Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2021 Predictions: 5 big predictions for the tournament | Looking at which players and teams will perform best in IPL 2021

As IPL 2020 was held in strange circumstances in September-November in the UAE, one constant remained. The magnificent Mumbai Indians were at it again, arguably playing better cricket in 2020 than they did in 2019.

Fast forward just six months later, and we’re back at it again. This time in India. However, like the UAE edition, the tournament will be played behind closed doors with a strict bio-secure bubble in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From a cricketing perspective, will we see Mumbai Indians winning the title for a third-straight season? Or could we see a brand new champion this time around? Can KL Rahul and Kagiso Rabada successfully defend their Orange and Purple Caps respectively? Who will make the playoffs?

These, among many other questions, will be answered over the next six weeks in T20 cricket’s best league. In this article, I will make five key predictions for the upcoming IPL 2021 season:

• Orange Cap winner
• Purple Cap winner
• Bottom-placed team
• The four teams to make the playoffs
• IPL 2021 winner

Orange Cap winner: David Warner

No batsman in IPL history has more Orange Caps than Australian David Warner. In a T20 World Cup year, and leading a strong SRH side, Warner is primed for a big IPL campaign. Also, the left-hander has an incredible record of winning the Orange Cap in alternate years since 2014 (Warner won it in 2015, 2017 and 2019), and he has it in him to go big once again this season, and will pick up the Orange Cap.

Other leading contenders: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Ben Stokes.

Purple Cap winner: Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada had an outstanding IPL 2020 campaign, headlined by his ability to bowl well in the crunch stages. There is no doubt that he will once again play a key role for the Delhi Capitals in 2021, where he will prominently feature in the powerplay and death overs. Rabada’s ability to take wickets regularly, particularly at the death, makes him a very strong candidate to win the Purple Cap for a second-straight year. For this reason, I believe Rabada will have the most wickets of any bowler at season’s end.

Other leading contenders: Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rashid Khan

Bottom-placed team: Royal Challengers Bangalore

This is certainly a controversial prediction, and my least-favourite one to make. Given RCB’s incredible batting power, I am prepared to hold my hand up and say that I can easily be wrong here.

However, RCB’s auction performance, where Kyle Jamieson was purchased for 5 crores more than the released Chris Morris, has left them in a tricky situation. Their death bowling looks very thin for the upcoming season, which has been their achilles heel throughout their history, despite possessing the best batsmen in the game.

This season is no different with Kohli and de Villiers again at the helm, with Glenn Maxwell joining them. Add the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammad Azharudeen, and RCB have the lineup to consistently make scores upwards of 200. However, whether they defend those scores is another question, and given their thin death bowling stocks, they may very well fall short on numerous occasions.

4 teams to make the IPL 2021 playoffs:

• Mumbai Indians: Superb squad, superb team. The back-to-back and five-time champions have too much depth and quality to not make the playoffs.
• Sunrisers Hyderabad: The recent form of Bhuvneshwar Kumar makes the SRH bowling attack look even more potent this season. Sandeep Sharma, who was excellent in IPL 2020, will combine with the likes of Kumar, T Natarajan and Rashid Khan to make up an excellent attack. And, when you add the batting prowess of Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey among others, the consistent SRH will be tough to beat again.
• Delhi Capitals: The absence of captain Shreyas Iyer is a blow. So, it will be interesting to see if Rishabh Pant can lead the team well throughout the campaign. DC’s strength, once again, is a well-balanced bowling attack with Rabada and Anrich Nortje to lead the way. Also, the excellent form of Prithvi Shaw can see DC setting strong platform for the likes of Pant, Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer to go big.
• Rajasthan Royals: Perhaps the most controversial pick out of the four. The Royals, who have been the league’s “nearly men” in recent seasons, will be after a big year. Kumar Sangakkara is now at the helm, and they had a good auction with the addition of Chris Morris, among others. The absence of Jofra Archer for the first part of the season is a factor that RR need to handle well. The batting, comprising of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and new captain Sanju Samson, can enable them to make big scores. Also, this could be a big season for all-rounder Shivam Dube.

Winner: Mumbai Indians

I predicted that the Mumbai Indians will win the IPL the past two years, and I am prepared to say they will win it again.

Some may point to whether this team can maintain such a high level of performance after back-to-back titles. I believe they certainly can, for four key reasons. One, their XI, and much of their squad, will be motivated to maintain top form in a T20 World Cup year. Two, the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have had a taste of international cricket, and will have an even more renewed sense of self-belief. Third, MI possess the depth and quality in the middle order that other teams can only dream of. Fourth, their bowling attack, led by Bumrah and Boult, will be hard to get away at all stages of the innings.

MI is the perfect T20 team, and will be lifting the trophy at season’s end.

So, there are my five predictions for IPL 2021. Are there any you agree or disagree with in particular? Have your say!