IPL 2019: Ratings the eight teams on the basis of their starting XI
If you have followed IPL closely, you must have noticed that champion teams like Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad have rotated their playing eleven the least number of times except in case of injury or have dropped some players for terrible performance.
Mumbai Indians usually prefer having a huge squad but from last five seasons, they too have followed the policy of not substituting the players much until required necessarily. This might have given you an idea that the teams need to have a strong first choice eleven or the core in order to secure their place in the playoffs.
On the other side teams like Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab usually overhaul their squad if the results don't go in their favour and hence end up in the bottom half of the table. Let us rate the possible playing XIs of each IPL teams going into the season.
#8 Rajasthan Royals
Starting XI: Jos Buttler (WK), Ajinkya Rahane (C), Steven Smith, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Aaron.
The Royals do have a very good starting XI to compete but comparatively, they are far behind others. They are too dependent on few players like Jos Buttler, Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer and if they fail to deliver the entire team falls down.
Their bowling department doesn't seem that powerful, hence they have been placed eight in this list. Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer could grab the attention of the fans with their match-winning abilities.
#7 Kings XI Punjab
Starting XI: Lokesh Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Nicholas Pooran(WK), Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin (C), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Andrew Tye and Ankit Rajpoot
Punjab look promising on papers with a lot of young players in their ranks but the inexperience of players in their first-choice eleven might cost them a berth in the playoffs. It doesn't mean that they cannot win a game or the trophy but experience comes handy in case of pressure situations and T20s are filled with it excessively.
They have a good blend of Indian batting options along with some foreign firepower and superb bowlers. Lokesh Rahul and Andrew Tye will once again be the players to watch out for in the Punjab camp. They bought in a mystery spinner in form of Varun Chakravarty for huge bucks.