We are now well a week into the IPL and although there is still plenty of cricket to be played, the table is starting to shape up and we have a sense of who are the pretenders and who are the contenders.
Let’s take a look at the current state of the betting markets as there is still plenty of value that can be found.
The Contenders - RCB
Above is how the current state of the betting looks and as you can see, the bookies favourites currently are the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
It’s been well documented that RCB are yet to land the IPL title and one of India’s most popular franchises will be desperate to change that this year.
To start their 2025 IPL campaign RCB certainly haven’t had the easiest set of fixtures. They kicked off their season with a dominant victory over last year’s winners the Kolkata Knight Riders and showed that wasn’t a fluke when they dispatched the Chennai Super Kings by fifty runs in their second match of the season.
Although currently RCB don’t have anybody near the top of the overall batting standings, Virat Kohli, Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar all sit just outside the top ten and have been in magnificent form.
Able to lay a platform and solid foundation for their team to move forward, at the moment the team looks to have the perfect blend of power and consistency and if their batting lineup can keep up their current level they will be a real force as they move on throughout the season.
Delhi Capitals
The Delhi Capitals are another team wanting to land their first IPL title and through the early part of the IPL season, they have been the team which has caused the most surprise.
At the start of the season the team was viewed to hold an outside chance of even making the playoffs, but on current form they look like a side destined for big things.
Able to win their first two matches against the Lucknow Super Giants and the much fancied Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Capitals have dispatched two of the better teams in this year’s IPL and look like a force to be reckoned with.
The one thing that this Capitals squad doesn’t lack is experience and they have that in abundance in the shape of Mitchell Starc and Faf du Plessis.
Against the Sunrisers, Starc showed why he is such a talismanic figure in white ball cricket taking five wickets as the Capitals eased their way to a seven wicket victory.
Alongside spin king Kuldeep Yadav the two are two of the best bowlers through the early stages of this year’s competition and offering a nice balance between swing and seam, they look like they have the capabilities to cause opposing teams plenty of problems.
Whilst the Capitals may have several star names with the ball, their batting line up is solid and works hard. Positioned at the top of the order is Faf du Plessis. A veteran of the IPL, the former South African captain knows what it takes to win matches and was brilliant against the Sunrisers.
Scoring a half century in just 59 balls, he is a calming presence at the top of the innings and if he can maintain this level of form, he could well lead his side to several competitive totals. The Capitals remain a team to watch with real interest this season.
Teams with something to prove - Mumbai Indians
Despite sitting second in the betting, the Mumbai Indians have enjoyed a mixed start to their 2025 IPL season. Coming into this year having finished bottom of the 2024 regular season table, things didn’t look to have improved as they suffered two defeats to open their campaign against both the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.
With not much time to turn it around before they faced off against the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Indians desperately needed to deliver and in front of a packed home crowd were able to do exactly that.
Although the Indians have a fearsome batting lineup on paper, it was with the ball where they did the damage.
Able to restrict the Knight Riders to just 116 runs, the star man was Ashwani Kumar. Making his debut he was able to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane off his first ball and he would go on to take three further wickets. Not expected to feature much this season, Kumar looks like a real find and could add another dimension to the Indians bowling attack.
With one win from their first three games, Mumbai still have plenty of work to do if they are to stay on course to land a sixth IPL crown. Their next two matches against the Super Giants and RCB will be crucial to their overall title hopes.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Positioned as one of the big favourites at the start of the season, the Sunrisers then vaulted into favouritism as they hammered the Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of the season.
With many expecting them to kick on against the Super Giants, there was a surprise as they would fall to a heavy five wicket defeat.
Needing to bounce back against the Delhi Capitals, they were once again outshone as they fell to another heavy defeat.
Whilst the runs have generally flowed, it’s with the ball where they have struggled. Pat Cummins has taken time to get back into his stride following his victory and the duo of Adam Zampa and Harshal Patel haven’t been able to stop the flow of runs and control the pace of the game.
In their defeat to the Capitals it was only Cummins who was able to keep his economy rate below ten runs an over.
Having lost in the final last season, they look to have plenty to find if they are to go one better this time around.
Chennai Super Kings
Another titan of a team that has just one win from their first three games are the Chennai Super Kings. Hoping that this is finally the season where they can land a sixth IPL crown, Chennai started the season off with a win against rivals Mumbai but have subsequently fallen to both RCB and the Rajasthan Royals.
Against the Royals, there would have been disappointment that they weren’t able to chase down 182, falling six runs short in their chase.
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The one area of concern heading into the season was whether the team had enough power at the top of the innings and although Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad are both classy players, whether they have the consistent power to find the boundary with ease is debatable.
At the moment no team has scored more runs in the last three overs than CSK.
Although it shows that they have plenty down the order, the team are having to do a lot of heavy lifting when the innings are in the balance. Ideally they need more from those at the top of the innings if they are to keep pace with their rivals.
One to watch
If value is what you seek then one team to keep an eye on could be the Gujarat Titans.
Having started their season with a loss to the Punjab Kings, they then avenged that defeat with a dominant victory over the Mumbai Indians.
The one thing that has stood out in their first two games is their ease to score runs. Despite losing to the Kings, they were still able to post 232 runs and they followed that up with a total of 196 against the Mumbai Indians.
The key to the Titans success with the bat so far has been Sai Sudharsan. Finding himself right in the mix when it comes to finishing as the competition’s leading run scorer, his 137 runs through his first two matches, has set up the Titans perfectly to post big scores.
Just behind Sudharsan is Joss Buttler. Also in the top ten when it comes to the highest number of runs scored, Buttler has started the new season with two successive half centuries and looks to be in formidable form.
The Titans won the title back in 2022 and went close again in 2023. They know what is needed to win tight matches and they will be hoping that they can kick on through the early part of the season and establish themselves within the top four.
At 10/1 they look to be one of the teams to represent the best value in the competition.
Tom Gibson
Tom Gibson, 33, possesses a keen interest in cricket combined with expertise in betting. Based in Newcastle, he is well-acquainted with the dynamics of the game and the betting world. With numerous years analyzing cricket matches and odds, Tom offers a unique perspective on the intersection of the sport and betting strategies