IPL 2018: Rating the top 4 teams in IPL 2018
The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League was one of the most interesting editions in the tournament history. Seven of the eight teams were in the race for the playoff spots till the last round of league stage. Even the team which ranked at bottom of the table, Delhi Daredevils, claimed 10 points, two fewer than fifth, sixth and seventh-placed teams.
We saw few stunning games in the tournament. While some of the teams were simply spectacular this season, others did not meet the expectations. Eventually, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals found a spot in the playoffs.
Without wasting any more time, let’s rate the top four teams which qualified for the playoff this season.
Rajasthan Royals: 7/10
Rajasthan Royals were one of the most inconsistent sides this season. Sanju Samson was the key player for Rajasthan Royals during the first half of league stage. Samson was brilliant at no.3 and played match-winning knocks. As the tournament progressed, he lost his form and failed to contribute to the team.
One big area of concern for Royals was the poor form of Benjamin Stokes. The Englishman was the star all-rounder in the tenth edition of IPL but had a forgetful season with the Royals this year. In 13 games, he scored 196 runs at an average of 17.33 and took only eight wickets. It was also the worst IPL for the Rajasthan Royals Skipper Ajinkya Rahane, where he managed to score only 370 runs in 15 matches.
Remarks:
Rajasthan Royals needed to show some consistency in the second-half of the league stage to finish in the top four. With the brilliance of Jos Butler and luck on their side, Rajasthan Royals were the last team to qualify for playoffs. Even though Rajasthan qualified for the playoffs, they have a lot to learn before the next season.
Star Player: Jos Buttler who scored 548 runs in 13 matches at a whopping average of 54.80.