Kaul