Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, or Kolkata- Who will win IPL 2017?

Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, or Kolkata- Who will win IPL 2017?

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BCCI

With IPL 2017 now entering its business end, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of each of the four remaining teams. More importantly, based on these two factors we even try to make predictions with regard to who will make and come out on top in the much-awaited final next Sunday.

Mumbai Indians

Performance - 14 - 10 - 4 – 0

Mumbai dominated the league stage having secured 10 wins from 14 games and ended up with 20 points after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by nine runs in their last league game. 

Form Guide - W-W-W-L-L-W

Mumbai got a reality check towards the end of their league campaign after being thrashed at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets and Kings XI Punjab by seven runs but shrugged off those disappointments by defeating chasing pack Kolkata in the last game.      

Strengths - Although Mumbai have lost both the games in the league stages to Pune, they have a lot of experience of playing in the playoffs earlier, unlike their opponents- Rising Pune Supergiant, which will play its first and maybe last, playoff match. Playing the first qualifier at home will also add to their strengths. Mumbai's biggest strength has been their strong middle order coupled with a versatile bowling attack. In their last league match, with a second string team, Mumbai proved that they have enough resources to get the job done, which will give them confidence going into the playoffs.

Weaknesses - While they have a very good middle-order, their opening pair doesn’t paint a confident picture. Further, although playing at home always helps, it also comes with its own pressure and Mumbai should be careful about that. They had also let the momentum shift at the fag end of the tournament, only to get back in the last game.   

Rising Pune Supergiant

Performance - 14 - 9 - 5 - 0

Pune’s fortunes have been on the upswing this season and they defeated Kings XI Punjab in a must-win final game to book a berth in the playoffs. In the tournament, they secured 18 points from 14 games. 

Form Guide - W-W-W-W-L-W

They have been in a marauding form lately, having won five out of their last six games. So they have the perfect momentum going into their first playoffs.  

Strengths - Pune have a perfect blend of experience and youngsters in their ranks and their spectacular rise to the top-two in the league was a complete team effort. Although Ben Stokes and Imran Tahir will be unavailable due to national commitments, players like Rahul Tripathi, Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, and Jaydev Unadkat have already proven their mettle. Their youngsters are not really out and out stars and their unpredictability adds to the drama and the opponents should have a cautious look at that. Pune, in the form of Adam Zampa, too, have gotten a like-to-like replacement for Tahir and will look forward to maintaining their unbeaten record at Wankhede. 

Weaknesses - Pune will have to cope with the absence of Ben Stokes, who has been a vital cog in their team, scoring 316 runs in 11 innings at a strike-rate of 142.98 and picking up 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18. Pune will also have to contain with the bad form of two of their senior players, MS Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane, who haven't yet set the stage on fire as far as their batting is concerned. If Manoj Tiwary and Dhoni are not able to step up, it will be difficult for the Pune unit to pull it off. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Performance - 14 -8 - 5 -1

The defending champions ended the group stage with eight wins and a washed out game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Finally, with a win over Gujarat Lions, they confirmed their playoff chances.  

Form Guide - W-W-L-L-W-W

The tournament didn’t transpire the way the way it started for the defending champions. They lost their mettle in the middle but did well to not slip the chance completely. With two wins in last two games, Hyderabad is in much better shape now. 

Strengths - Sunrisers’ biggest strength has been their bowling and their bowlers also rose to the occasion when it mattered the most. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan put in notable performances and made educated assessments of their oppositions. They also followed a new formula of approaching one game at a time rather than letting any external pressure dictate their moves. Their fielding, too, is one of the best, if not the best, among all the teams in the competition. 

Weaknesses - David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have proved to be quite an assured presence at the top of the order, but they will still have to be wary of being overly reliant on the duo. If their batsmen can help post par totals on the board, more often than not, their bowlers will be expected to defend.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Performance - 14 - 8 - 6 – 0

Kolkata started the tournament on a good note, but towards the end of the league stages, their reckless approach hurt them big time as a result of which they failed to finish in the top-two of the league.

Form Guide - W-L-L-W-L-L

Though Kolkata are in the final four, they have only two wins in their last six league matches, which hardly gives them any momentum and they will get just one shot at getting into the final of IPL 2017.

Strengths - KKR is a very well-rounded team with a lot of match-winners with both bat and ball. That their homework has been exemplary cannot be ignored, but what adds value to the team’s chances are the batsmen’s ability to take the bowlers down on any given day. With Lynn firing at the top-order and Gambhir in good nick, KKR is primed for success, albeit they have let the momentum slip at the twilight of the league stage. 

Weaknesses - Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn have become indispensable members of the playing eleven and KKR have enjoyed a lot rides on the back of the duo. There is no real backup-up option available for Gambhir to feel comfortable as Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa are still unpredictable. 

Predictions

Qualifier 1 - Mumbai Indians vs Rising Pune Supergiant

Pune were the only team to do the double over their derby rivals this season, but the wins had more to do with individual brilliance rather than a well oiled team effort. It took two huge sixes in the last over by Steve Smith to secure the first win while a breathtaking 7-run penultimate over built the base for Pune to halt Mumbai's six-match winning streak. However, with their best bowler and the most expensive player missing, it will require a monumental team effort to stop the Mumbai juggernaut at the Wankhede. The biggest trouble in playing against Mumbai is that no matter how many wickets you take, batsmen just keep coming out swinging and no target appears to faze them. In the absence of Stokes and Tahir, Pune are in for a huge reality check in the first qualifier. 

Winner - Mumbai Indians

Eliminator 1 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

This is a tough one. Both teams won their respective home games against each other this season. While one has arguably the best bowling attack in the league, the other has the most explosive batting attack. The two teams will face off at the Chinnaswamy stadium which is not the same flat track it has been in previous years. However, the boundaries are still one of the shortest in India. Hyderabad did secure their title at the same ground last year but this is a much better bowling unit than the one that RCB had come up against. If Lynn and Narine start well, Hyderabad might be in for a rough night in Bengaluru this time around.

Winner - Kolkata Knight Riders

Eliminator 2 - Rising Pune Supergiant vs Kolkata Knight Riders

In the two matches they have played this season, the side chasing has won the game. It was a 158-run partnership between Gambhir and Uthappa that won the game for the Knight Riders in Pune while a scintillating 93 by Tripathi secured the two points for the Supergiant in the reverse fixture. Again in Bengaluru, one would have to put their money on KKR because of their talented pace attack and the two big hitters at the top of their order. Pune will desperately want Tripathi to shine again, but with just Smith and Dhoni after the youngster, it might be a step too far for the Pune team. And again they will need to come up with two bowlers who can try to recreate the magical spells of the departed English and South African duo.

Winner - Kolkata Knight Riders

Final - Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders

If two of the most consistent sides in the IPL History come up against each other in the final of IPL 2017, it will be a question of who rises to the occasion and who holds their collective nerve better. Given that Mumbai have preferred chasing in the tournament so far, the key for Kolkata will be to disrupt that plan by putting Rohit Sharma's side into bat, if they win the toss. If the KKR bowlers can then restrict the Mumbai batsmen to a subpar score, one would back the KKR top order to get the job done and seal their third title for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise.   

Winner - Kolkata Knight Riders

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