IPL 2019: Ranking the batting lineups of the 8 IPL teams

Now that the auction is over for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League, we can eventually vet the finalized squads of each team. Obviously, in the trading window that now remains open, franchises will look to fine-tune their squads in the run-up to the season. But we do have a decent idea how each side will look when the competition begins next year.

Batting is one of the departments that will naturally be a critical factor in each team's success. Over the years, IPL has established itself as a mega-money competition, partly owing to hard-hitting batsmen that have attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators thanks to their fancy style of play.

On that note, let us take a look at the batting lineups of each IPL side to determine which team comes up trumps in our rankings.

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#8 Rajasthan Royals

Steve Smith

After much experimentation, Jos Buttler was found to be a decent opener for Rajasthan Royals. As such, the Rahane-Buttler opening combo will persist. RR have also been blessed with the returning superstar Steve Smith, who will bring in much-needed stability.

Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes and Rahul Tripathi will constitute the middle order. However, with players leaving for international duties, Rajasthan Royals will find themselves in a spot of bother. As it stands, they don't have the required backups at their disposal when the need arises.

Liam Livingstone and Ashton Turner are two all-rounders who have been landed by RR. Livingstone could be used a replacement for Ben Stokes, but still, a massive void would be created by the trio's departure.

There's no denying that Rajasthan Royals have a daunting batting lineup, but it would be quite weak once their star players leave.

#7 Kings XI Punjab

David Miller

Kings XI Punjab were one of the most active franchises during the auctions. Their two of the biggest recruits were Varun Chakaravarthy and Prabhsimran Singh secured for Rs. 8.4 crores and 4.8 crores respectively.

At the top, they have a dynamic opening pair easily capable of racking up runs. Both KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are well-nigh impossible to contain when on song. Going down the order, Mayank Agarwal, David Miller and Karun Nair will be responsible for the middle order slots, with either Mandeep Singh or Sarfaraz Khan taking on the mantle of No.6.

Last season, it was KL Rahul and Gayle whose contributions allowed Kings XI Punjab to get on well in the initial stages of the tournament. The middle order was far from being up to scratch. Nonetheless, barring any mishap, Kings XI Punjab should be able to perform much better this season

#6 Kolkata Knight Riders

Robin Uthappa

With the usual Lynn-Narine opening pair wreaking havoc from the word go, things will be relatively easy for the batsmen that follow. However, KKR may undergo hiccups when Chris Lynn leaves for international duty. Consequently, Joe Denly has been roped in by the franchise who will step into Lynn's shoes and partner Narine.

Robin Uthappa, KKR's stalwart, will fill the No.3 slot. In Lynn's absence, he might even be promoted to open alongside Narine. Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik and Shubman Gill are likely to follow.

Andre Russel will furnish the finishing touches for his side. Rinku Singh and Nikhil Naik will not be called into action much, but can provide reassurance in case of a hitch. Carlos Brathwaite is also a hard-hitting all-rounder who can bat well if fielded.

On balance, Knight Riders' batsmen will be a force to be reckoned with.

#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Virat Kohli

The releases of Quinton de Kock and Brendon McCullum have seriously put RCB's top order in jeopardy. After their departures, the only specialist opener they have been left with is Parthiv Patel. While Virat Kohli has also put his opening skills to test in the past and can seemingly function well, the absence of a specialist opener could prove detrimental to Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Aside from Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers is another sure-footed player present in the RCB squad. As things stand, considerable experimentation will have to be undertaken before Gary Kirsten and Virat Kohli can come up with the right combination.

Moeen Ali, Shimron Hetmyer and Heinrich Klaasen can also be employed in the lower middle order. Moeen Ali will most probably be a regular in the team as he can also come in handy with the ball as evidenced by the recent series against Sri Lanka.

#4 Sunrisers Hyderabad

Kane Williamson

Although Sunrisers Hyderabad have some of the best batting options at their disposal, the overseas players' restriction will certainly pose a serious problem for the management. The return of David Warner will be a massive relief for the side, but who will open from the other hand remains to be seen.

Bairstow and Martin Guptill are two of the most probable options, but that would possibly mean excluding Shakib Al Hasan, one of the leading all-rounders in the world. In the middle order, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan are the likely starters.

Wriddhiman Saha will also be vying for a place in the starting XI, and he is a player who can also fill the void created by the departure of Shikhar Dhawan. All the same, the reason why Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to rope in two overseas batsmen during the auctions remains a mystery.

#3 Delhi Capitals

Shreyas Iyer

The acquisition of Shikhar Dhawan from Sunrisers Hyderabad will be a huge boost for Delhi Capitals. The Indian opener has been in excellent form recently and will be of immense importance in the top order.

Partnering the southpaw will be Prithvi Shaw, who has turned the heads of many with his exploits of late. Colin Munro will also be competing for a first-team place, but will warm the bench unless either of the two has to be sidelined.

Following such a promising opening combo is a star-studded middle order graced by Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer, Colin Ingram and Rishabh Pant. Manjot Kalra and Ankush Bains are some of the backups at hand and could bring stability to the batting lineup when needed.

After a stellar last season, Rishabh Pant's performances are something many pundits will be looking forward to and these could potentially be the game changer for the Delhi based franchise.

#2 Chennai Super Kings

Shane Watson

Having retained 23 of their players, CSK had a very little role to play in the auctions. Mohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad were the only two players they bought for Rs 5 crore and 20 lakh respectively.

Last season, it was the Watson-Rayudu duo at the top that proved to be quite successful for the Dhoni-led side, and they will continue with the same combination ten to one. Other first-rate batters include Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Faf du Plessis. Apart from them, they also possess Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo and Kedar Jadhav, who can play the finishing touches.

Besides, Murali Vijay is another option available even though he has been out of form of late. In the event of an injury, he can also be called into action along with backups like Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who will stay on the sidelines for the better part of the season.

#1 Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians had a pretty formidable batting lineup even with the players retained by the franchise. However, the new recruits, Yuvraj Singh and Quinton de Kock, are largely the reasons why they have managed to top this list.

After a disappointing end to 2018 season, the team will be aching to fight back and fare well in the upcoming edition. As far as their openers are concerned, a Rohit-Quinton pair will be the most likely option for the side. However, Evin Lewis and Ishan Kishan, both of whom opened for MI last season, are also in contention for the opening stand.

Down the order, the team will boast the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and even Kieron Pollard, who can step up to the plate when needed. With such top-quality stars in the side, MI's batting lineup will evidently be a tough nut to crack.