Ranking the top 5 teams with the best opening batters in IPL 2025

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is fast approaching with the 2025 season set to begin on Saturday, March 22. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening clash of the season at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, the mega-auction was held where teams picked players over an intense two-day event to finalize their squads for the upcoming season along with previously retained players.

KKR beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final last year in a one-sided affair and are the current defending champions of the IPL.

In the T20 format, an opening pair is crucial to any team as they are responsible for setting the tone up the order. It is important to maximize the powerplay overs where the opening batters have a key role to play, as also seen in previous seasons of the IPL.

Ahead of the new seasons, teams have worked on building solid opening pairs, picking some of the best openers going around in world cricket. That said, let us rank the five best teams in terms of their opening batters ahead of the new season.

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Ranking the top 5 teams with the best opening batters in IPL 2025

#5 Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans will have their skipper Shubman Gill opening at the top of the order. Gill was retained by the franchise for ₹16.50 crore and performed reasonably well in the 2025 Champions Trophy. In the last IPL season, Gill scored 426 runs from 12 games.

With him at the top will be Jos Buttler, who is explosive with the bat and known to take the attack in the powerplay. Buttler has been a consistent performer in the league, having won the Orange Cap as well. While Gill can bring stability and attack when needed, Buttler taking charge forms an ideal opening pair.

However, they do not have solid backups for the opening slots, with the likes of Anuj Rawat and Sai Sudarshan lacking an attacking game needed in the first six overs.

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#4 Kolkata Knight Riders

Defending champions KKR are likely to open the batting with Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock. Narine has established himself as a hard-hitter who can take the game away at the top should he get going with the bat.

On the other hand, De Kock can bring in the stability needed to provide the balance. The South African also has the ability to take on the bowling in the first six overs.

Moreover, the IPL 2024 champions also have the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and captain Ajinkya Rahane in their ranks, who can open the batting, giving them some options to work with.

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#3 Rajasthan Royals

IPL 2024: Rajasthan Royals Vs Lucknow Super Giants In Jaipur - Source: Getty

Rajasthan Royals had a brilliant opening pair with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Buttler at the top. However, following Buttler's move to Gujarat, Rajasthan captain Sanju Samson is expected to partner Jaiswal up front.

The duo make a formidable opening pair nonetheless. Jaiswal has performed well in the IPL, playing multiple quick-fire knocks. Samson has opened for India in T20Is and has proven his skills as an opener. He can bring in the stability while Jaiswal takes the attack initially.

However, they may face some issues with their backup openers if the need arises, with options such as Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Rana available to open the batting.

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#2 Chennai Super Kings

IPL 2023: Qualifier 1 - Gujarat Titans v Chennai Super Kings - Source: Getty

Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kiwi opener Devon Conway are most likely to form the opening pair for five-time champions CSK. Gaikwad and Conway complement each other well and are a proven pair, amassing 849 runs in IPL 2023 at an average of 56.50 with two hundred-plus and five fifty-run opening stands.

While Conway missed the 2024 season, the duo will reunite for the 2025 season and is expected to be among the best opening pairs of the tournament given their past record.

Further, CSK also have formidable options to open the batting such as Rachin Ravindra, who slammed two hundreds and ended as the highest run-getter in the 2025 Champions Trophy, along with Rahul Tripathi, who is also a proven performer.

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#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad have arguably the best opening pair heading into IPL 2025 with Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. They played a massive role in SRH making the finals last year with their explosive hitting at the top.

They scored 599 runs from 13 games at an average of 49.91 with three hundred-run stands as well. Both batters are known for their power-hitting up the order and what makes SRH dangerous is that both batters attack simultaneously.

Abhishek Sharma has also opened for India in T20Is and displayed magnificent form in the home series against England before the Champions Trophy.

With his style of play and international experience, Head perfectly complements Abhishek, as seen last year. They also have strong backups with the likes of Atharva Taide and Ishan Kishan in the squad.