IPL Prediction 2021: Rating each team's chances of winning the tournament

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins on April 9, and much like the previous season, it is expected to be a tightly-contested affair.

In IPL 2020, only two points separated the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who finished 3rd, and the Rajasthan Royals, who finished 8th. This year, after an intense auction, it can be argued that the teams are even more evenly matched.

But like any tournament, some teams start as the favourites. Here, we rate (out of 10) each team's chances of winning IPL 2021.

#8 Rajasthan Royals - 3/10

RR have a dynamic new captain in Sanju Samson and the decision to appoint him could go either way. It could either completely inhibit his strokeplay or bring out a consistent side of him we haven't seen before, and only time will tell.

This risk, coupled with the fact that Jofra Archer will miss a significant portion of the campaign, significantly dents RR's chances of winning IPL 2021. They have a number of all-rounders on the roster, but very few are capable of contributing in every game in both departments.

RR may exceed expectations and contend for a playoff berth, but it's next to impossible to imagine them going all the way in IPL 2021.

#7 Punjab Kings - 5/10

PBKS had the biggest purse of all franchises in the IPL 2021, and they made some big-money moves by signing Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith among others. While this will give Mohammed Shami some much-needed support, KL Rahul's side is woefully short of all-rounders once again.

Richardson, Henriques and Hooda are all handy in both departments, but they completely pale in comparison to the world-class all-rounders at other teams' disposal. All-rounders are the most important component of any T20 team, and this might take some of the sheen off the incredible top order PBKS have.

PBKS have a number of match-winners who could catapult them into playoff contention, but they'd have to play out of their skins to go far in the tournament.

#6 Royal Challengers Bangalore - 5/10

RCB made the knockout stages for the first time in 4 years in the last campaign, but they'll face many of the same issues this time around. With Virat Kohli opening the batting, the three-time finalists might be too top-heavy. And the death bowling, which has been a major concern for a number of years, doesn't seem like it'll improve in IPL 2021.

The form of expensive signing Kyle Jamieson is a major concern, while the Indian middle-order batsmen are far from reliable options. The withdrawal of Josh Philippe has hit RCB hard, as has Devdutt Padikkal testing positive for COVID-19.

Even if Padikkal recovers in time for the IPL 2021 season opener, RCB face the most difficult oppositions in their first few games, and at tough venues as well. Kohli has a major task on his hands if he's to lead his team to a much sought-after IPL title.

#5 Kolkata Knight Riders - 6/10

KKR have suffered from a few middling IPL seasons in a row now. Although they have an excellent side on paper, injuries to key players and constant shuffling of both spots in the playing XI and the batting order have proved to be their downfall.

KKR have an astute captain in Eoin Morgan, who in turn has an experienced leadership group in Dinesh Karthik and Pat Cummins to call upon. But there is still great uncertainty over a number of things in the XI - the opening combination, the all-rounder spots, and the Indian pacer slots to name a few.

KKR may, in all probability, make the playoffs. But something extraordinary would have to happen for them to break their IPL title drought.

#4 Chennai Super Kings - 6/10

If all the players on the CSK roster were in their prime, or even close to it, they'd probably be the best T20 team ever assembled. But with a number of players on the wrong side of 35 with very little match practice under their belt, MS Dhoni's side aren't among the heavily favoured sides in IPL 2021.

CSK have an extremely strong bench though, and it's simply impossible to write off a team that has Dhoni at the helm. The return of Suresh Raina will be a major boost for the 3-time IPL champions, who have most bases covered on paper at least.

CSK are an unknown entity entering IPL 2021, but they could pull off an upset and make a deep run into the playoffs.

#3 Delhi Capitals - 7/10

Despite the injury to captain Shreyas Iyer, DC are among the favourites to finish in the top two of the IPL 2021 points table. Like Samson, Pant's appointment as captain could go either way.

But despite a new face at the helm of operations for the side, DC have an ironclad core comprising of a number of experienced, proven Indian stars, apart from a world-class bowling attack.

The only issue DC need to fix is the batting positions of key players. If they manage to arrive at a reasonably consistent lineup, they could make the IPL final comfortably once again.

#2 Sunrisers Hyderabad - 8/10

SRH made it to Qualifier 2 in last year's IPL, and they could easily repeat the feat this season. A number of key players, including Jonny Bairstow and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, are in pristine form.

There is immense competition for places in the XI, especially in the pace, overseas and middle-order departments. If SRH are able to strike a meaningful combination early in the tournament, there'll be no stopping them.

SRH have an extremely well-rounded side that should be right at home in the venues they've been assigned. They are one of the overwhelming favourites, at least on paper, ahead of IPL 2021.

#1 Mumbai Indians - 9/10

Nothing needs to be said about MI's situation ahead of IPL 2021. Every single player in the team's playing XI is capable of playing international cricket for any country.

MI start as the resounding favourites once again, but they have to be wary of complacency creeping in. No team has ever won three IPL titles in a row. And with a mega auction scheduled ahead of the next edition of the league, this might be Rohit Sharma's best chance at achieving the feat.

MI will truly be THE team to beat in IPL 2021.

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