IPL 2018 : The 4 teams that are most likely to make it to the play-offs

There's just a week left for the world's most popular domestic T20 league to begin. This year's IPL is set to be a blockbuster evernt as it marks the return of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals after both of them served a ban for two years.

All the fans are eagerly waiting for the start of this season of IPL on 7th April. The first match will be be played between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

It goes without saying that each and every team aims to win the coveted title. But in order to keep their hands on the trophy, they need to get into the playoffs.

Out of eight teams, only four get through the playoffs. Let's look into the four teams that are most likely to get a place in this year's playoffs.

#1 Delhi Daredevils

Gambhir and Co. will be hoping to win the coveted title for the first time

Delhi Daredevils are a team that haven't won an IPL title in the history of the tournament. However, this season they have the talent and skill to make a sensational comeback after a few disappointing seasons.

In the past few seasons, the Daredevils have had a squad without marquee players and a dominant captain in their side. But in this season’s auction Ricky Ponting and Co. ensured that they made Delhi one of the strongest sides in the fray.

Gautam Gambhir as the captain of the team will definitely make a much better impression on the field. He is the man who lifted the team of the Kolkata Knight Riders after some vulnerable starts to their IPL campaigns. He led the KKR team to the coveted title twice, and would be looking to lead the Daredevils side to their maiden title.

The batting unit of the Daredevils is arguably the best this season. With hard-hitters like Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell in the side we can expect some fireworks with the willow.

Youngsters like Shreyas Iyer, Rishab Pant and Vijay Shankar will also be itching to display some blistering performances for their team.

The bowling unit consists of a few exemplary players like Chris Morris, Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada, who have proved to be troublesome for almost all the batsmen in the world. The experience of Amit Mishra is going to strengthen the spin department of the team.

With some world class players in the side, the Daredevils will be a team who could dominate the entire season and win the coveted title for the first time.

#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB is one of the strongest sides on paper

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have always had a lot of star players in the past seasons. Although those stars have given plenty of sensational performances, the team haven't got the opportunity to put their hands on the title.

However, we all aware of the thunderous performances the team has delivered earlier. With the leadership of Virat Kohli, RCB will be looking to clear all the dark clouds which have obstructed them in the past.

The batting unit of the team comprises of players like Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and of course Virat Kohli. "Mr. 360" De Villiers and the Indian captain have made some remarkable partnerships in the past which have proved to be a treat for the cricket fraternity. They will be hoping to once again produce some more blistering performances and entertain the spectators.

Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Corey Anderson and Pawan Negi are some of the all-rounders in the squad who are capable of turning around the fortunes of the team. Woakes's recent performances for England have made him a player to watch out for in this season.

The spin department will be handled by Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar, and both of them have given some exceptional performances in the Nidahas Trophy. While Chahal proved to be a threat for world class batsmen in South Africa, Sundar's flight helped him to get the Man of the Tournament award in Sri Lanka.

The presence of pacers like Mohammed Siraj, Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav in the squad clearly indicates that this team has the potential to create history in this season's IPL.

#3 Mumbai Indians

The defending champions would hoping to dominate again this season

The Mumbai Indians have been the most successful side in the entire IPL history. Rohit Sharma and Co. have won the coveted title thrice and they won't mind winning it again this season.

Mumbai Indians are known to have a very balanced side from the past seasons. This year too, the Mumbai Indians look to be a very balanced side on paper.

With hard-hitting players like Evin Lewis and Rohit Sharma, the team can score at a brisk pace. Players like Ishan Kishan and Saurabh Tiwary further strengthen the batting line-up.

The all-rounder pool of the Mumbai Indians looks to be the best among all teams this season. With all-rounders like Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Jean Paul Duminy, Krunal Pandya and Surya Kumar Yadav, Mumbai Indians have plenty of players who can fulfill a variety of roles.

The responsibilities of the spin department will be handled by Duminy and Krunal, and they have the wherewithal to perform strongly for the team.

The pace department consists of a few young players who have already made a huge mark in international cricket. Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Mustafizur Rehman have proved to be fantastic strike bowlers for their respective teams. Their armory of variations has frequently made world-class batsmen uncomfortable.

#4 Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Sunrisers are one of the most balanced sides this season

Although David Warner will be not be playing this season due to the ball tampering controversy, the Sunrisers still seem a very strong side on paper.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have some remarkable players in all the departments which makes them a team to watch out for in this season's IPL.

Alex Hales and Shikhar Dhawan will be the ones who will be opening the innings for the Sunrisers. We are all aware of what these two players have achieved in the recent years. Their hard-hitting batting skills have always proved to be a threat for world-class bowlers, and they will look to continue the same.

Kane Williamson will be the one leading the side, and will be hoping to score big runs for the team along with his captaincy role. Manish Pandey is another batsman who has shown some promising performances for the Indian team in recent matches and will be looking to carry forward that form into the IPL.

All-rounders like Carlos Braithwate, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan are definitely an asset for the team. All of them have produced some sensational performances in the past, and the team would expect more of the same from them.

The pace department will be led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He won the Purple Cap in 2017 as well as the 2016 season. He has proved to be a threat for all batsmen in all formats, and will once again be a contender for the Purple Cap this year.

Basil Thampi and Siddarth Kaul are the other young bowlers who delivered some promising performances last season.

The spin department consists of the Afghan leg spinner Rashid Khan who has already impressed the cricket fraternity with his blistering performances. He will be looking to trouble all the opposition teams this season with his extraordinary variations.