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IPL 2019: 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions

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5 big IPL 2019 Predictions. Who will win IPL 2019?

That time of the year is here. The world’s premier T20 League is about to kick off, with eight teams all vying for the ultimate prize. Chennai Super Kings will be out to defend their title, one year after coming back into the competition after a two-year exodus.

So, what does IPL 2019 hold in store? Making predictions for any format is a challenge (look no further than Sri Lanka’s incredible Test win in South Africa), but it is arguably even tougher in a T20 competition where anything is possible.

In this article, I will make five key predictions for IPL 2019. It has required a long think, but I have come up with the below predictions. Will CSK go back-to-back? Or will there be a brand new champion? RCB, anyone?

  • Leading run scorer: Orange Cap
  • Leading wicket taker: Purple Cap
  • Bottom-placed team
  • Top four
  • Winner

Also read: Light-hearted review (player ratings) of India vs Australia ODI Series.

IPL 2019 Predictions: #1 – Orange Cap winner

Rishabh Pant

Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) had a disappointing IPL 2018 campaign.

However, one shining light was Rishabh Pant. He had an outstanding tournament, finishing second in the run-scoring chart behind Kane Williamson. Pant is an excitement machine, and even though he hasn’t quite fired yet for India in coloured clothing, he remains a very dangerous prospect in T20 Cricket.

Other key contenders for leading run scorer are Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson and AB de Villiers. However, Rishabh Pant is my pick for the Orange Cap.

What ended up happening?

Rishabh Pant finished seventh in the run scorers list, scoring 488 runs at 37.53. There were some miraculous innings along the way for Pant, and he will continue to remain a crucial player for DC in the future. David Warner was absolutely outstanding in his return to the competition, easily winning the Orange Cap with 612 runs.

Cricket Blog 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions. Who will win IPL 2019? Who will win Purple Cap? Who will win Orange Cap? Who will make the IPL 2019 Playoffs? CricBlog
Image credit: PTI. 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions – Rishabh Pant had a stunning IPL 2018 campaign.

IPL 2019 Predictions: #2 – Purple Cap winnerJ

Jasprit Bumrah

A really tough one to pick. Will it be a spinner or seam bowler?

Spinners that immediately come to mind are Rashid Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane and Sunil Narine. However, Rashid Khan is nursing a finger issue that he was struggling with in Afghanistan’s Test win over Ireland. This could affect him, especially early in the tournament. Kuldeep Yadav, as series goes on, seems to take less wickets. Sunil Narine delivers economical overs for KKR, and will be key again.

However, with Andrew Tye topping the charts in IPL 2018, I can see a seam bowler doing it again. Jasprit Bumrah has proven himself as arguably the best white-ball bowler in the world. His ability to take wickets at all stages of the innings renders him my choice as the Purple Cap winner. Indeed, since he returned to the India side recently, he hasn’t taken big wickets. However, with MI a great chance of going deep into the tournament, Jasprit Bumrah could get plenty of matches. He is an excellent bowler.

What ended up happening?

Jasprit Bumrah finished sixth in the top wicket takers list. Imran Tahir won the Purple Cap with 26 wickets. Bumrah finished with 19, but was a crucial player in MI’s title winning campaign. He surely has to make the team of the year!

Cricket Blog 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions. Who will win IPL 2019? Who will win Purple Cap? Who will win Orange Cap? Who will make the IPL 2019 Playoffs? CricBlog
Image credit: AFP. 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions: Jasprit Bumrah will win the Purple Cap.

IPL 2019 Predictions: #3 – Bottom-placed team

Kings XI Punjab

This is a very difficult prediction, given all teams possess quality. Last year’s bottom-placed team, Delhi Capitals, can be counted upon to improve significantly. The return of Shikhar Dhawan, despite his lack of form recently, will prove to be a strong coup for Delhi. Trent Boult was one of the top wicket-takers in IPL 2018, and Rishabh Pant was outstanding. Add the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada, and DC have a squad bound for improvement.

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However, one team that inspires arguably the least confidence is Kings XI Punjab. They had a magnificent start to IPL 2018, winning six of their first seven matches. Andrew Tye finished the tournament as top wicket taker, and was on fire. His team was well on track for a finals appearance, with even talk of a maiden Title.

However, they won just one of their next seven games to finish second last. Their reliance on KL Rahul and Chris Gayle is clearly evident, and even though they have the talented Sam Curran, David Miller and Mujeeb ur Rahman in their ranks, KXIP seem to be short on established quality to match it with most sides in the tournament.

What ended up happening?

KXIP started well but fell away badly just as they did in IPL 2018. In fact, they began the final day of the league stage in last place, before beating CSK to hand the wooden spoon to RCB.

Cricket Blog 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions. Who will win IPL 2019? Who will win Purple Cap? Who will win Orange Cap? Who will make the IPL 2019 Playoffs? CricBlog
Image credit: BCCI. 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions – KL Rahul was brilliant in IPL 2018, but KXIP seem to rely on him too much.




IPL 2019 Predictions: #4 – The Final Four

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In no particular order, I believe the four teams to make the IPL 2019 Playoffs will be:

1. Chennai Super Kings: CSK were said to have an aging squad last year. However, they shone through with flying colours. Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, and with the experience at their ranks, CSK will prove to be a very tough beat again. They have never missed the playoffs, and I can’t see why they would now.

Cricket Blog 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions. Who will win IPL 2019? Who will win Purple Cap? Who will win Orange Cap? Who will make the IPL 2019 Playoffs? CricBlog
Image credit: Rohen Sen. 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions – CSK are the reigning champions.

2. Mumbai Indians: One of the shocks of IPL 2018 was MI missing out on the playoffs. However, this is part of their journey in IPL Cricket. They often have poor starts to tournaments, and then come really good, as well as either winning the entire tournament or missing out on the playoffs completely. MI possess a strong squad, and they will make the playoffs in IPL 2019.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders: Eden Gardens is a tough proposition for any opposing team. KKR have managed to retain most of their squad from IPL 2018, with the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav key players. This season, they have added the exciting Lockie Ferguson, along with Harry Gurney and Carlos Brathwaite, both of whom have strong know-how of this format.

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: One of the teams to beat in IPL 2019. SRH have lost Shikhar Dhawan, but have brought in Martin Guptill and Jonny Bairstow. However, their main strength is their bowling, where they have retained the core of what got them all the way to the Final last season.

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The key omissions are Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals. We all know about RCB‘s batting talent, which now includes Shimron Hetmyer. However, their bowling still looks short, which could hurt them again. RR were difficult to leave out, given the return of Steve Smith. With Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes also at the helm, RR have real quality in their line up. However, an issue similar to RCB is their bowling depth, with a number of bowlers in their squad prone to high economy rates. Also, Smith is just coming back from injury, and the England players could be leaving midway through the tournament. In regards to DC, they will improve, but not quite enough to reach the playoffs.

What ended up happening?

Three out of four. Backed DC to improve, but not quite so much! DC fans can certainly be excited for what is to come to the next few years. For KKR, it was a mighty disappointing campaign, with even the brilliance of Andre Russell not enough to get them into the playoffs. I guess every team is due a campaign (except CSK, it seems!)

Cricket Blog 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions. Who will win IPL 2019? Who will win Purple Cap? Who will win Orange Cap? Who will make the IPL 2019 Playoffs? CricBlog
Image credit: PTI. 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions – Will RCB prove me wrong?

IPL 2019 Predictions: #5 – Winner

Mumbai Indians

Massive decision between SRH, CSK and MI. But, MI are my winners.

MI’s last four seasons have read: Winners (2015), Fifth Place (2016), Winners (2017), Fifth Place (2018). It is an incredible pattern of results, which incidentally isn’t the reason I am picking MI as champions for the 2019 edition.

They often start tournaments slowly, as they did last season, but the experience, talent and know-how in this squad is magnificent. Rohit Sharma, Evin Lewis, Hardik and Krunal Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah remain the core players. Quinton de Kock, who is in magnificent form for South Africa, is a big coup. Along with the likes of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan and Mayank Markande, I get the feeling it will be MI’s year.

One concern is possibly how Yuvraj Singh and Lasith Malinga cope. However, the depth in the squad is superb, which has been the case year-on-year. Their squad enables great balance, whereas many other teams are much stronger in one area compared to the other. Their prowess in big games is reason as to why they have won the title three times (joint-most with CSK), and when I think of who will win IPL 2019, MI jumps to mind.

What ended up happening?

Mumbai Indians won the Title! They started well for a change and they remained entrenched in the top half of the table for nearly the whole season. Rohit Sharma’s men finished top of the league and then went on to win one of the most thrilling Finals you’ll see. One concern I had was how Lasith Malinga would cope throughout the season, but he held his own brilliantly. This was even after he conceded 20 in an over in the Final, and then bounced back to deliver an amazing final over. MI beat a fine CSK side four times in one season – an amazing effort!

Image credit: PTI. 5 big IPL 2019 Predictions – Mumbai Indians have won the IPL three times.

So, what do you think of these predictions? How many will come true?

Leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading!

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5 big IPL 2019 Predictions. Who will win IPL 2019?

Charbel Coorey
Charbel Coorey
Charbel is the owner & founder of cricblog.net, based in Sydney, Australia. He started the website to fulfill his love for the game of cricket. Charbel has also been featured on other publications including OP India, Times of India, and The Roar, among others. For any story tips or questions, you can contact Charbel at charbelcoorey@cricblog.net.

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