IPL 2019: Ranking the Spinners of all 8 teams

With all the IPL teams looking forward to having another go at each other in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League, we are here to have a look at how the spin bowling department of all the 8 IPL teams stacks up against each other.

Spin Bowling is crucial to winning the IPL, especially on the Indian pitches. Overseas cricketers like Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine have become influential in changing the fortunes of the matches. Varun Chakravarthy was the latest addition to the list of mystery spinners in the IPL. In short, Spinners control the matches in the middle overs and are extremely important in winning the games.

In this article, let us now try to analyze the spin bowlers of all the 8 IPL teams and see which IPL teams have an advantage over others in IPL 2019.

---

#8 Chennai Super Kings

Imran Tahir

Chennai Super Kings had decided to compete in IPL 2019 with an almost unchanged squad. Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma are the Indian Spinners while Imran Tahir and Mitchell Santner are the overseas pin bowling options. Among the allrounders in the squad, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Suresh Raina, and Chaitanya Bishnoi can roll their arms over.

To sum up there are decent spin bowling options in the CSK squad to warrant an above average rating. But there is a lack of mystery element among the spinners of CSK.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Chennai Super Kings

1. Karn Sharma / Harbhajan Singh
2. Imran Tahir
3. Ravindra Jadeja

Overall Verdict - There are adequate backups and there are no players leaving the tournament midway. It still remains to be seen how well old brigade of spinners in Harbhajan and Imran Tahir copes up in 2019 IPL season. They did perform well in the 2018 season and they will be looking forward to having another go in 2019.

#7 Mumbai Indians

Mayank Markande

Mumbai Indians had introduced a mystery spinner in Mayank Markande in the last IPL season. He was a hit and did a wonderful job for Mumbai in reigning in the opposition. For the 2019 IPL season too, they have opted to retain him along with Rahul Chahar as the backup spinner. Mumbai also did a masterstroke in trading Jayant Yadav to their side from Delhi Capitals.

Among the spin bowling allrounders, Mumbai Indians has the young Anukul Roy apart from the omnipresent Krunal Pandya to be the third spinner in the squad.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Mumbai Indians

1. Jayant Yadav
2. Mayank Markande
3. Krunal Pandya

Overall Verdict - There are three pretty good spinners in the squad and two backup spinning options. The move to trade in Jayant Yadav was a masterstroke by the Mumbai team management and has certainly done wonders to their spin department.

#6 Rajasthan Royals

Krishnappa Gowtham

One thing that the Rajasthan Royals were happy in the last IPL season apart from Jos Buttler was their Spin bowling department. Shreyas Gopal and Krishnappa Gowtham did lit up the IPL with their spins and turns while Ish Sodhi did do well in the limited opportunities that he had got. They also have a backup spinner in Mahipal Lomror in their squad.

Apart from having a decent spin bowling lineup of the above, Rajasthan went hard in the IPL 2019 auctions to buy 2 overseas spin bowling allrounders in Ashton Turner and Liam Livingstone. They also went after Shashank Singh and Riyan Parag, both of them are handy spinners apart from their batting skills.

To sum up, Rajasthan Seems to have a problem of plenty in the case of spinners.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Rajasthan Royals

1. Krishnappa Gowtham
2. Shreyas Gopal
3. Ish Sodhi /Ashton Turner

Overall Verdict - Even after all the surplus purchases in the IPL 2019 auctions, it looks as if Rajasthan will go with the retained three options in their playing XI. That might say a bit about their auction strategy, but here while comparing the spin department, Rajasthan does not have an intimidating unit.

#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Yuzvendra Chahal

Royal Challengers Bangalore is also one of the teams apart from Rajasthan that has a problem of the plenty in the spin bowling department. While Yuzvendra Chahal will be the key spinner for the team, they do have a long list of spinners for the second spinner slot. Moeen Ali is the overseas spin bowling allrounder in the squad. Among the Indian spin bowling allrounders, Bangalore has Gurkeerat Singh, Pawan Negi, Washington Sundar, Milind Kumar, and the young Prayas Ray Barman.

To decide who among the 5 allrounders to be given a chance in the playing XI is one hell of a job and Virat Kohli and Gary Kirsten will be looking forward to that.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Royal Challengers Bangalore

1. Yuzvendra Chahal
2. Moeen Ali
3. Gurkeerat Singh/ Pawan Negi/ Washington Sundar

Overall Verdict - Royal Challengers Bangalore is not leaving any stones unturned in the 2019 IPL season. They might have overbought in the spin department, but that's a good thing over here.

#4 Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rashid Khan

For a team that is well-known for their fast-bowling army, Sunrisers Hyderabad has one name to showcase their spin department. Rashid Khan has been the spin warrior for Hyderabad for years and he has matured with experience all around the globe. Apart from him, the Sunrisers has traded in Shahbaz Nadeem from Delhi Capitals.

Apart from the two, Sunrisers Hyderabad has Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Nabi, and Deepak Hooda as the all-around options in the squad. For a team that lacks the number of spinning options, the presence of Rashid Khan makes up for that. The move to rope in Shahbaz Nadeem has given a much better look to their spin squad and Sunrisers will be extremely reliant on Rashid Khan to deliver the performances he has showcased over the years.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Sunrisers Hyderabad

1. Rashid Khan
2. Shahbaz Nadeem
3. Shakib Al Hasan/ Mohammad Nabi

Overall Verdict - Presence of Rashid Khan and the inclusion of Nadeem gets the squad an Above Average look to it.

#3 Delhi Capitals

Sandeep Lamichhane

Delhi Capitals has the mystery man Sandeep Lamichhane in their squad. They also have the Indian veteran Amit Mishra to carry them through. They also had Jayant Yadav in their wings but had traded him to Mumbai considering their surplus.

Apart from these 2 spinners, Delhi has a set of Spin bowling allrounders in Rahul Tewatia, Jalaj Saxena, Axar Patel, Manjot Kalra, Hanuma Vihari and Colin Ingram. While among these players Colin Ingram and Hanuma Vihari pick themselves as batsmen in the playing XI easily. Then it will be between Axar Patel, Jalaj Saxena, and Rahul Tewatia to fight for that one Spin bowling all-rounder slot in the playing XI.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Delhi Capitals

1. Amit Mishra
2. Sandeep Lamichhane
3. Jalaj Saxena/ Axar Patel

Overall Verdict - There are 5 decent spinners in the squad and 3 part-time options. On any day picking 3 quality spinners in the playing XI would not be a tough job for the Delhi Capitals management.

#2 Kolkata Knight Riders

Sunil Narine

Kolkata Knight Riders have always been a team that has had a history with good spin bowling options. 2018 IPL season was a decent one for them and they have retained their core spinners of Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, and Sunil Narine for the 2019 IPL season too. Among the part-time options, Nitish Rana can give the team a few overs in between.

KKR seems to be content with the existing options in the spin department and did not ponder buying another spinner in the 2019 IPL auctions.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Kolkata Knight Riders

1. Kuldeep Yadav
2. Piyush Chawla
3. Sunil Narine

Overall Verdict - There are 3 pretty good spinners in the squad and a backup spinning option. All three spinners are matchwinners which is the reason KKR has not opted to buy another spinner. But with the short squad size that they have, they could have bought a young spinner as a backup option.

#1 Kings XI Punjab

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Kings XI Punjab has more than enough mystery spinners in their squad. The captain of Kings XI Punjab, Ravichandran Ashwin picks himself in the playing XI. Then there is the young wily Afghan Spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman who just cannot be kept out of the playing XI.

Even after having 2 definite slots figured out in their playing XI, Punjab went all out in the IPL auctions to get Varun Chakaravarthy, another emerging mystery spinner and they did shower big money on him. Punjab was not done even then, they bought Murugan Ashwin as a backup spinner and Harpreet Brar as a backup spin bowling allrounder.

Possible Spin bowling lineup of Kings XI Punjab

1. Ravichandran Ashwin
2. Varun Chakaravarthy
3. Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Overall Verdict - There are 5 pretty good spinners in the squad. The fact that all three of them are special spinners in their own way makes this combination an exceptional one.