IPL 2023: Rating teams based on their batting depth

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League has begun and in no time has been set ablaze by some dazzling batting display. In the opening match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, spectators were first treated to the fireworks of Ruturaj Gaikwad, followed by an amazing show with the bat by Shubman Gill.

Generally considered to be a batter-dominated format, the T20 extravaganza saw every team invest most of their purse in getting some of the best batsmen for themselves. In this article, we take a look at the batting depth of all the teams in the tournament and discuss how promising each of them looks.

The rankings are based on certain parameters such as a solid top order, stable middle order, and explosive lower order, and are also a representation of the potential each batting unit has.

Let's look at the batting depth of each of the 10 IPL teams:

10. Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings is one of those franchises that don't shy away from splurging big on players. However, their purchasing game hasn't yielded the desired results yet as Punjab still looks to end the trophy drought. In the opening slot, they have star Indian batter Shikhar Dhawan, who will have to play big if Punjab are to place any contention for the trophy. Punjab lacks other experienced batting options after the unavailability of Johnny Bairstow, but they do have Prabhsimran Singh in a supporting role.

At No.3, they could play Bhanuka Rajapaksha who is an explosive left-hander who will be crucial for the PBKS in the middle overs. Coming to their middle order, they have a few options in Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma, followed by Sam Curran at No.6. 

They have a few loopholes to plug in the lower middle order as their top seven, although decent, seems overly dependent on a few Impact players. On a scale of 1-10, Punjab's batting depth can be rated 6 / 10.