The 19th season of IPL will start from March 28. The winner will be decided after 74 matches between 10 teams. 7 teams have won the title, while Delhi, Punjab and Lucknow are waiting for their first title. To know which team has the highest title-winning chances on paper, Bhaskar analysed all the teams on 5 parameters. These include captain, team combination, player performance, possible game plan and expert opinion. 1. Chennai Super Kings Spinners’ economy less than 7.50 Dhoni’s position will decide the results Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad captained in 19 IPL matches, winning 8 and losing 11. In the last season, Ruturaj could only score 122 runs in 5 matches at a strike rate of 150.61. Due to injury, MS Dhoni captained after him, but the team lost 10 out of 14 matches and finished 10th. Team Combination Australia’s fast bowler Nathan Ellis was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. In his place, the team included Australia’s left-arm pacer, Spencer Johnson. Spencer could only take 5 wickets in 9 IPL matches, and he has only played 8 T20s for Australia. Player Performance The top order has scored runs at a strike rate of 154.29 and an average of 45.81 since January 2023. The middle order scored at a strike rate of 154.73 and an average of 31.35. Pacers took 246 wickets at an economy of 8.22. Meanwhile, spinners accounted for 355 wickets at an economy of 7.44. Also Read: ‘Impact player rule is unfair’:GT skipper Gill fumes over 12th player format; Nehra backs adaptive T20 cricket instead of high-scoring Possible Game Plan CSK has increased its batting depth. Chepauk’s pitch used to be favourable for spin, but last year it was made batting-friendly. The team will focus on winning matches by scoring big runs with their batting. Expert Opinion Former cricketer Aakash Chopra said that if Dhoni wants to play as an impact player, he should retire. Sanju Samson is his perfect replacement. Dhoni should now let captain Ruturaj lead independently. The team is strong, but there are still flaws in the bowling. Final Verdict: CSK has the mettle to reach the Top-4. 2. Punjab Kings Captain Shreyas’s leadership is a game-changer Ferguson out of initial matches Captain Shreyas Iyer has captained Kolkata and Delhi before Punjab. Last season, he led PBKS to the top in the league stage, but the team lost to Bengaluru in the final. Captain Shreyas has 48 wins and 35 losses in 87 IPL matches. He also led with the willow and scored 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07. Team Combination New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will not be able to play the initial few matches due to paternity leave. In his place, the team might play Xavier Bartlett or Ben Dwarshuis in the initial matches. Player Performance The top order scored runs at a strike rate of 163.03 and an average of 34.14. The middle order scored at a strike rate of 146.67 and an average of 27.3. Pacers took 413 wickets with an economy of 8.35. Meanwhile, spinners have 150 wickets with an economy of 8.12. Also Read: Lucknow Super Giants eye fresh start with revamped identity: LSG SWOT analysis Possible Game Plan Punjab has explosive batters from number 1 to 8, and the team will bat with an even more attacking approach this time. Chahal, Arshdeep, Jansen, and Brar have proven themselves in T20 bowling, so the team will focus on creating pressure in the bowling department as well. The team will back itself in both batting and bowling departments. Expert Opinion Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan said that Punjab has very strong backup players. Even if 1-2 players get injured, it won’t significantly affect the team combination. Pace bowling all-rounders are increasing the team’s depth. The leadership is very strong, which is why the team has the potential to win the title once again. 3. Sunrisers Hyderabad Scored 275+ runs 4 times Cummins out of the initial matches Captain Pat Cummins, who led SRH to the final in 2024, will captain again this time. Due to injury, Ishan Kishan will take over the captaincy in the initial matches in his place. Cummins has captained in 30 IPL matches, winning 15 and losing 14. Last season, in 14 matches, he took 16 wickets with an economy of 9.06. However, the team lost 7 matches and finished in sixth place. Team Combination Captain Cummins himself will not be able to play the first leg of the tournament due to injury. He has stated that he is targeting the second half of the IPL, meaning he might miss 6 to 8 matches. Australia’s Jack Edwards was ruled out due to injury, and David Payne was included in his place. Sri Lanka’s Ishan Malinga will also not be able to play the initial matches. Player Performance The top order scored runs at an average of 33.45 and a strike rate of 177.36. The middle order scored at a strike rate of 151.47 and an average of 27.22. Pacers took 202 wickets with an economy of 8.39, while spinners took 30 wickets with an economy of 8.43. Possible Game Plan Out of the top-5 scores in IPL history, 4 belong to SRH; the team has scored more than 275 runs on all four occasions. Not only that, but Hyderabad also chased a target of 246 runs last season. The team has explosive batters from number 1 to 7, which is why SRH will focus on scoring the biggest possible total and winning the match this time too. The team does not want to rely too much on its bowlers. Expert Opinion South African legend AB de Villiers said that Abhishek Sharma will be a key player. If he gets into form, the team can win the title after 10 years. Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra said that even a target of 250 runs is not safe against SRH; the team has the power to achieve it. However, the absence of Cummins is weakening the bowling. 4. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Yash Dayal out, Hazlewood injured Kohli-Salt in excellent form Captain Rajat Patidar is only the fourth player to make his team champions in his very first season of IPL captaincy. Under his captaincy, the team won 10 out of 13 matches and lost only 3. Due to Rajat’s injury, Jitesh Sharma also captained in 3 matches, and the team finished second in the league stage. Patidar scored 312 runs in 2025 with a strike rate of 143.78. Team Combination Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, who made the team champions in 2025, has been ruled out of the entire tournament. He will not be able to play in the IPL due to alleged rape charges. Meanwhile, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood, who supports the bowling alongside Yash Dayal, will not play the initial matches. RCB had won many important matches thanks to both these bowlers. Player Performance The top order scored runs at a strike rate of 151.86 and an average of 38.63. The middle order scored at a strike rate of 157.24 and an average of 27.96. Spinners took 106 wickets with an economy of 7.57. Meanwhile, pacers took 171 wickets with an economy of 8.07. Possible Game Plan Bengaluru’s team is balanced in all three departments: batting, bowling, and all-rounders. Rasikh Salam will replace Dayal. If Hazlewood returns soon, the team will once again start following its winning combination. Kohli, Salt, and Patidar are in form. Instead of focusing on making big scores, the team will focus on playing according to the pitch and the opposition. Expert Opinion Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin said that the RCB team is very balanced, and they also have excellent backup options. Hazlewood’s absence is definitely a concern. Meanwhile, former England captain Alastair Cook said that Bengaluru is once again a contender to win the title. 5. Lucknow Super Giants Top-3 batters with strike rate of 150 Pant flopped last season Captain Rishabh Pant got the captaincy of Lucknow only last season; he has also captained Delhi. He has 29 wins and 27 losses in 57 matches. His first season for Lucknow was bad; he could only score 269 runs at a strike rate of 133.17. His team also finished 7th after losing 8 matches. Team Combination Josh Inglis is getting married in April; if he is not available for a long time, the team might face problems with the opening combination. All players are fit, but the team also has 2 players, Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav, who constantly struggle with injuries. Player Performance Top-order batters scored runs at an average of 33.71 and a strike rate of 150.28. Middle-order batters scored at a strike rate of 143.95 and an average of 26.57. Spinners took 208 wickets at an economy of 7.94. Meanwhile, pacers accounted for 115 wickets at an economy of 8.39. Possible Game Plan Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants scored runs at a strike rate of 194 last season. Last season, the team was completely dependent on the top order; this season, LSG’s focus will be on increasing batting depth with its middle order. Shami and Mohsin are strengthening the bowling, so the team can also win matches based on its bowling. Expert Opinion Irfan Pathan said that Lucknow will have to use Mayank Yadav more effectively. He struggles with injuries, so he should only be given opportunities in important matches. Mayank can trouble any batter with his pace. Meanwhile, head coach Justin Langer believes that Pant is a good leader and will turn the team’s fortunes around this season. Post navigation ‘Impact player rule is unfair’:GT skipper Gill fumes over 12th player format; Nehra backs adaptive T20 cricket instead of high-scoring
