IPL 2018: 4 teams most likely to make the playoffs

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With a fresh look added to one of the biggest tournaments in cricket today, the Indian Premier League will bring a whole new level of excitement with it come April. The recent revamp of all the IPL teams has truly made it difficult to predict which teams will make this year's playoffs, let alone win the coveted title.

At the end of the league stages, the top 4 teams will move on to the playoffs. This usually requires teams to perform on a consistent basis throughout the initial phases of the tournament. Previous editions of the tournaments have seen teams requiring a minimum of 7/8 wins in order to reach the dying stages.

In order to reach the promise-land known as the playoffs, there are 3 requirements that must be fulfilled. The first is squad depth, the second; a good mix of cricketers and the third; leadership.

Without further ado, here are the teams that could make the IPL 2018 playoffs.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Sunrisers are no stranger to the playoffs having finished 3rd in the group stage last season and, of course, going on to win the title in the 2016 edition of the tournament. Their performance at this year's auction was regarded as one of the best.

The team from Hyderabad managed to retain their core group of players, with David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan set to dawn the orange kit once more. In addition to that, they have also managed to procure a balanced team with immense squad depth, adding the likes of Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hassan, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha and Sandeep Sharma to the fray.

With a team led by the experienced veteran Warner, a squad not changed drastically, as well as additional firepower in their arsenal, the Sunrisers are indeed a force to be reckoned with this IPL season.

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