• Filmyatra Movie
• 01 Jan, 1970

IPL 2025 Predictions: Which players and teams will stand up tallest this season?

In this article, we will look at key predictions and the reasons behind them, namely Orange Cap winner, Purple Cap winner, four playoff teams and title winner.

Orange Cap winner

Virat Kohli – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

In a tournament filled with amazing batting talent on flat pitches, there are numerous contenders for the Orange Cap. However, Virat Kohli’s hunger for runs, plus his ability to bat for longer periods, makes him primed to win back-to-back Orange Caps.

Kohli was in fine touch during the recent Champions Trophy, and when he hits his groove in white-ball cricket, it is very difficult to stop him. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium should be magnificent for batting once again, and the great batsman should cash in.

Other leading contenders: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad.
 

Purple Cap winner

Varun Chakravarthy – Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

When we talk about in-form players, Varun Chakravarthy is right up high on the list. The spinner has been magnificent in recent times, producing an excellent IPL 2024 campaign and then making a huge mark on the Champions Trophy.

Given the makeup of the KKR attack this season, there is every chance that Chakravarthy bowls in the crunch powerplay and death overs. This brings about even more wicket-taking opportunities in addition to the skill he possesses.

Other leading contenders: Arshdeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel.

4 teams who will make the playoffs

Picking the four teams who will make the playoffs is always a difficult task. It seems especially tricky this season with some new-look teams and players seeking to make a mark for their new franchise. After much deliberation, here are the four teams I’ve landed on and why:

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

The Orange Army look fantastic. They possess arguably the most destructive opening combination in the league, with Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen to follow. Even Aniket Sharma, who could bat at six, showed his prowess in a practice game where he struck 46 off 16 balls.

SRH have also added more experience to their bowling attack with Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar and Adam Zampa expected to form the core. While this core can go for runs, it has plenty of wicket-taking strike in it, especially if SRH pile on the runs batting first and opponents scramble to keep up with the run rate.

With the talent and firepower available, anything less than a top four finish for SRH would be a huge disappointment.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

We rarely see CSK miss the playoffs in two consecutive years. Under Stephen Fleming’s guidance and with Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin reunited, CSK should have a strong season.

However, CSK’s strengths don’t just end there. They have a balanced squad with strong backups. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra could be vying for that opening spot. If CSK want more power later in their innings, Jamie Overton is an option over Sam Curran. If anything happens to Matheesha Pathirana, Nathan Ellis is a fantastic replacement there. And, of course, they have a strong Indian core.

CSK have most bases covered, with their lower-order power-hitting perhaps the biggest area of concern. That being said, they have a solid top order and Shivam Dube who has quickly put himself among the most dangerous batters in the middle overs.

Mumbai Indians (MI)

MI had a shocker in 2024. The noise around Hardik Pandya being captain took its toll as they finished bottom of the league.

Since then, however, Hardik showed his worth in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs. He will be tasked with leading well and delivering with bat and ball, and I feel he is in a much better headspace now to do so.

Ultimately, MI’s hopes could rest on whether Jasprit Bumrah will return. The reports are he will miss a few games to begin the season. With the likes of Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in their attack, they do have enough to get by, but they need Bumrah back to take them to the next level.

Assuming Bumrah returns by at least the halfway stage, coupled with MI’s mighty powerful and deep batting lineup, I expect them to make a return to the playoffs.

 

Delhi Capitals (DC)

There is a lot to like about DC this season. Axar Patel leads a side with balance, firepower and experience.

Faf du Plessis, even at age 40, is playing incredible cricket. KL Rahul is primed for a big campaign with no captaincy and good form under his belt. Also, Rahul’s style will complement the power of Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma beautifully. Sameer Rizvi is also a player who can have a breakout season.

One area of concern for DC is potentially the lack of quality backups in their bowling arsenal. However, the first choice bowlers make for a fine attack and their death-bowling options is where they could have an edge over other teams. Mitchell Starc will be key in the crunch overs, as will Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan who can bowl fine yorkers. Plus, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will form a strong combination in the middle overs.

DC had an astute auction, and I believe it will see them land a playoffs’ berth.

 

Why the other 6 teams will miss out

I believe Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT) are all very strong contenders for the top four.

It certainly won’t be a surprise if defending champions KKR qualify, but I wonder whether the likes of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell can be as destructive as they were in 2024. If they are even slightly off, that is enough for opponents to get a foothold. Also, their pace attack could go for plenty of runs, and they lose the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer which served them so well.

Speaking of Shreyas, he’s at PBKS with Ricky Ponting. PBKS are among the most talked about teams given the leadership and talent they have in their ranks. For me, this looks to be their best chance to finish in the top four in years. But, I think they will finish just outside the top four as their lineup may still lack the game-to-game consistency that other teams possess.