The Indian Premier League is back! The annual festival of cricketing glitz, glamour and six-hitting brings together the very best limited overs players on the planet. So let’s take a look at the IPL 2019 odds and see who looks the best bets to flourish in the competition. It promises to be a cracker, too, with not even squabbles over TV rights and scheduling – the World Cup is just around the corner – able to dampen proceedings.
IPL 2019 Odds
Sunrisers Hyderabad (5.50, Betway)
Last year, shenanigans involving David Warner threatened to derail their campaign. Nevertheless, the Sunrisers Hyderabad’ class shone through in the end and they made it all the way to the final of IPL 2018. SRH has odds of 5.50 on Betway.
Warner is set to return in 2019 after his ban for ball tampering ends. He will subsequently join a stacked squad of batsmen that also features last season’s leading run scorer in the IPL, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan. As well as new signings Martin Guptill and Jonny Bairstow.
They will have to overcome the loss of Shikhar Dhawan, however, who has left for the artists formerly known as the Delhi Daredevils. He hit 497 runs in last year’s edition at an average of 38.23.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar should play more of a part this year after a 2018 campaign interrupted by injury. Furthermore, the Sunrisers have a spin duo to salivate over in Rashid Khan and Shakib Al-Hasan.
This is a franchise that has reached the play-offs in each of the last three years, winning in 2016 and finishing runners-up last time out. They will be looking to go one better this year and are currently riding high on the IPL 2019 odds.
Chennai Super Kings (6.00, Bet365)
Next highest on the IPL 2019 odds are the Chennai Super Kings. The reigning champions, will have a target on their backs in 2019, though. However, it’s very much evolution, rather than revolution, for MS Dhoni’s men.
This is an ageing squad. The likes of Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Imran Tahir, Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo are all over 30. So how will their creaking bones cope with another action packed campaign?
The good news is that they have plenty of youthful talent to all upon too. This includes Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur and Lungi Ngidi.
In nine years of IPL action the Super Kings have lifted the trophy on three occasions. They finished second four times and reached the playoffs in the other two. We would anticipate that fine record to continue in 2019. But have they got the gas in the tank to successfully defend their title?
Mumbai Indians (6.50, Betway)
A three-time IPL champion, the Mumbai Indians will have been hugely disappointed to miss out on the play-offs in 2018.
They have reacted by splashing the cash on Quinton de Kock, the biggest off-season transfer. Players have also been brought in who know this competition inside and out, such as Lasith Malinga and Yuvraj Singh.
It’s an extremely experienced squad with a strong Indian spine. Captain Rohit Sharma will lead the likes of the Pandya brothers, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav into battle.
Add in the Caribbean firepower of Evin Lewis and Kieron Pollard into the mix and clearly you have a Mumbai Indians outfit capable of putting last year behind them.
Punters looking at the IPL 2019 odds are recommended to keep an eye on Mayank Markande in the match betting markets too. The 21-year-old leg spinner was a revelation in IPL 2018, and he made his full India debut in February.
Kolkata Knight Riders (7.00, Bet365)
It was a case of close but no cigar for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018 as they lost out to the Sunrisers in Qualifier 2. They will thus be looking to go at least one better this time around.
They’ve managed to hang on to many of their key performers, including Sunil Narine, with the West Indian enjoying a new lease of life as a pinch-hitting top order batsman to go with his mystery spin. There is also Chris Lynn, Andre Russell and of course, Dinesh Karthik.
This is a not a side known for their seam bowling department. Why would you be, with Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla at your disposal? But keep an eye out for Harry Gurney, the intelligent left-arm seaming Englishman who is carving out a niche for himself in T20 cricket.
Add in to the equation big hitting Carlos Braithwaite and the talented Joe Denly, and the KKR have genuinely improved their squad in the off season. They should be there or thereabouts once again.
Rajasthan Royals (7.50, Bet365)
The penny dropped rather late for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2018. They won their last four games of the regular league season to sneak into the playoffs. There the Knight Riders subsequently outclassed them.
A year older and wiser, the Royals can avoid similar concerns by getting off to a better start this time around. They certainly have the firepower with the willow to do just that, too.
Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson are a formidable batting order. And don’t forget we can add Steve Smith – fresh from his year on the sidelines – into that.
There is something of a weakness in the bowling department, however, with the onus once again falling on Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi and Krishnappa Gowtham. Perhaps the signing of Varun Aaron will add some much-needed depth.
Like one or two others, the Royals will be in the mix for a playoff place, but they have the match winners in their line-up to win any given game. Is their bowling department strong enough for a title challenge, though?
Royal Challengers Bangalore (7.50, Betway)
How do you solve a problem like Royal Challengers Bangalore? They continue to splash the cash on the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Nevertheless, a lack of strength-in-depth continues to haunt them and once again they look hard-pressed to make the play-offs.
They’ve lost both Mandeep Singh and Quinton de Kock, and will look to replace that 450 run loss from 2018 with Marcus Stoinis, the archetypal bits-and-pieces cricketer.
If the Royal Challengers are to thrive, they will need heroic efforts once more from their two stars plus Yuzvendra Chahal and Umesh Yadav. They will also hope that young Indian hopefuls Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj can come up with the goods.
Shimron Hetmyer will be an explosive, if slightly chaotic, addition. But again RCB look shy of the squad depth to launch a meaningful challenge, as reflected in their IPL 2019 odds.
Delhi Capitals (9.00, Betrally)
There has been a change of name, and all involved with the Delhi Capitals will hope that it brings with it a change of fortunes for a franchise that has failed to reach the playoffs since 2012.
Ricky Ponting remains as head coach but there have been significant changes in personnel. Glenn Maxwell, Mohammad Shami and Vijay Shankar all left in the off-season.
Mind you, Shikhar Dhawan is an eye-catching signing, as are T20 specialist Colin Ingram and the canny Axar Patel.
They join an already-talented squad, with Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Trent Boult, Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada all elite-level performers.
If the evergreen Amit Mishra has another strong campaign with the ball, the Capitals could well be flirting with a play-off place.
Kings XI Punjab (11.00, Betrally)
The Kings XI Punjab round off our IPL 2019 odds. With KL Rahul and Chris Gayle opening the batting, the Kings XI Punjab can lay claim to being one of the most entertaining IPL franchises if little else.
They looked well out of their depth at times last season. Yet in Andrew Tye they boasted the leading wicket taker of IPL 2018. Ravi Ashwin is another proven performer, as is Karun Nair, so the spine of a useful team is in place.
Mandeep Singh could be an inspired signing too, as could Moises Henrique. Meanwhile, English cricket fans will be intrigued to see Sam Curran in action in new surroundings.
Don’t expect miracles, but the Kings XI at least have the abilities to avoid the wooden spoon.
