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IPL 2021 Top Picks
- The Indian Premier League 2021 will run from April 9 to May 30
- Six different venues in six cities have been selected for the tournament due to COVID-19
- Sunrisers Hyderabad's consistency makes them a good pick to reach the playoffs
- Mumbai Indians look strong once again to win the title
- Punjab Kings' chances rely on their captain KL Rahul
Will will see another consistent playoffs run from the Sunrisers? (Getty Images)
It’s that time of the year when the entire cricketing world turns to India. One of the biggest – if not the biggest – T20 franchise cricket extravaganza will play out across six cities for the next 50-odd days. The Indian Premier League 14th edition will be played out from April 9 to May 30, as millions (if not billions) of cricket lovers will be hooked to the action.
Super stars from across the globe have already graced India – Virat Kohli to AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni to Steve Smith, Jason Roy to Kagiso Rabada, Chris Gayle to Kane Williamson and many more. The eight teams will battle it out for the biggest prize and Desibets decided to look at the top three picks for the tournament.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – Top four finish
The Sunrisers have been one of the consistent sides in the IPL over the last five seasons. Sunrisers have reached the playoffs in each of the last five seasons although winning just one title. They have revelled in being the underdogs every season and making the most of their resources.
A look at their squad tells us that the Sunrisers aren’t a bad option to be backed for another season of playoffs. David Warner enjoys playing in India and has ended with the ‘Orange Cap’ three times in the last six years. Jason Roy has come in as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh, which means the deadly combination of Roy – Bairstow is back.
Coming to bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan and T Natarajan are a dream combination for any bowler. With the addition of Jason Holder and the presence of Vijay Shankar, the Sunrisers have all their bases covered. They look set for another top-four finish.
Mumbai Indians to reach the final
If Sunrisers have been consistently reaching the playoffs, Mumbai Indians have been synonymous with success. The five-time champions have won four titles in the last six seasons including two in a row. Mumbai Indians have more or less gone with the same squad making them hot favourites to lift the title once again.
Rohit Sharma’s captaincy is a revelation in the tournament and he has a plethora of T20 stars at his disposal. Ishan Kishan, the Pandya brothers, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Quinton de Kock are just some of the names that make up the MI roster.
With such a talent on board, it is difficult to imagine the Mumbai Indians do anything but lift the title.
Top Punjab Kings batsman – KL Rahul
The stylish Karnataka batsman is one of the best T20 players, although his perfect game belies the power he brings to the crease. Having joined the Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) side in 2018, Rahul took up the mantle as their best batsman.
In three consecutive seasons, he finished as their best batsman with totals of 659, 593, and 670 (latest) in each of those campaigns. This included 17 fifty-plus scores and two centuries in a total of 52 games – averaging a fifty once every three matches!
This season looks no different with Rahul picking up form in the ODIs vs England after a horror show in the T20s. Back him to end up as the top Punjab Kings batsman once again this season!
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