IPL 2020: 3 teams likely to dominate the next decade

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled for its first edition of this decade and it has already gotten a lot of fans excited. The 2010s saw some exhilarating cricket with the Mumbai Indians (MI) clearly emerging as the best team, winning 4 titles in the decade. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were a close second, winning 3 titles and reaching the playoffs in every edition they played in the league. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all had their moments in an extremely tight league.

With many of CSK’s stars including captain MS Dhoni closer to retirement, they might find it hard to maintain consistency in the coming decade. The Kolkata Knight Riders' over-dependence on international stars might also see them in trouble in the long run.

But some teams have created an impressive group of players to help them mount title challenges well into the 2020s. Here’s a list of three teams who could dominate the next decade of the IPL:

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#3 Delhi Capitals

The Delhi Capitals (DC), formerly known as the Delhi Daredevils have been the perennial wooden spooners of the IPL. The team had been managed poorly by the owners and has inexplicably dropped players such as AB de Villiers, David Warner, Andre Russell, and Gautam Gambhir in the past. The 2011 IPL auction was where the franchise got it wrong and they have never really been able to recover since - having finished at the bottom of the IPL table 3 times.

However their recent strategy of picking young Indian players is likely to pay off in the coming decade. The team picked Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Prithvi Shaw and each player has gone on to play for India. Also, the experience of Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ishant Sharma lends the team balance.

The other historic problem for the Delhi side has been playing on a slow surface at the Feroz Shah Kotla. However, as they now have a solid bunch of Indian batsmen who have played a lot of cricket at the Kotla, this problem is nullified. Moreover, the addition of Ricky Ponting has given the team leadership stability. Ponting's experience has immensely helped young players like Shaw, Iyer, and Pant in the last 2 editions of the IPL.

Having a strong Indian core has been the trademark of all successful IPL teams and the Delhi Capitals probably have the strongest core of Indian players heading into the next decade. With age on their side, this Delhi side could play together for better part of the next decade. If the Capitals can be smart in buying their overseas recruits and retain their young Indian core, they are capable of winning multiple titles in the coming decade.

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#2 Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers's bowling unit has been one of the strongest in the IPL

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been extremely well-managed having always gone for smart buys over big names. They always have flown under the radar going into the previous IPL seasons. The team has put a focus on building a strong bowling attack by picking Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mohammad Nabi.

SRH's batting will revolve around captain David Warner and the swashbuckling Jonny Bairstow. The middle-order has been a worrying factor for the Hyderabad franchise and they would have high hopes of their two Indian internationals – Vijay Shankar and Manish Pandey. The team has kept an eye on the future by picking Indian U19 captain Priyam Garg and 18-year-old Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Abdul Samad. Garg is a stylish middle-order batsman who the Sunrisers would be banking on to solve their middle-order worries and Samad is a hard-hitting all-rounder who has already made a name for himself domestically through his power-hitting. These two players could be the backbone of the Sunrisers's lower middle-order in the coming decade. They also have Kane Williamson in the eleven to strengthen their middle-order.

The bowling attack looks in great shape with variety in each department. The Indian pace trio of Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, and Siddharth Kaul have been very consistent and the Sunrisers will be looking for more of the same from the pacers. The three pacers have age on their side and could be bowling together for the better part of the decade. Khan, Nabi and Shabaz Nadeem also make a lethal combination of spin bowlers.

The franchise has also brought in Trevor Bayliss as their head coach for the 2020 season. Bayliss has been one of the most successful coaches of late, having won the World Cup with England in 2019. The Australian also has experience in the IPL having won 2 titles during his 3-year tenure with the Kolkata Knight Riders. The core team comprises of Warner, Bairstow, Kumar, and Khan. All 4 are in their prime and should be able to play together for at least another 5 years. Their experience coupled with Bayliss's modern tactics could see SRH dominate the IPL in the coming years.

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#1 Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians have won the IPL 4 times

The Mumbai Indians (MI) have been well managed by the Reliance Group who have shown faith in largely the same group of players for the better part of the decade. Players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah were bought in when they were nobodys and both have gone on to become world-class cricketers. Put Rohit Sharma’s calm captaincy in the mix and you already have a recipe for a successful IPL team.

Going in the next decade, Mumbai potentially has Pandya, Bumrah, and Sharma entering their prime. The addition of players like Krunal Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav gives Mumbai one of the strongest Indian core in the IPL. The franchise has always looked at the future and has young players such as Ishan Kishan and Rahul Chahar in their ranks. Both players have been groomed over the last few seasons and the team will be hoping that they will shine in the coming decade.

Their foreign buys such as Kieron Pollard, Quinton de Kock, and Trent Boult are all on top of their game coming into 2020. Some smart international picks who would suit the conditions at the Wankhede perfectly have been bought. Boult has been in great form of late and would love the fast and bouncy wicket in Mumbai. With Bumrah for support, MI could have one of the strongest new ball duos in the IPL who could play together for atleast another 4 seasons. The signing of Chris Lynn is also a shrewd one as well.

The Indians' core team has played together with success for a long period now. Their experience of winning the IPL multiple times should give them a psychological advantage over all other franchises. With smart signings and good management, the Mumbai Indians look like the strongest IPL team on paper. If the Indians can manage their players well, keep them injury-free and pick the correct foreign players for the fast track at the Wankhade Stadium, they could win more IPL titles in the coming decade.