Predicting where each team will finish on the points table in IPL 2019

IPL is just around the corner and we cannot wait for the action to begin. The annual extravaganza will begin from 23rd March when the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai.

Despite the fact that many international players won't be available for the entire season, IPL promises to be full of excitement. CSK won their third IPL title last year and got back in the thick of things in style. However, most of the teams have made a lot of changes for the gruelling season ahead by introducing new faces to the squad. Even though it is an arduous task to predict how a particular team will perform in the tournament and where it will finish when the tournament ends, according to the strength of the squad we are hereby predicting where the teams will finish on the points table in IPL 2019.

#8 Kings XI Punjab

Kings XI Punjab

Kings XI Punjab was one of the busiest franchises at the IPL 2019 auction. After starting last season in a promising fashion, Kings lost the way in the middle phase of the tournament and failed to reach the playoffs.

The ] team management tried to rectify their mistakes by ringing in a lot of changes for IPL 2019. They have invested heavily on the likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Nicolas Pooran and Sam Curran. And even though all these players are exciting talents, they are untested in the IPL. The decision to make big bids on these inexperienced players can backfire for the franchise.

They also look a little light in the fast bowling department. Andrew Tye, who was brilliant for them last season, is currently struggling to find form. Moreover, middle-order of the Kings does not look threatening at all. Kings XI Punjab will rely heavily on the likes of KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Chris Gayle if they are to challenge for Playoffs places.

#7 Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals have always been able to punch above its weight. The Royals have generally put a lot of trust in the domestic talent and have reaped rewards for it.

Last year, the Royals defeated stronger teams and reached the playoffs. The likes of Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and K Gowtham were responsible for their solid display. This year too the Royals will be dependent on their international stars Steve Smith, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes to deliver the goods. But unfortunately, all these players might not be available for major part of the tournament due to national commitments. Steve Smith is still recovering from his injury and his participation is still in doubt.

Things might get worse for Royals if Jofra Archer is selected in England's World Cup squad. The Indian contingent of the squad, Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Jaydev Unadkat, K Gowtham will need to do something special to give the Royals some hope in the tournament.

#6 Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders surprised a lot of people with their performance last season. Going in with an inexperienced side, especially in the batting department, KKR performed brilliantly as a team and exceeded all expectations to reach the playoffs.

KKR's strength has been it's strong bowling attack. Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav can demolish any batting line-up in the IPL. Their performance was crucial in KKR's good showing last season. Also, Andre Russell's big hitting in the death overs helped KKR in reaching big totals. This year though, batting of KKR looks extremely thin. While Shubman Gill and Dinesh Karthik have been in good form, Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine might struggle this year. The team does not have strong bench strength in the batting department either. Moreover, KKR's fast bowlers lack the experience of bowling on Indian pitches.

Over-reliance on certain players might cost them dearly.

#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore have been underachievers in the IPL. The team has always been packed with superstar cricketers who can win matches single-handedly, but somehow they have failed to gel as a team. Last year was no different with the team finishing 6th on the points table.

In the wake to the dismal performance, RCB have made wholesome changes to their squad. The likes of Brendon McCullum, Quinton de Kock and Sarfaraz Khan weren't retained by the franchise. Instead, they invested big bucks in youngsters like Shimron Hetmyer and Shivam Dube. RCB have some top class all-rounders in the side and they will be crucial to their chances moving forward in the tournament. They also have a formidable pace attack that can cause havoc in the opposition batting line-up. However, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers will once again be the centre of RCB's plan for the season.

#4 Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals, who were called Delhi Daredevils, started last season with a strong squad and were expected to make up for the disappointments of the last few seasons and deliver a better performance. But unfortunately, the sad story continued for the Daredevils and they finished the season in the bottom half of the points table.

However, they have made big changes this year and can be hopeful for an improved show in IPL 2019. They already had a talented bunch of Indian youngsters in Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer in the side and now local boy Shikhar Dhawan, who is back in the scheme of things for Delhi, will land much-needed experience in the explosive Delhi Capitals batting unit. They have also strengthened the spin attack by roping in Axar Patel for the season. If Delhi Capitals can hold their nerve in crucial junctures of the tournament, they can be a force to reckon in IPL 2019.

#3 Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians failed to live up to expectations in IPL 2018 failing to reach the playoffs. Mediocre form of star players like Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard was a major reason for the dismal show last season.

Despite poor results, Mumbai Indians did not release too many players ahead of the auction. This also meant they did not have too many slots to fill in at the auction. However, in Quinton de Kock, they acquired a world class performer in the trade window. The Proteas wicket-keeper has a good IPL record to his name and can be extremely dangerous at the top of the order. They also bought the experienced duo of Yuvraj Singh and Lasith Malinga.

Despite these purchases, the key players for the Mumbai-based franchise will be skipper Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and the Pandya brothers. Rohit will look to improve his performance from last year, while Bumrah will want to keep his phenomenal IPL record intact. The Pandya brothers will provide balance to the squad. With so many high profile players in the side, Mumbai will be hoping to reach at least the playoffs.

#2 Chennai Superkings

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings made a stunning comeback to the IPL by winning their third IPL title. After being mocked for buying a barrage of players above the age of 30, CSK showed why experience matters in T20 cricket.

The likes of Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and FAF du Plessis chipped in useful contributions throughout the tournament. Ambati Rayudu had a sensational season for the Super Kings. The Indian middle-order batsman played a lot of match-winning innings and was instrumental in his team's title victory. However, CSK's success had a lot to do with the resurgence of MS Dhoni. Vintage Dhoni was on show in IPL 2018 and the team will be hoping for a similar kind of performance from the champion player once again.

One area of concern that wasn't addressed by CSK at the auction is their weak bowling attack. CSK's powerful batting line-up masked its inconsistent bowling performance last season, but the other teams will be eyeing to take advantage of this weak link this year.

#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad has been the most balanced sides of the IPL in the last 3-4 years. Despite David Warner's absence, Sunrisers reached the finals in IPL 2018 and if it was not for Shane Watson's outstanding knock in the final, they could have won the championship.

They once again start the IPL as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. The Sunrisers think tank has tried to cover every base and have formed a strong bench strength. They picked up Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem and Abhishek Sharma in the trade window and bought proven T20 customers like Johnny Bairstow and Martin Guptill at the auction. Bairstow and Guptill will strengthen the already strong batting line-up of Sunrisers. In Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan, they possess two of the best T20 bowlers in the world. Also, Sunrisers looks like a team that will be least affected by the absence of international players in the latter half of the tournament.

Sunrisers do not seem to have any obvious weakness and will be a team to beat in IPL 2019.