IPL 2021: Predicting Points Table Position Of All Teams By End Of The League Stage

The second season of the intriguing 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will move to the UAE after much deliberation. With a little more than two months to go for the second leg of the tournament to kickstart, the BCCI predictably has to take care of all the preparations for the same. Most of all is to make the overseas players available by negotiating with the respective cricketing boards, who are unlikely to allow their cricketers to participate.

With some of the franchises overly dependent on the overseas stars for delivering, it could affect their standings on the points table. A few teams could see their advantage thrown away mainly due to the absence of the foreign contingent; however, it would be naive to think that the domestic cricketers cannot assert their dominance. While the BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla has stated that IPL 2021 will go ahead regardless of who is available, the unavailability of overseas cricketers would surely affect the viewership.

We take a look at possible positions of the various teams in the points table after the league stage of IPL 2021:

Kolkata Knight Riders – 8th:

Kolkata Knight Riders delivered some of the underwhelming performances in the initial leg of IPL. Kolkata Knight Riders’ promising batting line-up kept struggling to fire after the first game, with the captain also proving a liability. Eoin Morgan just could not get going in this year’s tournament, managing only 92 runs in seven games at 15.33, with a strike rate of 112.20.

With Eoin Morgan likely to miss the UAE leg, Kolkata Knight Riders could go back to Dinesh Karthik to do the captaincy. It could be a blessing in disguise for the franchise as he looked out of sorts with the bat, subsequently affecting his captaincy too. With the likes of Morgan, Pat Cummins, Tim Seifert, Lockie Ferguson, and Shakib Al Hasan likely to miss the UAE leg, the two-time champions could sink to the bottom.

SunRisers Hyderabad – 7th:

SunRisers Hyderabad was the most underperforming franchise of IPL 2021 as they conjured only one victory out of seven matches. The Orange Army’s much-vaunted bowling unit leaked runs heavily, while their middle-order cost them at least a couple of wins when they should have got home comfortably. As a result, they are languishing at the bottom of the table.

It is indeed a competition between Kolkata Knight Riders and SunRisers Hyderabad for the eighth spot. As much as Kolkata Knight Riders seem in a fix about the captaincy issue, with Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow, and David Warner all in doubt for the UAE leg, SunRisers also face a conundrum. But their last year’s performance in the UAE gives them a slight hope of not finishing at the bottom of the table.

Rajasthan Royals – 6th:

Rajasthan Royals had a mixed bag in the first leg of IPL 2021, finishing fifth in the points table. While Sanju Samson, Rajasthan’s new captain, was promising, he was not good enough to inject some consistency in the side. With only three wins in seven games, the Royals need to lift their performance; however, it will not be easy in the UAE.

Rajasthan Royals are likely to experience a mass exodus of overseas players in the UAE leg, with names like Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Liam Livingstone, and Mushtafizur Rahman likely to miss the remaining fixtures. With the Royals already finishing on the eighth spot in the UAE last year and the key players’ unavailability, they could probably slide further.

Punjab Kings – 5th:

Punjab Kings was yet another franchise, whose campaign was marred with inconsistencies. Nevertheless, their captain KL Rahul, the lynchpin of the Punjab Kings’ batting line-up, should return to lead the side after missing the final game of the first leg of IPL 2021 due to appendicitis surgery. Yet, it’s hard to see them go a long way.

The first leg of IPL 2021 saw the Punjab Kings lose a game after winning one. Like all other seasons, Punjab Kings have not made a consistent habit of winning. The runners-up of 2014, who are currently in the sixth spot, are expected to fare slightly better in the second phase of the competition.

Royal Challengers Bangalore – 4th:

Royal Challengers Bangalore squared off their initial leg of IPL 2021 with five wins out of seven matches and finished in the third spot. For the first time, Royal Challengers Bangalore won their first four games on the bounce and suffered their first loss to the Chennai Super Kings. Their second defeat was to the Punjab Kings, who beat them convincingly.

While Royal Challengers Bangalore have been performing exceptionally well, their chances of winning the title this year could take a dent. With Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Maxwell in doubt for the UAE leg and Virat Kohli’s inconsistent run, the pressure of scoring runs will fall even more on AB de Villiers. Yet, they could sneak into the playoffs.

Chennai Super Kings – 3rd:

Chennai Super Kings were one of the most consistent teams in the initial leg of IPL 2021. After performing poorly in the UAE last year, Chennai Super Kings bounced back incredibly well to finish second in the first 29 games of the tournament. Even though they lost the opening match against the Delhi Capitals, the yellow army recorded five wins on the trot before going down to the Mumbai Indians.

With the UAE set to stage the remaining fixtures of IPL 2021, the venue has not been the kindest to the Chennai Super Kings. While still one of the most in-form teams of the competition, their rivals can spring to form and remind the three-time champions of their struggles in the UAE. But Chennai would be wise enough not to repeat their earlier mistakes. The yellow army would also be wary of the possibility of Moeen Ali and Sam Curran missing the UAE leg.

Mumbai Indians – 2nd:

Contrary to expectations, Mumbai Indians could not produce the consistent cricket they are often known for. Mumbai Indians have been overly dependent on their bowling attack and seen the likes of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Quinton de Kock struggle for runs. But still, they have managed to finish the first leg as the fourth-ranked team.

But the defending champions could spring into form in the venue where they sealed their fifth title. It could prove highly productive for the likes of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Quinton de Kock, as well as they were significantly responsible for their success in the UAE. Thus, they have a good chance of finishing the league stage at the second position.

Delhi Capitals – 1st:

While Delhi Capitals might have to endure the absence of Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Sam Billings, and Steve Smith, they are likely to receive the boost of Shreyas Iyer. Shreyas Iyer, if declared fit, could likely return to lead to replace Rishabh Pant. Despite the keeper-batsman’s successful stint thus far, Iyer’s leadership would be hard to ignore.

Delhi Capitals were arguably the best team in the first leg of IPL 2021, accumulating six wins out of eight and suffering two close defeats. While the runners up of 2020 might miss a few overseas players, along with Iyer, the Capitals could likely have Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje operating together. Hence, it’s an ominous sign for the opposition and they could finish the league stage as the table toppers.

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