Last Updated on 7 months by Charbel Coorey
Cricket Option: CricBlog’s predictions for IPL 2024 – A look at the orange cap, purple cap, four playoff teams and winner
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is back for a 17th season. Once again, it shapes up to be a cracking tournament with all ten teams having a case for going all the way in 2024.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the defending champions and are equal with Mumbai Indians (MI) with five titles in total. Will it be one of those two teams who win IPL 2024 or could there be a brand new champion in Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Delhi Capitals (DC), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) or Punjab Kings (PBKS)?
In this article, we will look at four predictions for the IPL 2024 season, specifically the Orange and Purple Caps, teams who will qualify for the playoffs and winner.
IPL 2024 Predictions: Orange Cap, Purple Cap, Playoffs & Winner
Orange Cap
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Expect Jaiswal to have a big season in IPL 2024. The talented left-hander has come a long way over the past couple of years. He finished with 625 runs last season at an average of 48.07 and superb strike rate of 163.61, and is coming off a magnificent Test series against England where he struck two double centuries.
Jaiswal will be tasked with not only providing the Rajasthan Royals (RR) with fast starts, but also batting through the middle overs. One great feature of Jaiswal’s game is when he gets in, he often makes it count. Because of his ability to get the big scores, Jaiswal will win the Orange Cap in IPL 2024.
Other leading contenders: Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, David Warner, Virat Kohli.
Purple Cap
Yuzvendra Chahal
It’s a big year for Yuzvendra Chahal as he looks to keep his name in the mind of the Indian selectors. The legspinner has taken 20+ wickets in three of the past four seasons and the added personal motivation of getting back into the Indian team can spur him on further in IPL 2024.
Also, the makeup of RR’s bowling attack gives Chahal a good chance of being in the wickets again. R Ashwin will be expected to play a holding role in the middle. If he keeps things tight, batsmen may be tempted to try go after Chahal to keep the scoring rate moving.
Other leading contenders: Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Rashid Khan.
Four teams to make the playoffs
Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals
There can be so many different opinions and thoughts as to who will make the top four. Of course, with ten strong teams, anything is possible. But, we’ve picked MI, CSK, KKR and RR as the four teams.
MI’s team comraderie could be the big question after Hardik Pandya was selected to replace long-standing skipper Rohit Sharma as captain. That being said, their batting lineup and return of Jasprit Bumrah makes them a huge force to be reckoned with.
With such a strong record at Chepauk, a solid core with Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell adding further strength and an undeniable ability to get the best out of their pacers, CSK look good again. They do have injury concerns with Devon Conway (thumb), Matheesha Pathirana (hamstring), and Shivam Dube (side strain), but all are expected to return soon.
Joining MI and CSK are Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Gautam Gambhir at the helm can make a huge difference for KKR and the emergence of Rinku Singh and return of Shreyas Iyer should hold them in good stead.
The fourth pick is RR. The Royals missed out last season due to a poor second-half of the season, but they have the players to bounce back. Expect the franchise to nail the impact player rule and get strong scores with a batting lineup that covers all bases. Also, the strong bowling core of Boult, Ashwin and Chahal should see strong results.
Why will LSG, SRH, RCB, PBKS, DC and GT miss out?
Expect Gujarat Titans (GT) to challenge for a playoffs spot. They have a strong squad once again. However, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami are two huge holes they have to fill. Also, Rashid Khan is just coming off a back injury and has only recently returned to cricket.
LSG are also a strong contender. It will not be a surprise if they make the playoffs, especially with such a solid bowling attack. But, can they get enough powerful impact from their top order? Also, how much will they miss Gambhir as a coach?
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have arguably the best overseas contingent in the league. But, can they get enough out of their Indian players? Plus, is the team management capable of nailing their combinations early or will it be another season of strange decisions?
RCB have a mighty strong batting lineup. But, one feels they may struggle to defend scores. Their bowling attack looks quite light on, especially at the batting-friendly Chinnaswamy.
DC can also challenge, but do they have enough firepower in the finishing department? Also, can Rishabh Pant hit the ground running straight away? At the moment, there are more questions than answers.
Similar applies to PBKS. They have come close in recent years, but consistency is the big issue. With the makeup of their squad, similar can be expected.
Winner
Chennai Super Kings
Despite some injury concerns, CSK will go all the way once again. They know how to get the best out of their players, so don’t be surprised if the likes of Shardul Thakur have a strong season. Also, Ravindra and Mitchell are excellent purchases and will have big impacts respectively for the team.
Plus, this may very well be MS Dhoni’s last season in the IPL. What better way to send him out than with another IPL trophy? With a strong spin contingent for turning tracks and deep batting lineup for flat pitches, CSK have the know-how and quality to go back-to-back.
So, what do you make of our IPL 2024 predictions? Leave a comment below or get in touch on X (formerly Twitter) at @cric_blog!