IPL 2021: 3 Teams that are favourites to win the title this season

3. Delhi Capitals

By finally reaching their first-ever IPL final in IPL 2020, there’s hardly any reason why once again this team will not start with the label of favourites. Under the fellowship of Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting, this team has exceeding performed well in the last two IPL seasons and perhaps also upholds a very similar squad for the upcoming event. Their key strength is their realm of strong Indian players which seamlessly allows them to conveniently chop and change their overseas specialists. Predominantly, the majority of its Indian core right from skipper Shreyas Iyer till Ravi Ashwin are in top-notch form thus making this side look very lethal since the beginning.

The team has also worked on some of its loose ends especially by grabbing someone like Steve Smith and Sam Billings who can very well fit in their respective spots if played between the Indian batters. The side also was seen juggling when it came to pairing someone with Shikhar Dhawan, but with Prithvi Shaw being in a scorching form, there’s hardly any question marks left. Marcus Stoinis, who had an invigorating IPL 2020 will continue to play a breakthrough role in that lower middle-order. Overall, with a bit of a grab available at no.3, there hardly seems to be a void in Delhi’s batting order.

The two overseas pacers strategy involving South Africa’s two specialist speedsters has been a blockbuster plan for DC. The duo not only fetched them some significant wins towards the latter end of the last season but also covered Delhi’s faulty batting show. Their spin department brings too much versatility involving a finger spinner (Ashwin), a left-arm orthodox (Axar Patel) alongside the leg-spinning art of veteran Amit Mishra.

To combat the challenges of different IPL venues, the Delhi team probably looks to have every resource available in their tank. Overall, in terms of balance the team does has a very good blend of a vastly experienced Indian core along with some exuberance of overseas players. However, the team will be facing an instant underlying problem of pace bowling, as the South African duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje will not be available for the initial few weeks of the IPL.