The 2020 Indian Premier League Betting Preview

Much has been said and written about the upcoming Indian Premier League season to be held in UAE. It is the first time that the league will be held in the month of September and not during the traditional Indian summer months of March, April and May. Plenty of other changes have also been proposed, exclusive to this edition of the tournament, in light of the deadly coronavirus pandemic the planet is currently going through. But all said and done, the tournament is still going ahead, and cricket fans all over the world are undoubtedly excited to see their favourite league back in action.

While the whole tournament will be played behind closed doors, and fans won’t be able to experience the action live in the stadium, it will definitely not affect the betting market. Indian Premier League is one of the most lucrative tournaments in the world of sports when it comes to betting, with several different markets offered by various top bookmakers. Let’s take a look at the betting preview for the 13^th edition of the Indian Premier League.

Cricket Betting Background

Cricket is one of the most exciting sports to bet on, as there are so many different metrics and markets to use your expertise and bet on. Two of the best bookmakers offering an array of cricket markets to bet on are Betway and Bet365. In-play markets range from betting on the total runs that will be scored in a particular over to the total number of runs a particular batsman will make. Pre-tournament bets include putting your money on who will be the highest scorer in the league or who will be the highest wicket taker etc. Main outright markets include betting on which teams will win the title, which teams will finish in the top 4 and which teams will finish bottom of the table. Let’s discuss some of the main outright betting markets for the 13^th edition of the Indian Premier League below.

Outright – Team To Win The IPL

Understandably the most unpredictable market to put your money on, the outright betting on who will win the IPL is incredibly popular. It is usually dominated by the most successful sides in the tournament’s history, unsurprisingly, but various other factors, such as which team had a better auction window, can drastically affect their title chances. The following are the top 3 favourites for the title this season.

1. Mumbai Indians (5.00) – The defending champions and the most successful team in IPL history with 4 titles to their name, are unsurprisingly the favourites to retain their crown, with betway providing attractive odds of 5.00 on them to win the title. The team is full of experienced campaigners as well as some incredible all-rounders like the Pandya brothers and the mighty Keiron Pollard. Led by one of the best batsmen in the world, Rohit Sharma, Mumbai definitely look strong enough to retain their title and justify the favourites tag.

2. Chennai Super Kings (5.50) – Mumbai’s arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings follow them in the favourites order, with odds of 5.50 as per betway. The 2^nd most successful team in IPL history are always among the favourites, and this upcoming season is no different. Had it not been for the withdrawal of experienced campaigners such as Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina citing personal reasons, they would have surely been the favourites for this season. With the impeccable leadership and experience of MS Dhoni, and a spate of top all-rounders at his disposal such as Dwayne Bravo, CSK again look to dominate their way to a record-equaling 4^th IPL title.

3. Sunrisers Hyderabad (5.50) – 2-time winners Sunrisers Hyderabad have one of the most balanced squads in the tournament. With a top order of captain David Warner, Jonny Bairstow and Kane Williamson, coupled with a deadly bowling attack of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan and Billy Stanlake, add to that one of the best T20 all-rounders in Mohammed Nabi, SRH look as strong as any other favourite for the title and Betway have them as joint 2^nd favourites at 5.50.

Outright – Team To Finish In The Top 4

The teams that finish in the top 4 in the league stage qualify for the play-offs, where the top 2 teams face off in Qualifier 1, while the 3^rd and 4^th placed teams battle against each other in the Eliminator. The winner of Qualifier 1 reaches the final while the losing team faces the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2, and the winner proceeds to the final. In this market we would be looking at the odds for the next 3 teams apart from the favourites for the title.

1. Kolkata Knight Riders (1.80) – The 2-time winners and one of the most popular franchises in the league, in no small part due to their owner being Shahrukh Khan, KKR is the most unpredictable side of the tournament. A side more than capable of beating the favourites as well as losing to the bottom placed team in quick succession, KKR needs to find stability in their batting top order to go further in the tournament. They have one of the best middle-orders in the league with the additional firepower of Andre Russel down the order, while their bowling attack now comprises of Pat Cummins, who was the most expensive player at the auction, and Sunil Narine. The team has enough talent to finish in the top 4 and betway has them as 4^th favourites at 1.80 to qualify for the play-offs.

2. Delhi Capitals (1.83) – Probably the most improved side in the league of late, the young Delhi Capitals team qualified for the play-offs last season and would be looking to continue their upward curve. Though the franchise has never yet won the IPL title, with their new owners and the able coaching of the legendary Ricky Ponting, things are looking very promising for this Delhi side and confidence is high. With a remarkably talented Indian batting order of Dhawan, Shaw, Iyer and Rishabh Pant complemented with big hitting middle-order batsmen like Hetmeyer and Stoinis, the batting runs very deep. The bowling attack comprises of the fiery South African pacer Kagiso Rabada and experienced Indian spinners Ashwin and Amit Mishra. The Capitals are considered as the dark horses for the IPL title, and one of the 5 favourites to qualify for the top 4 as well. Betway has them as 7.50 outsiders to win the title and 1.83 to finish in the top 4.

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore (2.00) – One of the most popular and fancied sides in the league, The Royal Challengers had a torrid time in last year’s Indian Premier League, finishing rock bottom of the table. However, they have made some crucial signings such as Chris Morris and Aaron Finch, having also bought the experienced head of Dale Steyn back. The team looks stronger than ever and a major improvement is expected. Apart from a slightly weak Indian core, RCB have everything it takes to reach the deep stages of the tournament. We expect Virat Kohli and AB Devilliers to take them over the line towards the play-offs. Betway has them at 2.00 to qualify for the play-offs and at 7.00 to win their first ever title.

Outright – Team To Finish Bottom

While the favourites for the title and a top 4 finish have already been discussed, let’s take a look at the teams which we expect to struggle this season for a myriad of reasons. Picking out the exact team to finish bottom of the league table always has very tempting odds, and the right knowledge about where teams are struggling can go a long way to help people put their money confidently.

1. Rajasthan Royals (4.00) – The first ever winners of the Indian Premier League back in 2008, The Rajasthan Royals have consistently struggled ever since. One of the poorest performing teams in the league over the years, The Royals have a huge task on their hands to avoid finishing bottom of the league. While their overseas contingent is one of the strongest in the league, with big name superstars such as Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer, their Indian players are not up to the mark. They also have a few players such as Uthappa and David Miller who, though boasting of impressive IPL records, are now considered past it. The loss of their most experienced Indian player in Ajinkya Rahane is bound to hurt them, and it would be difficult for them to improve on last season’s 7^th placed finish. Betway has them as favourites to finish bottom of the league at 4.00.

2. Kings XI Punjab – (5.50) – Another team which has never won the IPL title, the Kings XI have also struggled for form and consistency over the last few seasons. The Kings haven’t even been able to break in to the top 5, let alone the top 4, for the past 5 seasons in a row, since making the final in 2014, their best ever finish. While they boast of big name players like Gayle and Maxwell, these players also famous for a lack of consistency, which is bound to hurt the side. The loss of Ravichandran Ashwin to the Delhi Capitals is also a mighty blow as it weakens the bowling attack considerably while also removing some much needed experience and leadership from the squad. The Kings finished 6^th last season and it is difficult to see them improve on that, and betway has them as second favourites to finish bottom of the league table at 5.50.

Other Individual Outright Markets

Now let’s focus on the outright markets for the individual awards, such as the Orange Cap (most runs), the Purple Cap (most wickets) and the Most Valuable Player award.

Orange Cap (Most Runs) – Outright Winner

1. Virat Kohli 

The captain of the Indian cricket team is the highest run scorer in IPL history, amassing 5412 runs in 169 innings at an average of 37.84. The RCB captain, often regarded as the best batsman across all 3 formats of the game in the modern era, won the orange cap in 2016 with a staggering 973 runs, a record which may never be broken. He has hit 5 centuries, second highest in IPL history, and has a highest score of 113*.  The best part of Kohli’s dominance is his versatility and the kinds of innings he can play. He can stabilize a collapsing batting order or explode at will, with 190 IPL sixes and a strike rate of 130+ a testament to that fact. Ably supported by AB Devilliers at the other end, Kohli will have some pressure off his shoulders and is the favourite to win the Orange cap for the second time in his career. 

2. David Warner 

David Warner is by far the most consistent overseas performer in IPL history. The diminutive yet explosive Australian opener is a leader par excellence, having almost single-handedly won the title for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016. In that edition he scored a mammoth 848 runs at an alarming strike rate or 150+, however it was still not enough to win the Orange Cap as Virat Kohli managed to outscore him. Had Kohli not recorded the highest single season runs total in IPL history, Warner would have had a hattrick of Orange Caps, having won the award in 2015 as well as 2017, proving his peerless consistency. Warner is also the current holders of the Orange Cap, having scored 692 runs last season to win it for the 3rd time, an unmatched feat so far . In total, Warner is the 3rd highest run getter in the IPL with 4706 runs in 126 innings, boasting of an astonishing combo of an average above 40 and a strike rate of above 140. The SRH captain has smashed 4 centuries and has a highest score of 126. He would be looking to lead SRH to a 3rd title and also retain his Orange Cap for a record 4th award.

3. Rohit Sharma 

The Mumbai Indians captain is one of the most prolific run scorers in IPL history, behind only Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina in the all-time scoring charts, with 4898 runs in 183 innings, at an average of 31.60. Though he has never won the IPL orange cap yet, he’s always amongst the leading scorers of the league and has been a big part behind Mumbai Indians being the most successful side in the tournament’s history. The “Hit-Man” as he is fondly called can be the most unstoppable and destructive batsman in the world when on song, his three double centuries in ODIs a testament to that fact. With an impressive batting lineup to take the burden off him, Rohit would be looking to win his first ever Orange Cap, an honour he so deserves. 

Purple Cap (Most Wickets) – Outright Winner

1. Imran Tahir

The South African leggie was the highest wicket taker last season, with 26 wickets in 17 innings as Chennai Super Kings stormed to the final. Truly a player who defies age, and officially the oldest player in the tournament at 41, Tahir is still one of the most prolific bowlers in T20 cricket, with tremendous success in private leagues all over the world. Though he isn’t a very economical bowler, he is a genuine wicket-taker, with a ridiculously impressive bowling average of under 17 last season. Tahir is still right up there as the favourite to retain his crown.

2. Kagiso Rabada

Another South African on this list, Kagiso Rabada almost single handedly turned the Delhi Capitals into a force to be reckoned with last season, with 25 wickets in just 12 innings, boasting of the league’s best bowling average of under 15! He was sorely missed in the play-offs as Delhi crashed out without his services. He also bowled what was probably the ball of the tournament, a mesmerizing yorker which uprooted Andre Russel’s middle stump in a crunch super over. Delhi Capitals are one of the dark horses for this year’s tournament, and Rabada could have a huge say in their title challenge, while also fighting for his maiden Purple Cap.

3. Rashid Khan

The Afghan spin sensation, one of the most highly rated spinners in recent times, is probably the most inspirational story in the cricket world. Coming from a war-torn country and taking the IPL by storm, Rashid has arguably been the most consistent bowler in the league since his debut. The mystery spinner has taken 55 wickets in the last 3 seasons, at an alarmingly low economy rate of below 6.55. He is one of the hardest bowlers to score against, and those who dare to try often end up sacrificing their wicket. Rashid is still young and has further developed into a top-class cricketer, hence it wouldn’t be a surprise if he takes his game to the next level this season and hunts down the purple cap.

Most Valuable Player – Outright Winner

Majority of the times, this award is usually given to the best all-rounders who have performed exceptionally with the bat and ball both, and have taken their team to great heights.

1. Andre Russell

The danger man from Kolkata Knight Riders, Andre Russell truly exploded on the IPL stage in recent years after an underwhelming start for his previous team the Delhi Daredevils. The 2019 IPL saw the very best of Russell as he smashed 510 runs in just 249 balls for a tournament record strike rate of 204.81! His season was studded with 52 sixes in just 13 innings at an astonishing rate of 4 per game, as he destroyed every bowling attack in an unprecedented manner and ended up winning the MVP award. With the ball, Russell was handy as he took 11 wickets in 14 matches, though regular shoulder injuries prevented him from being more effective. Russell is probably the biggest game-changer in the IPL currently, and can change the course of the game with a 3 over dash with the bat or a couple of quick wickets with the ball as well, making him the favourite to retain the MVP award, an award he’s won twice already.

2. Ben Stokes

Arguably THE best all-rounder in all 3 formats of world cricket currently, Ben Stokes is a freak of nature. The most influential cricketer in the world over the last two years, expect him to be knighted soon for his efforts leading England to their first ever World Cup title in 2019! Ben Stokes has played 3 seasons in the IPL, but admitted himself that he hasn’t had a lot of influence yet and would like that to change in the 2020 edition. That being said, Stokes exploded in the 2017 edition of the IPL, when he was also the most expensive player purchased at the auction. Scoring 316 runs including a brilliant century in just 12 innings at a strike rate of 142 made him one of the key batsmen for the Rising Pune Supergiants, while he was also more than handy with the ball as he took 12 wickets. His all-round contribution led RPS to their first ever final and he was awarded the 2017 MVP award, something he would be keen to win again.

3. Hardik Pandya

Probably one of the finest genuine all-rounders India has produced in the modern era, big things are expected from the dynamic Hardik Pandya. 2019 was effectively a breakthrough year for the Mumbai Indians maverick as he smashed 402 runs in just 15 innings, with a brilliant average of 44.66. He hit 29 sixes and had an astonishing strike rate of 191 throughout the tournament, as MI won their record 4^th title. Pandya also took 14 wickets last season to prove he can definitely be a key bowler as well, and not just a 6^th option. He was very influential towards Mumbai’s title run and would have definitely won the MVP award had Russell not had a dream season himself. Still only 26, Pandya can only improve, and will have his eyes set on that MVP prize this season.