IPL 2019: Best possible opening pairs in each team

The Indian Premier League enters its 12th edition in 2019, and as always there will be some surprises in store for the fans this time, as it has always been over the last 11 years.

While the consistent players in the top order and the sloggers in the middle overs are important to any team especially in a long tournament like IPL, but it is the correct opening combination is the factor in changing the outcome of the game.

In a T20 league like the IPL, it is vital to find the right opening batsmen for your team as they are the ones who hold the key in laying a platform for the middle and lower order to capitalize on.

Successful teams in the past have had good opening combinations that can tarnish any opposition bowlers like David Warner, and Shikhar Dhawan, Brendon McCullum, and Dwyane Smith.

Let's look into the opening pairs which each franchise can select for this edition of the IPL.

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#8 Delhi Capitals: Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw

Shikhar returns to his home

The IPL trade window just before the Auction saw the Southpaw from Delhi being traded from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Delhi Capitals, and in the process making this return a homecoming.

This trade made sure that one of the budding talents from India, Prithvi Shaw will be opening the innings with the experienced Shikhar Dhawan. This pair not only helps the Delhi Capitals but also the Indian cricket on the whole as the youngster can watch how the professional in Dhawan goes about things.

The IPL has seen lots of destructive opening pairs in the past, and this pair promises to be one among them. With middle order consisting of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Colin Ingram, it is safe to say that Delhi is one of the main contenders for this year's IPL trophy.

#7 Kings XI Punjab: Mayank Agarwal and Lokesh Rahul

The Karnataka duo can steal the show

The only positive to come from the batting department for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL season 11 is Lokesh Rahul's form at the top of the innings. Chris Gayle played some vital knocks in the course of the tournament but failed to give the support that Rahul needed much like rest of the batsman.

Punjab will look at the latest Indian opener to help Rahul in giving steady starts. Mayank's numbers in the IPL does not do justice to the talent he possesses. The great showing in the tour down under against Australia can do a world of good for the confidence for Agarwal. This is something that Punjab can use to their advantage.

With middle order consisting of players like Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, Mandeep Singh, and Karun Nair, the Punjab batting looks like a better team on the paper compared to their team in the previous year's tournament.

#6 Royal Challengers Bangalore: Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli

Underrated pair in the team's history

Over the years, RCB have been known for their destructive opening pairs. The pairs like Brendon McCullum, and Quinton De Kock, Chris Gayle, and Virat Kohli have sent chills down the spine of the opposition bowlers. While the world's best batsman will still be opening the batting for the men in red, it is his partner that makes this opening combination look weak on the paper.

But with the middle order consisting of players such as Shimron Hetmyer and Ab De Villiers, a solid show from Parthiv in the powerplay can give Royal Challengers Bangalore the start they are looking for.

Also, RCB will be looking at Virat Kohli to repeat the antics from 2016, where notched up 4-centuries in the single-season and scored a whopping 973 runs.

RCB need their opening combination to be successful in order to win their maiden IPL title.

#5 Mumbai Indian: Evin Lewis and Quinton De Kock

Evin Lewis needs to step up

One of the major reasons for Mumbai Indians disappointing season last time around was their lack of consistency in the top order. Their best batsman was the uncapped Indian Surya Kumar Yadav and other than him only Evin Lewis had over 350 runs in the 2018 season.

To make the top order much stronger, Mumbai Indians have added Quinton De Kock who was previously part of RCB last season to their team in the IPL trade window before the 2019 IPL auctions.

This would mean that the pair of Evin Lewis and Quinton De Kock will most probably open the batting for the Mumbai based franchise. This move will make the team much stronger and the side will hope that they will give the team flying starts more often than not to make the job easier for the middle order.

#4 Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler and Manan Vohra

Once again Jos Buttler will be needed to fire things up at the top

Rajasthan Royals had an abysmal start to the IPL season 11, and they needed one of their overseas players to step up, and win games for them. Jos Buttler did what the doctor ordered for RR.

While the partners around him were constantly changing given their poor performances, Jos was the rock that single-handedly brought them to the playoffs. In the 13 matches that he played for the team in blue, Jos Buttler scored a mammoth 548 runs at a strike rate above 150.

RR went into the IPL 2019 Auction with a goal of finding a credible opener to support Buttler at the top, and have brought the uncapped Indian opener in Manan Vohra. Vohra has played around 50 matches in the IPL and has scored more than 1000 runs. With a strike rate above 130, no ground is big enough when Manan is on the flow.

#3 Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine

Lynn, Narine, and pandemonium

Easily one of the most destructive opening pairs in the history of IPL is the pair of unlikely duo of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine. This pair will once again return this IPL to give the team from the blistering starts.

Narine, initially a tail-ender, was promoted up the order by Gautham Gambhir for his pinch-hitter prowess. This decision turned out to be a masterclass. With Chris Lynn joining him at the top, this opening pair will be one of the strongest parts of the KKR line-up.

In the 48 innings that Sunil Narine has batted for Kolkata Knight Riders, he has scored nearly 700 runs at a strike rate close to 170, and Lynn has scored 875 runs in the 28 matches that he has played in the IPL with average 35.0, and strike rate of 141.

If this duo fires, and with Andre Russell, Robin Uthappa, and Dinesh Karthik to follow even 250 is within their reach.

#2 Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner and Kane Williamson

Current Captain and the former captain

The IPL season 12 will be seeing the former Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner returning to play for the men in orange. Ahead of the IPL Auctions, Shikhar Dhawan was traded to the Delhi Capitals in the trade window.

This trade allowed the Sunrisers to strengthen the middle order by additions like Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma being added to the squad. This trade also allows Kane Williamson to be promoted up the order.

In any team, the openers are key to the success, and this Kiwi and the Aussie pair can be 'the thing' that brings the gold that slipped away from them in the previous year.

In the 114 matches, that Warner has played in the IPL, he has scored more than 4000 runs at a remarkable average of 40.55, and Williamson was the highest run-scorer for the team.

#1 Chennai Super Kings- Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu

Watson and Rayudu in action

Chennai Super Kings sprung a massive surprise by making Ambati Rayudu open the innings which rejuvenated his career. Shane Watson has always been a great opener for any team he has played for in the IPL

This unlikely pairing made sure that Chennai Super Kings got good starts more often than not and they were one of the main reasons why the CSK won the title for a record 3rd time in the history of the IPL. Their success at the top made the job easier for the middle order to finish off the games.

The CSK batting looks settled as always with no major changes made to the squad from the last season and they will hope that the opening duo once again has a great IPL. If they do have, it will help them regain the title and win it for a record 4th title.