IPL 2020: Ranking 8 teams based on their finishers
The auctions for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League came to an end in December and now that we know the full squads, it's time to rate the strengths and weaknesses of all the 8 teams.
Quite frankly, there's no squad that is perfect heading into the season but some are surely better than others on paper. The finalists of last year Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings didn't have much to add to their respective squads in the auctions but they did buy some quality back-up players, which only made them stronger.
Furthermore, Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders did some big business in the auctions. Both teams signed some big names, filled some holes, and in the process, improved their respective squads considerably from last year.
As for Delhi Capitals, if anything, they look stronger than last year heading into IPL 2020, thanks to some really good buys. Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad didn't really manage to address their respective weaknesses in the auction, which means there is some imbalance in their squads heading into next season.
Here, we are going to rank teams based on the finishers they have in their squads. Finishers play a crucial role in any limited-overs format. Their ability to remain calm under pressure and take their respective teams home from any situation makes them indispensable. Also, these are players that can change the complexion of a game in the matter of some overs. These finishers go for big bucks in every IPL auction, as we saw with Chris Morris (₹10 cr) and Glenn Maxwell (₹10.75 cr), who were bought by RCB and KXIP respectively in the IPL 2020 auctions.
Without further ado, let's take a look at who has the best pool of finishers in their squad.
Note: The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those of Sportskeeda.
#8 Sunrisers Hyderabad
Finishers: Mohammad Nabi, Mitchell Marsh, Vijay Shankar, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg and Wriddhiman Saha
Sunrisers Hyderabad, over the past couple of years, have had a thin lower middle-order and it is something they failed to address in the IPL 2020 auctions once again. Due to the lack of quality finishers, they seem to lack that firepower in their batting department, which means they could quite possibly struggle to score quickly in the death overs of their batting innings if the top order fails to contribute.
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If anything, they have become weaker in that department from last year as the likes of Yusuf Pathan and Deepak Hooda have now departed. Players such as Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Mitchel Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, and even Wriddhiman Saha will now have to take the responsibility of batting in the death overs.
On paper, it seems David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kaine Williamson, and Manish Pandey will again have the responsibility of scoring big.
#7 Rajasthan Royals
Finishers: Ben Stokes, David Miller, and Riyan Parag
In the auctions, Rajasthan went hammer and tongs for Shimron Hetmyer but ended up with David Miller, who will most probably be used as a finisher in the upcoming IPL season. The South African hasn't been great in the IPL over the past couple of years but his addition has definitely strengthened the already weak Royals middle-order.
Last season, all the responsibility of scoring in the death overs landed on either Krishnappa Gowtham or Ben Stokes but now, it seems only Stokes is the known death over specialist, along with Miller as Gowtham has left the franchise.
While SRH have no recognized hard hitters, Rajasthan seem to have only two and they will now have to depend on Riyan Parag, which is not ideal given his age. All in all, if Miller and Stokes fire for RR, they will look a much better team.