IPL 2021: Which Team Is Finishing Where And Why?

It’s the one every cricket lover has been waiting for: the Indian Premier League. In the world of domestic T20 leagues, it doesn’t get much bigger, and with over a billion people worldwide paying close attention to the events in and around the tournament, the stakes are the highest they get this side of the World Cup. With a great tournament comes great chances of winning plenty of money through bets, and arguably the biggest payout comes in the form of guessing the position of a team or all the teams at the end of the tournament - especially the winning team. Now, we’re not soothsayers, but having delved into cricket for decades, we have a better understanding of the sport and its players than most. Therefore, we know what information an aspiring bettor should or must have if they are to win big.

We have already explored how the auction has and will affect the teams, and now it’s time to discuss where the teams might finish, and the reasons behind such determinations. The following is all the essential information about the teams at this year’s IPL, all presented in the order that we think they will finish, last to first. If you’re going to bet on IPL 2021, you will want to read every last word!

Who will finish where in IPL 2021? BettingCric's Ultimate Prediction

#8 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Although they have regained the services of an aging Suresh Raina, things don’t look too bright for CSK. They were shockingly poor last season, and their acquisitions this year have been anything but convincing. The entire team seems to be made up of extremes of age and experience, and not in a harmonious, balanced way. MS Dhoni hasn’t been doing well recently, and Faf du Plessis’ form from last year’s IPL seems to be a thing of the past. Josh Hazlewood backing out was also a big blow, and with a replacement not having been chosen yet, whoever does come in will have to stay in quarantine for the first couple of weeks of play. Additionally, the lack of crowds at the Chidambaram due to the Covid situation in India will not help the popular CSK. It might still be harsh to predict last place for them off of the back of just one bad season, but after last year’s debacle, it’s really not that unthinkable.

#7 Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Not having appointed a head coach yet, the Royals have really shaken things up in their camp. A lot of fresh blood has come in, and plenty of dead weight has been ejected. However, a lot of the latter were batsmen - including former captain Steven Smith, and there hasn’t been enough done in the way of replenishment. After finishing dead last in the previous season, the Rajasthanis still lack consistent batting options and have few big-name bowlers. Mustafizur Rahman is a mere shadow of his former self, and Andrew Tye’s form over the last two years has been miserable to say the least. All said and done, we put the Royals in 7th place.

#6 Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

For a team that somehow managed to finish third last season thanks to some barely-scraped-through wins, the Sunrisers have done little to fix the issues that plagued them. Sure, they’ve brought in the in-form Jason Roy, but their other big additions - the flaky Kedar Jadhav and the unproven-in-the-IPL Mujeeb Ur Rahman - inspire little confidence. Add to that the fact that David Warner’s form is far from solid, and that Mohammad Nabi was far from his usual self last season, and you might understand why we have them tipped for 6th place only. They’re a good team, but they have few consistent batsmen to rely on, putting the lion’s share of the responsibility on the bowlers. As good as their bowlers are, hit-or-miss lineups are rarely the way to a title.

#5 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

After being edged out of qualification on the very last day of league matches last year, KKR will naturally be wanting more. Although they have made some serious investments this season, we don’t think they’ll be going too far unless at least one of their West Indian powerhouses has a great season, and we don’t think that will happen this year. Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Shakib Al Hasan, and Andre Russell have all been out of form lately, and we don’t expect them to suddenly jump into top shape in the IPL. On the flip side, Lockie Ferguson and Pat Cummins are lethal, and with Harbhajan Singh and Shakib each turning the ball the other way, they won’t be terrible. KKR have a strong overall squad with excellent players, so we have them only barely missing out on the playoffs.

#4 Delhi Capitals (DC)

It was a potential watershed moment for the team from the capital, but alas, they just couldn’t get MI’s number last season. They had a fantastic chance to go just as far this season, but with Shreyas Iyer out with an injury and the inexperienced Rishabh Pant put in charge, things could go either way. As far as the players go, DC have plenty of horsepower under their bonnet, but a lot of that comes in the form of players who are either not very good on Indian soil, or not in the best of form. The inclusion of Steven Smith, Sam Billings, and Tom Curran are good moves, but they can only take four foreign players - their local talent pool is much lighter than last season. Because of this reason more than anything else, we just don’t think they will be able to crack the top 3 this season.

#3 Punjab Kings (KXIP)

Something last year must have triggered Punjab, as they ended up not only changing their name, but also put away those they deemed subpar and rampaged through the auction phase to build up their team. Although this means PBKS might have to bench some high-profile names, unlike DC they have quite a lot of local players. Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Dawid Malan, and Nicholas Pooran are all in great form, and it will be up to Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, and Mohammad Shami to give them the kind of support they need and deserve. On the flip side, PBKS are notorious chokers, and most of their premium fast bowlers are all foreign, and with a captain who says ‘strike rate is overrated’, it’s always going to be difficult to figure things out. We say third place.

#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

The team that we believe will take second place is one that looked potent last year, but couldn’t get the full value of that potency. The Royal Challengers ended their campaign in fourth, and although it was a big step up from last place the season before, it wasn’t up to the mark of most of their players. This time Kohli and co have spent millions in order to make sure they have a star-studded lineup, and it should pay at least some dividends. Although the backing out of Josh Philippe was a big blow, there’s still enough guns on board to outfight most adversaries. With a healthy distribution of local and foreign talent, the RCB squad looks strong, but way too heavy on the batting side. If even one or two of their bowlers fall prey to injuries, they will be in a difficult situation. Provided that doesn’t happen, we see RCB making a deep run courtesy of its veritable galaxy of superstars.

#1 Mumbai Indians (MI)

And in the top spot, we have an unprecedented potential hat trick of titles by the boys in blue. They might not have the all-star power of RCB, the experience of CSK, or the most expensive player in IPL in the squad, but what they have is the right amount of skill in exactly the right places, making them a deadly, resilient adversary. After overtaking their rivals in terms of trophies last year, we think the Indians will pull off yet another spectacular display of power. Players like Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard are borderline unfair to have in the IPL, and we think they will keep on doing what they do best - especially with James Neesham joining in to become the third potentially devastating all-rounder in the squad. With a top-class bowling lineup and some of the hardest hitters to ever grace the league, Mumbai look set for a treble.

With that, we bid you adieu and wait with baited breath for the matches to begin. Now that you have a better idea of the team situation in the IPL, perhaps you’ll have a better time betting on the outcome of the tournament. Can’t get enough of the IPL? Keep an eye on our site for match previews and betting suggestions for every single IPL 2021 match, along with summaries of previous matches.