The Indian Premier League (IPL) has risen to be the most popular T20 cricket league globally since its inception in 2008. Due to its resounding success, the league has inspired several other T20 leagues in other countries, including the Bangladesh Premier League, Australia’s Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, etc. The league also offers several exciting betting opportunities, with millions of bettors worldwide placing prematch and cricket bet live on IPL matches.
Annually, the league brings together some of the best cricket teams and players from around the globe to compete for the coveted IPL trophy. The 16th season of the tournament kicked off with a bang on March 31st, 2023, with ten teams battling it out in a round-robin format of 74 matches. As expected, one of the popular betting options for the league is the tournament winner, and sportsbooks had already released odds for this market even before the season commenced.
As the IPL 2023 is nearing the playoffs and its eventual end, this article will explore the teams that are favorites to win the title.
IPL 2023 Teams
IPL 2023 will feature ten teams competing against each other in a regular “Home and Away” format. These include:
- Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Ahmedabad
- Lucknow
Each team will play 14 games, seven home, and seven away matches, and the top 4 teams will qualify for the playoffs. That said, let’s get into our list of top favorites of the titles.
Gujarat Titans
Gujarat had a franchise in the IPL before, named the Gujarat Lions. However, the team only participated in the IPL 2016 and 2017 seasons as they went defunct after they finished at the bottom of the points table in 2017.
Founded in 2021, Gujarat Titans joined the Indian Premier League in 2022. The Ahmedabad-based team is captained by Hardik Pandya, known for his explosive batting and his effective medium-pace bowling in limited-overs cricket. The franchise is also home to other superstar talents, including Rashid Khan, David Miller, Shubman Gill, and Matthew Wade.
Although Gujarat Titans was a new kid on the block in the IPL 2022, they pulled an outstanding feat by winning the title against other teams with as much as 15 years of history in the league. In the ongoing 2023 season, the Titans have again established themselves as the favorites with exceptional performances so far, gunning to defend the title. They are currently sitting at the top of the IPL rankings table with 16 points from 8 wins out of 11 matches.
Chennai Super Kings
Founded in 2008, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has a strong record in the tournament. It is the second most successful team in the IPL, having won the championship four times in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. The team has also reached the final on five other occasions. Alongside its captain, MS Dhoni, one of the best cricketers in India, the team has a strong squad with experienced players and a good mix of domestic and international talent.
Chennai Super Kings suffered a significant setback in IPL 2022, finishing 9th in the group rankings after winning only four of 10 games. However, they have bounced back this season, following new powerful signings like Ben Stokes, Devon Conway, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. They are currently sitting at 2nd in the group rankings with 13 points from 6 wins out of 11 games.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Mumbai Indians are the most successful team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, having won the tournament a record five times. MI is owned by India’s giant conglomerate, Reliance Industries, and is led by the renowned India team’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the team has a reputation for having a well-balanced and consistent squad.
Unfortunately, the Mumbai giants finished last place in the 2022 IPL points rankings and had a plodding start into the ongoing season. However, they seem to be pulling a late surge and are presently one of the favorites contesting the title. The MI 2023 squad is performing excellently lately, thanks to exceptional talents like Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (ranked the world’s best T20 batsman after his feats in 2022), Tilak Varma, Tim David, and Cameron Green. The team is presently ranked third in the point rankings with 12 points from 6 wins out of 11 matches.
Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG)
Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG) is an IPL franchise based in Lucknow, India. The team was founded in 2021 and is owned by RPSG Group. LSG played their first IPL match in 2022 and finished third in the points rankings, qualifying for the playoffs. This is an outstanding achievement for a team with zero history in the tournament.
LSG is home to some exceptional cricketing talents, including KL Rahul (c), Kyle Mayers, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran, and Ayush Badoni. The team also made some strategic new signings in the auction, including Nicholas Pooran, Amit Mishra, and Jaydev Unadkat.
Coached by Andy Flower, the team has strengthened its campaign in the ongoing season and is one of the favorites to clinch the title, sitting at number four with 11 points on point rankings. However, things seem to hang in the balance as their skipper, KL Rahul, and pace bowler, Unadkat, are out of the tournament due to injuries.
Conclusion
IPL 2023 promises to be an exciting tournament, with some of the best players worldwide competing for the coveted trophy. Based on their performances, squad, and position on the point rankings table, the above-listed teams are favorites to qualify for the playoffs and win the title.
However, the IPL is known for its unpredictability, and any team can cause an upset on their day. The playoffs are not here. So struggling teams cannot be underestimated yet, as any team can still pick up form and turn the game on its head.
