With the player auction for the 2020 IPL completed, each franchise has had a fair go at strengthening and restructuring their squads in anticipation of the new season. As the dust settles after all the ins and outs, we take a look at the final squads for all eight teams and rate the finished article out of 10.
#1. Mumbai Indians
Arguably the most balanced squad among all teams, Mumbai Indians had a quiet auction as most of their key players were already in place. A couple of smart acquisitions seem to have improved their squad depth even further, which means that they might even shed their tag of ‘slow starters’ and start performing well right from the first match! The addition of Chris Lynn has added massive firepower to a top-order that already contained Quentin de Kock and Rohit Sharma, both capable of playing match-winning innings on their own. MI tend to field several all-rounders in their playing XI, with Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers lending depth to the batting lineup. In Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah they already had two of the most feared bowlers in this format and adding Trent Boult to the mix makes their pace battery even more formidable. A frontline spinner is all that seems to be lacking here, even though Krunal Pandya does a decent job most of the time.
Rating: 9/10
#2. Chennai Super Kings
Famously a team that doesn’t change much, CSK has relied on experienced campaigners to carry them through the tournament for a couple of seasons now. This year was no different, as they refrained from splurging on a superstar, only moving for players that fit their philosophy. Led by the most successful captain in IPL history in MS Dhoni, CSK will once again look to Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, and Suresh Raina to do the bulk of the scoring, with Dhoni himself popping up with a few crucial knocks along the way.
The bowling unit is pretty solid as well, with the likes of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, and Dwayne Brave offering a multitude of variations while Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, and Mitchell Santner head up the spin department. The additions of Piyush Chawla, Josh Hazlewood, and Sam Curran provide Dhoni with even more quality bowling options to call upon, with a number of promising young Indian talents waiting in the wings. However, one area for concern is how the Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav will perform, which might prove to be a crucial factor in how far the team goes in the tournament.
Rating: 8/10
#3. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Other than the lack of a quality middle order, it’s hard to find a real weakness in the Sunrisers’ squad. In David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, and Kane Williamson, they have arguably the best top 3 of all teams, which was quite evident last season. At the other end, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, and the outrageously talented Rashid Khan make up a formidable bowling attack. However, with the exception of Manish Pandey (and even he hasn’t lived up to his full potential), there is little to no substance in the middle order, which might expose the team should the top 3 fails. The addition of Mitchell Marsh and Fabian Allen might go some way to patching that hole, but the restrictions placed on overseas players is a major stumbling block in their path.
Rating: 7.5/10
#4. Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals had started wheeling and dealing even before the auction took place, and also happened to be one of the most active teams in the auction itself. Having reinvented themselves ahead of IPL 2019 and performed much better than previous years, the Capitals have made some smart trades and got themselves in a position to replicate (or even beat) last year’s success.
The likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Jason Roy, and Marcus Stoinis are all capable T20 openers, while Shreyas Iyer and new boy Shimron Hetmeyer add some class to the middle order. Chris Woakes, Axar Patel, and Keemo Paul are excellent all-rounder options, while R Ashwin and Kagiso Rabada will spearhead a quality bowling attack that also includes Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma, and Harshal Patel among others. In fact, such is the quality that the Capitals now have in their ranks, that Ricky Ponting and his coaching staff will have quite the selection headache while picking a playing XI, which is a good problem to have but might come back to haunt them should the right players not be picked at the right time.
Rating: 8.5/10
#5. Kolkata Knightriders
Although KKR made the most expensive move in the auction for IPL 2020, the players that have left the team still somewhat overshadow the ones who come in. Out go Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, and Piyush Chawla, all good performers for the side in years gone by. However, in Pat Cummins, KKR now boasts a true world-beater in their ranks. Provided he stays fit, he could form a decent bowling attack with Lockie Ferguson and Kuldeep Yadav. KKR will hope Andre Russell and Sunil Narine also continue to shine with both bat and ball, while also willing Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill to continue their upward trajectory. All in all, while they do feature a few unproven players, KKR is a team that we all largely expect to perform well in the tournament and make the knockout stage.
Rating: 7.5/10
#6. Kings XI Punjab
The Kings XI Punjab squad for IPL T20 is slightly top-heavy, with some match-winners featuring up top alongside a lightweight bowling unit. Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, and Mayank Agarwal are likely to provide fireworks at the start of the innings, while the returning Glenn Maxwell and the hugely talented Nicholas Pooran will bolster the middle order.
However, it is here that the big names seem to dry out – the lower half of the team boasts no real superstar. New arrivals Sheldon Cottell and Ishan Porel will be expected to support main strike bowler Mohammad Shami, while young Mujeeb ur Rahman will look to recapture the magic he showed at the beginning of his IPL career. Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, K Gowtham, and Jimmy Neesham will be looking to add some solidity to the middle order as well as contribute with the ball, while some seemingly forgotten Indian talent like Sarfaraz Khan, Karun Nair, and Mandeep Singh will also look to impress.
Rating: 7/10
#7. Rajasthan Royals
The Rajasthan Royals squad is definitely one where the overseas players completely outshine the Indian talent in the mix, and this disparity has been made even starker after the most recent player auction. Ajinkya Rahane and K Gowtham, key performers for the team, have been replaced by Robin Uthappa and Mayank Markande, which is arguably a step down for RR. Sanju Samson will be hoping to use this IPL to finally force his way into the Indian side, while the progress of young Yashasvi Jaiswal will also be noted with great interest.
However, as mentioned earlier, the real quality comes from the overseas players, with Ben Stokes coming off the summer of his life, Steve Smith making a triumphant return to Test cricket, and Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler playing key parts in England’s World Cup win in 2019. Jaydev Unadkat and Shreyas Gopal are expected to feature regularly, as is young Riyan Parag, who made a real impression with some gutsy performances last year. The general consensus, however, is that the Royals would have done well to hold on to the players they did eventually let go.
Rating: 7/10
#8. Royal Challengers Bangalore
From one Royal to another, the team from Bangalore will once again be looking to Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers for some match-winning innings. This year, however, they have support in the form of Aaron Finch and Chris Morris, both of whom have acquitted themselves well in India as well as in the T20 format in general. Having retained the least number of players in the auction, RCB will also count on the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, and Shivam Dube to up their game from last year if they are to make it to the knockout stages.
Rating: 6.5/10
