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IPL 2021 is less than a week away, and the franchises will be busy tinkering with their respective teams to arrive at their best combination for the campaign. The IPL has helped advance the shortest format of the game; much of what makes T20 cricket so great has originated from it.
The invaluable importance of death bowling is something that all franchises have realized over the years and have struggled to get right for their teams. Similarly, finishing off games with the bat has been an integral part of IPL cricket, and the finishers of each side have had a huge role to play, especially in run chases.
We have seen some incredible winning knocks over the years, as well as some spectacular collapses. On that note, let's rank each team on the basis of the potential finishers they have for their IPL 2021 campaign.
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Note: Here, by finishers, we will consider players who usually bat at No.4 or lower.
Disclaimer: The opinions in this article belong solely to the author and need not reflect that of Sportskeeda.
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Potential Finishers: Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Mohammad Nabi, Jason Holder, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav, and Abhishek Sharma.
Sunrisers Hyderabad's middle-order has always been an area of concern for them, and their team setup makes it hard to include any explosive all-rounder in their playing XI. With Mitchell Marsh gone, SRH lacks that explosive batsman who can provide that much-needed impetus during run chases.
They've invested a lot in Indian players, but other than Abdul Samad, no other player seems to possess that explosive potential. While Kedar Jadhav, Jason Holder, and Mohammad Nabi are experienced players, it'll be tough to include them in the playing XI, given their team composition.
A lack of explosive options and a complicated overseas combination leaves a lot to be desired in SRH's list of finishers.
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7. Punjab Kings
Potential Finishers: Nicholas Pooran, Moises Henriques, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Fabian Allen, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jalaj Saxena.
Punjab Kings seem to have bolstered their finishing department this season, but they still rank low overall. While they have a solid top four and a decent No.7 batter in Jhye Richardson, the all-important No.5 and No.6 spots don't have great suitors.
While Moises Henriques is an option to consider, fitting him into the playing XI won't be easy considering PBKS' overseas conundrum. Nicholas Pooran is a destructive player, but he didn't show the required composure in run chases last season and threw his wicket away at some crucial junctures.
The others are all Indian options who don't seem to possess that much firepower. The likes of Deepak Hooda and Mandeep Singh were irregular starters in IPL 2020. And while young Shah Rukh Khan could be an asset to the team, he does remain a largely unproven commodity.
All in all, a lack of recognized names in the number 5 and number 6 spots could hamper PBKS' ability to finish off games, especially when their top-order falters.
6. Rajasthan Royals
Potential Finishers: Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Chris Morris, Ben Stokes/ Jos Buttler, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, and Rahul Tewatia.
Rajasthan Royals masterminded some extraordinary chases last season, with youngsters like Rahul Tewatia and Riyan Parag stepping up with some great performances. However, it looks like they're likely to depend on the same players again.
Liam Livingstone and David Miller are decent bench options who don't look like they're going to play. One usually wouldn't call a team with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler as lacking in quality finishers. However, neither of them was too comfortable batting in the middle-order last season, with most of their notable contributions coming when they opened the batting.
Chris Morris can wield the willow to good effect, but even he has been pretty inconsistent. Similarly, Shivam Dube seems to have the firepower, but the fact that he has no 30+ scores makes him another unproven commodity.
All in all, RR does have some good middle-order options, but they don't look settled or comfortable as a side. Expect the burden of finishing off games to fall on Rahul Tewatia once again.
5. Chennai Super Kings
Potential Finishers: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Krishnappa Gowtham, Moeen Ali, DJ Bravo, Sam Curran, and Mitchell Santner.
Ranking Chennai Super Kings at number 5 would probably be an unpopular opinion. But the fact is that despite the plethora of talent available in their ranks, there are much better finishing units than them.
CSK's main problem last season was that their top order was eating up too many deliveries and not giving much time for their middle-order batsmen to settle. Ravindra Jadeja was arguably their best batsman last season. And he faced way too few balls than what he would've liked.
The pattern looks like it will continue in IPL 2021 as CSK seems to have packed their team with similar players but it doesn't seem clear who will play. MS Dhoni's form has waned over the last two seasons, which is only natural given that the only competitive cricket he has played since the 2019 World Cup has been in the IPL.
All in all, CSK has one of the most talented pool of finishers, but unless they sort their team out properly, they're still likely to end up on the losing side of games.
4. Delhi Capitals
Potential Finishers: Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Vishnu Vinod.
Delhi Capitals have a good set of finishers for IPL 2021, despite the absence of Shreyas Iyer. Newly-appointed skipper Rishabh Pant, who's in outstanding form, will be crucial in finishing off games alongside last season's star performer Marcus Stoinis. Shimron Hetmyer played some blazing cameos the previous season, although he needs to bat higher than No.6 if he is to do better.
DC also have a decent backup option in Sam Billings, who can slot in pretty much anywhere in the side. Their bowling all-rounders in Axar Patel, Tom Curran, or even Ravichandran Ashwin, can all strike some lusty blows.
Overall, DC has a good set of finishers that complement their solid top order, but they don't compare greatly to some of the other teams.
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Potential Finishers: AB De Villiers, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Washington Sundar, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Daniel Sams, and Shrikar Bharat.
Over the last few seasons, Royal Challengers Bangalore have been a rather top-heavy side. However, with the purchases of Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, and Mohammed Azharuddeen, they seem to have bolstered their middle-order.
Maxwell has had some poor IPL seasons in the past, but his impressive recent form suggests he could replicate his heroics from the 2014 edition once more. Dan Christian is another smart acquisition, especially when you consider his exceptional form in the Big Bash League in 2020-21.
With three explosive overseas options in AB de Villiers, Maxwell, and Christian, and with Daniel Sams to call upon too, RCB seems to have some great finishers on their side. However, the lack of proven performances on Indian soil is why they're at number 3 and not higher.
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
Potential Finishers: Eoin Morgan, Tim Seifert, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Ben Cutting, Dinesh Karthik, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, and Sheldon Jackson.
Kolkata Knight Riders have an exciting middle-order that's filled with some tremendous finishers. Skipper Eoin Morgan leads the list and is followed by the destructive Andre Russell, who'll look to make up for a rather sub-par IPL 2020. Ben Cutting is a great backup option for Russell, and Shakib Al Hasan provides a lot of versatility and stability to their middle-order.
Dinesh Karthik didn't have such a great IPL in 2020, but he led Tamil Nadu to a historic Syed Mushtaq Ali triumph. He will look to redeem himself this season, and so will Nitish Rana, who also had a solid domestic campaign.
Packed with some talented players, the only thing stopping KKR from being placed higher would be their unsettled batting order. Nonetheless, they're one of the best finishing units in the league and can change the game in the blink of an eye.
1. Mumbai Indians
Potential Finishers: Kieron Pollard, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jimmy Neesham, Aditya Tare, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, and Saurabh Tiwary.
This one was never in doubt. Mumbai Indians have the best team on paper in IPL 2021, and their middle-order is easily the most stable and explosive in the entire league.
MI didn't lose a single run chase last season (except a super-over defeat to RCB) and were very good at hunting down targets. While their top order deserves a lot of credit, their middle-order too contributed a lot throughout the campaign.
Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Ishan Kishan are among the most destructive T20 batsmen in the league. They are also incredibly flexible and can walk out to bat at different positions according to the situation.
Considering that they've added Jimmy Neesham as a backup in IPL 2021, there's no doubt that it's Mumbai's finishers who rank highest among all teams.
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