India is having a tough time with Covid-19. IPL 2020 could not come by at a better time to this Cricket-loving nation. Yes, we’ll still be seeing this T20 festival taking place in UAE, but there will be no lack of sixes and drama on the field. Just to remind you, the previous edition was won by the Mumbai Indians, who defeated the Chennai Super Kings by just 1 run in the final nail-biter. How is the upcoming season shaping up? Let’s take a quick peek at our IPL 2020 preview and then visit our online betting section for top Indian sportsbooks.
IPL 2020 Teams
The auction is over and the players have been bought. Each team has a hand full of superstars. But, there are some IPL 2020 teams that are better overall than other teams. So, let’s go over the teams and see which superstars and prospects to watch. Our preview will help with your cricket betting picks.
Mumbai Indians – IPL 2020 Favourites
Let’s start with the reigning champions, who will be captained by Rohit Sharma yet again. The explosive Indian batsman has scored one century and 28 fifties, all with an explosive strike rate of 130.62. Rohit is the third-highest all-time scorer in IPL history, with a total of 4898 runs (and counting) from just 183 innings.
Sharma will again command a formidable squad, which is very balanced and has little to no weaknesses. Australians Nathan Nile (seamer) and Chris Lynn (batsman) have been signed. These new pieces will complement Jasprit Bumrah, who registered an economy rate of 3.50 runs per over last season.
Outlook: Should easily qualify for the playoffs and are favorites to win IPL 2020.
Chennai Super Kings
CSK’s season is going to revolve around the legendary MS Dhoni, who recently retired from international cricket ODIs. But make no mistake, Mr.Cool is still hungry for success in the IPL. He is interested in wearing the Indian blue uniform in the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup. Based on his record, he won’t disappoint.
Veterans Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, and Imran Tahir will continue to carry the load in the batting department, while Ravi Jadeja and Harbajan Singh will lead the bowling department. All-rounder Dwane Bravo will wear the CSK yellow yet again and stay the go-to player when every ball counts.
Outlook: Should easily qualify for the playoffs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Virat Kohli is one of the most successful batsmen India has produced and is on pace to break Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 international century record. The Indian captain is fierce, strong, and plays with a fury that is not often seen. However, these qualities are not helping his IPL team in recent years.
The RCB brass has decided to splurge the cash on South African veteran pacer Dale Steyn to try and fix the team’s bowling woes. The other South African, Ab de Villiers will be looking to improve on his lackluster batting form from last season. All-rounder Chris Morris will also feature for RCB this season.
Outlook: Another bottom-half finish if the bowling doesn’t improve
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals don’t have a good IPL record to boast about. The team has finished dead-last in the table a record 4 times in their 12-year history. Shreyas Iyer, Rishab Pant, and Prithvi Shaw are expected to lead the team again this season, but do they have enough help this time around?
The simple answer is no, unfortunately. Expect this side to fizzle out in crunch time. Ajunkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhiwan will probably help with the scoring, but the bowling department is too top-heavy. Kagiso Rabada is a brilliant seamer, but he can’t bowl more than 4 overs. That’s Delhi’s biggest problem.
Outlook: This team can pile up the runs. That’s the only sure thing.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
The Sunrisers were on the rise last season, with impressive performances by spinning sensation Rashad Khan. Australian David Warner will captain the team this season and serve as an anchor, while the Kiwi’s captain Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow will look to accelerate the scoring as soon as possible.
Hyderabad has an excellent lineup of bowlers. Besides the aforementioned Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, and Billy Stanlake are expected to do some serious damage. Young all-rounder Abhishek Sharma is also expected to get a lot of burns, especially in the early part of the season.
Outlook: The official dark-horse of this year’s IPL.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR, owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, will look to stop the rot and return to the playoffs this season. New head coach Brendan McCullum is expected to try and instill a new brand of Cricket that focuses more on bowling and aggressive fielding. The team squad has been tweaked accordingly.
Australian pacer Pat Cummins has been signed for a fee of over 15 Crores INR, an IPL record for an overseas player. His deadly spells will be supplemented with Lockie Ferguson’s brutal pace and local talent Shivam Mavi. Andre Russell (MVP of IPL 2019) is expected to spearhead the batting as always.
Outlook: KKR games should involve low batting totals.
Kings XI Punjab
The team from Punjab has never won the IPL and this is not expected to change this season. Indian legend Anil Kumble is going to coach the team during this campaign, but he simply doesn’t have enough to work with. Influential players like Andrew Tye, Sam Curran, and David Miller have all been released.
So what do Kings XI Punjab have to offer this season? Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will be the obvious centerpiece of this team and will get the chance to shine. Chris Gayle is way past his prime, but can still supply some moments of magic. Captain KL Rahul should be able to pile up the runs.
Outlook: Don’t expect this team to finish in the top half this season.
Rajasthan Royals
The Royals failed to impress last season. Will they be able to break out of the funk this time around? Highly doubtful. Yes, they have added influential bowlers Tom Curran and Andrew Tye, but they are not what you would call “game-changers”. British ace Jofra Archer has sustained a season-ending injury.
David Miller and Robin Uthappa will be expected to lead the batting efforts, but the team simply doesn’t possess enough firepower. Yashashvi Jaiswal will get the chance to produce and can develop into a franchise cornerstone in the future. But don’t expect the Royals to win more than 3 or 4 matches this season.
Outlook: The Royals are favorites to finish last in the table.
Promising IPL 2020 Youngsters to Track
The Indian Premier League is a brilliant stage for young and blooming players, who can display their skills in prime time. Here are a few to watch out for in IPL 2020.
Tom Banton – KKR is banking on this youngster and paid handsomely for him ($135,000). He is an explosive batsman and above-average fielder.
Karthik Tyagi – RR signed this 19-year old talent for over $175,000. He is a fast-paced bowler who has little experience but will get a lot of burn.
Priyam Garg – The Sunrisers are gambling on this wonderful batsman, who has previously captained the U19 Indian national team.
Sandeep Lamichhane – He is just 19 years old, but Cricket fans are already familiar with his bowling. The leg-spinner will play for Delhi.
Yashashvi Jaiswal – The Rajasthan Royals are counting on the left-handed batsman to pile up the runs, despite his tender age of 18.
To sum it up, IPL 2020 is expected to be different due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but the world’s best cricketers will take center stage and try to make us forget about our blues. There are going to be a multitude of betting options this time around. Make sure you are doing so at the best places on the net.
If you liked this article then check out our English Premier League preview.