IPL 2019: Major issues and required changes for each team before the business end of the league

IPL 2019 has entered its business end, the stage where the qualification scenario for each team changes with every game. As evident from the previous editions, the teams which peak at this stage go on to win the title.

Chennai Super Kings sit comfortably at the top of the points table and need one more win from three games to book a top-two slot. Delhi Capitals seem to be a rejuvenated unit and are primed for their first appearance in the playoffs since 2012. Mumbai Indians, at third place, also look good to qualify.

The fourth slot is what the rest of the teams are fighting for.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab are having a mixed season, with SRH being slightly ahead in terms of net run rate. They are followed by Kolkata Knight riders who, after a sizzling start, have suffered five losses in a row.

Royal Challengers Bangalore have now won three of their last four games and will need to win all their remaining games, just like Rajasthan Royals, to stand a chance of qualifying. Rajasthan Royals, after being unable to close out several nail-biting encounters, find themselves at the eighth spot.

As we enter the business end of the season, we look at some of the key issues for each team :

Rajasthan Royals

RR sit at the bottom of the table after not being able to win crucial periods of play (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

The Royals have lost a number of close games this season, both while chasing and defending. With 3 wins from 10 games, they sit at the eighth spot and their qualification scenario is the same as that of RCB: win all games and hope other results go their way.

The change in captaincy did bring a win, but the next game saw yet another close game slip away.

Apart from the last game against Delhi, the top order has failed to convert good starts into big ones, especially Ajinkya Rahane. The former skipper has found it difficult to maintain the scoring rate once the powerplays are over and has not been able to carry on the momentum.

The batting order needs to be used wisely. Ben Stokes will probably play his last game against KKR before going for national duty, which means the lower middle order will lack experience. Ashton Turner has been a disappointment with three golden ducks in three games, which leaves Laim Livingstone the only option to bank on.

Also, they can make use of Stuart Binny’s experience in the middle order. If needed, the likes of Mahipal Lomror and Prashant Chopra can be used too, but they should refrain from using the likes of Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi, who are predominantly top order batsmen, in the middle order.

In the bowling department, RR should think of starting with Jofra Archer and attack the opposition right from the beginning instead of playing the waiting game. After all, facing Archer on your 15th ball is easier as compared to the first ball.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB are on a three-match winning streak and have climbed to seventh (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

The Virat Kohli-led side started the season on a forgettable note, losing all their first six games. The fortunes have turned a bit since then, with 4 wins coming from the next 5 games. But the heavy losses suffered in the early stages have dented their net run rate and hence they sit at the bottom of the points table.

RCB now need to win all their remaining games and will also depend on the results from other games.

The major thorn in the flesh for them has been their death bowling for quite a long time now, and this season is no different. Even in the wins against KKR and CSK, the death bowling gave RCB some scary moments from situations where they should have won easily.

What RCB need right now is to zero in on their death bowlers. Saini has been difficult to put away at the death, having the highest dot ball percentage at the death this year. Steyn, in his limited appearances, seems to be in full flow no matter which stage he is bowling at.

Kohli needs to have these two for the final three or four overs and finish the overs of Umesh Yadav right at the beginning. Stoinis is someone they can try at the death, but bowlers like Umesh and Siraj should not be handed death bowling responsibilities.

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Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR find themselves in a spot of bother after 5 consecutive losses (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

After a scintillating start, KKR have now slipped from the top of the table to as low as sixth in a matter of two weeks. Three out of their four wins were the result of some insane hitting from Andre Russell, which won them the games from difficult situations.

But the inconsistency of the batting order has made them over-dependent on Andre Russell and the opposition teams have used this to their advantage. Robin Uthappa was replaced by Rinku Singh in the last game, and they should continue with that batting lineup. Also, Chris Lynn has to take a bit more risk as his low strike rate has cost the side a couple of games.

The most urgent need, however, is to move Russell up the order. Being in such good form and coming in to bat with only 25-30 balls left has done the team no good. It is high time KKR understand the need to give Russell more time in the middle so that he has more control on the game.

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Kings XI Punjab

KXIP are having a mixed season with Ashwin leading from the front (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

The Punjab-based franchise have had a mixed season, snatching a few games from the jaws of defeat. The bowlers have been in terrific form and so have the openers. Mayank Agarwal and Sarfaraz Khan have also fared well, while David Miller has done well in patches.

A close look at their campaign so far gives a clear indication for the need of proper finishers with the bat. While they have won games from difficult situations with the ball, they have done exactly the opposite with the bat. The openers as well as Agarwal have done well, but the others have not been able to close out games.

David Miller and Mandeep Singh have not been up to the expectations, and what KXIP need is for one of the top three to stay till the end. One of them, preferably KL Rahul, should look to play the anchor role and up the ante at the end.

The onslaught from Nicholas Pooran against RCB should give them some hope. Also, Ashwin can promote someone like Sam Curran or even himself into the middle order to provide some pinch hitting.

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Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH have been over-dependent on their openers and are fourth on the table (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

The finalists of the 2018 edition, Sunrisers Hyderabad sit at the fourth place with 5 wins from 10 games. Though their points are not that bad, their performance has simply not been up to the mark as a team.

Most of the wins have come on the back of some brilliant batting by David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, who have been the best opening pair this season with four century partnerships.

The middle order has been terrible so far, and with Bairstow having already played his last game of the season, SRH will now be heavily dependent on Warner. However, the last match against CSK saw the experienced Manish Pandey get back to form, suggesting that Pandey is best suited to play at three and not down the order.

Williamson should open along with Warner and with an in-form Pandey at three, followed by Vijay Shankar, the top four will be settled. They also need to use Rashid Khan as a surprise element with the bat.

Rashid has proved that he can be a good pinch-hitter, and with Yusuf and Hooda not clicking, SRH should look to get the best out of him.

Mumbai Indians

MI are well set for the playoffs with 6 wins from 10 games (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

Mumbai Indians, with almost no apparent weakness, seem primed for their fourth title and maintain the trend of winning the trophy every alternate year. Kieron Pollard’s return to form, Hardik’s sizzling finishes and the superb death bowling by Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga have helped them reach the third place in the points table.

De Kock has been brilliant at the top, but Rohit needs to be a bit more consistent. Suryakumar has played his role to perfection, but neither Yuvraj nor Kishan have been up to the mark - and that makes the promotion of Hardik or Pollard up the order all the more necessary.

Hardik, with this kind of form, needs to face more deliveries, just like Russell for KKR.

The bowling has been quite good, with Rahul Chahar being amongst the wickets on a regular basis. But the over-utilisation of Hardik as a bowler has not been beneficial for the team and going forward in the tournament, MI need to keep that in mind.

Delhi Capitals

DC have found rhythm at the right time and have learnt from their mistakes (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

A change in name seems to have changed the fortunes for the Delhi-based franchise. Starting the tournament on a high, Delhi Capitals did suffer a few losses in the middle, some of them because of their inability to close out games. But they have finally found their rhythm and have learnt from their mistakes, looking all set to finish in the top four for the first time since 2012.

The batting order seems solid with all of the top five batsmen getting adequate runs under their belt. But one thing they lack is a reliable finisher. Morris has not been in great form with the bat of late and Colin Ingram is not a genuine finisher.

The inclusion of Sherfane Rutherford in all the remaining matches should be the way forward. Rutherford’s inclusion will also let Pant play more freely by providing him the cushion of having someone who can carry on if he gets out.

With the business end of the season approaching, there will be a lot of crunch games, which Delhi would not like to let go.

Chennai Super Kings

CSK need one more win from three games to finish in the top 2 (Picture courtesy: BBCI/iplt20.com)

The defending champions are sitting at the top of the table with one leg in the playoffs. Just one more win would ensure a top-two finish.

Before the start of the season, death bowling was considered to be their biggest weakness. But after 11 games, CSK have the best economy at the death among all teams. For the umpteenth time, CSK have converted their weakness into a strength.

But the formidable batting line-up, considered one of the best in the tournament, has failed so far. Barring MS Dhoni, no other batsman has really stood up. The last game against SRH saw Shane Watson and Suresh Raina gain some much-needed form, but that was a rarity.

Moreover, the form of Rayudu remains a major concern; his miserable strike rate (below 90) in particular is really harmful. That seems to be the only weakness in the line-up at the moment.

Knowing CSK, it is unlikely that they will drop Rayudu. But if he fails for a couple more games, they should move on and try someone like Dhruv Shorey in the middle.

The other option might be bringing in Sam Billings by some means into the middle order to make sure the runs do not dry up in the middle overs. But CSK are a team who like to go in with a set template, and it is unlikely for them to change that at this stage.