IPL Teams And Their International Equivalents

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is in its 14th season currently and on the basis of how each of the eight original franchises has performed over the years, we can safely draw their parallels with the international cricket teams.

So, we at Cricket Addictor thought, why not analyze all the eight IPL franchises and possibly single out the similarities between them and the international teams?

Here’s a look at 8 IPL franchises and their international equivalents:

Royal Challengers Bangalore – South Africa

If there is one franchise that closely resembles South Africa, then it has got to be Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Both sides have been blessed with match-winners over the years, the hype surrounding both sides leading into every tournament is immense but more often than not, they fail to live up to the expectations.

And, even if they perform well in the league stage, both sides almost always falter in the knockout stages. RCB have played three IPL finals, and just South Africa in the semi-final of a World Cup, they have lost on each occasion.

Delhi Capitals – England

Delhi Capitals, just like England white-ball teams before the 2015 World Cup, were the whipping boys of the IPL.

Poor auction and on-field strategies, continuous changes in the personnel meant that Delhi Capitals struggled season after season.

But, just like England turned its fortunes around post the 2015 WC disaster, Delhi Capitals have done the same under the new management and the head coach-captain duo of Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer.

The Capitals reached their first-ever IPL final last year where they were eventually beaten by the Mumbai Indians. The only thing that separates them from England is a barren trophy cabinet. But, given the manner in which they have been performing in the past 2-3 seasons, one can feel that it’s just a matter of time before they lay their hands on the IPL trophy.

Rajasthan Royals – Pakistan

Rajasthan Royals and Pakistan have a lot of things in common and the most striking aspect between both of them is their unpredictability.

The Royals won the inaugural IPL in 2008 but since then, they have flattered to deceive.  In the past few seasons, the Royals haven’t even managed to qualify for the playoffs, but as Mumbai Indians have found out, you just can’t take them lightly.

Just like Pakistan, Rajasthan Royals have the ability to beat any side on a given day. Pakistan defeated New Zealand and England in the 2019 World Cup but failed to win against the West Indies.

The same is the case with RR, who tend to bring their ‘A’ game against the strongest side in the competition- Mumbai Indians- while faltering the rest.

Another striking feature that connects both Rajasthan Royals and Pakistan is the presence of individual match-winners like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer,  Sanju Samson, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Chennai Super Kings – India

Chennai Super Kings is the most consistent side in IPL history.  Besides winning three championships, the MS Dhoni-led unit had qualified for the playoffs in 10 out of the 11 completed seasons that they have played.

The same can be said about India. Team India won three ICC titles within a span of 6 years (2007-2013)- 2007 T20 WC, 2011 CWC, 2013 CT- besides qualifying in the final 4 of every event since 2013.

But, just as CSK has faltered in a plethora of finals- 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019- the same had been the case with Team India, who have now lost as many as three semi-finals and a couple of finals in the past five ICC events.

Kolkata Knight Riders – Sri Lanka

Now, you might find this resemblance uncanny, but there is a reason why I have put KKR and Sri Lanka in the same bracket.

Sri Lanka emerged from being a minnow nation to become one of the best white-ball teams under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga in the late 90s.

The island nation’s upward surge continued in the 2000s and before the retirement of stalwarts like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Dilshan, Sri Lanka was one of the dominant sides in limited-overs cricket.

Their record in ICC events was outstanding. The island nation qualified for the 2007 and 2011 50-over World Cup and in the 2009 and 2012 T20 WC before finally laying hands on the silverware in 2014 where they beat India in the final of the T20 World Cup.

However,  ever since their stalwarts have retired,  Sri Lanka have undergone a consistent decline in all forms of the game, especially in the limited-overs format.

The same can be said about Kolkata Knight Riders. Just like Arjuna Ranatunga, Gautam Gambhir took KKR from the lowest echelon to the absolute summit by leading them to two IPL titles (2012 & 2014) within a space of three years.

But ever since Gambhir left KKR, the franchise has undergone a sharp and consistent decline in its performance.

In the past three seasons, KKR has managed to qualify for the playoffs on just one occasion (2018).

While they finished at the 5th spot in IPL 2020, their performance in IPL 2021 thus far has been even more disastrous. In the seven games of the 14th season, KKR has managed to win just 2 and they run a serious risk of ending with a wooden spoon by the time the season culminates.

 

Punjab Kings – West Indies

Now, you might turn around and say–“Hang on! How does Punjab Kings bear any resemblance with the West Indies given the fact that the latter has won as many two ICC T20 WC titles?”

Well! I am not really comparing PBKS and the West Indies with regard to their performance in T20 Championships. The reason why I feel Punjab Kings and the West Indies Cricket Team is the lack of stability in their managerial and team structure.

Just like the West Indies have grappled with lack of any stability with regards to the personnel employed at the managerial and team structure, the same has been the case with the Punjab franchise. Lack of stability leads to inconsistent performances, and both sides are a perfect example to vindicate this fact.

Continuous changes in coaching staff and captains tend to create insecurity among players, which in turn, affects their on-field performances.

As a result, Punjab playing 11 has never been settled for a considerable period of time and that explains why they rarely qualify for the playoffs,  let alone win the championship.

The same is the case with the West Indies, who have struggled to put in consistent performances across all three formats in the past 20-25 years.

SunRisers Hyderabad – New Zealand

SunRisers Hyderabad, just like the New Zealand Cricket Team, are the least taller about teams in the lead up to an IPL season but just like their international counterparts, they always tend to punch way above their weight.

New Zealand may not have the 50-over World Cup yet but their performance in the quadrennial event has been quite staggering.

The perennial ‘dark horses’ have qualified in the top-4 of the 50-over World Cup on 8 out of 12 occasions and in the past two WC’S, they have ended up as finalists.

They won the 2000 ICC Championship Trophy besides qualifying in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup twice. The Kane Williamson-led unit has also made its way to the final of the inaugural ICC WTC final.

The same is the case with SunRisers Hyderabad. The ‘Orange Army’ won the 2016 IPL under the leadership of David Warner,  and since then, they are the only side to qualify for the playoffs in five consecutive seasons

Mumbai Indians – Australia

Just like the all-conquering Australian cricket team of the 2000s, Mumbai Indians, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma have impinged themselves as the most dominating side in IPL history, having won as many as five championships.

Just like Australia in 50-over World Cups, Mumbai Indians’ accession to the numero-uno spot in the IPL was slow. Australia won just 1 out of the first 6 World Cups before they embarked on a juggernaut that saw them win 4 of the next six events, including a hat-trick of titles in 1999, 2003, and 2007.

The same is the case with the Mumbai Indians, who won their first IPL title after 5 unsuccessful events in 2013 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. Since then, the Mumbai-based franchise has gone on to win 4 more titles, which also includes consecutive triumphs in 2019 and 2020.

Just like Australia’s 2003 and 2007 WC-winning campaigns where there was an air of inevitability around them winning the title, the same was the case with the Mumbai Indians in 2020 where they looked miles ahead of every other team in terms of personnel, temperament and skill level.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Team Wise One Most Valuable Player Who Isn’t The Highest Paid In The Team