Of the many factors that could determine a T20 team’s fate, none is as prominent as the performance of its opening pair.
On average, in a T20 match, openers face 40 deliveries, translating to one-third of the total balls a team could face. The runs they score and the rate at which they do it are vital to the team’s fortune in a tournament.
The situation is no different in the IPL. In the past 16 editions, only one team (Mumbai Indians in 2013) has managed to win the title without its opening pair aggregating 300+ runs in a season.
Teams have grown to recognise the need to place their best players up front, with Royal Challengers Bangalore’s promotion of Virat Kohli as an opener being the most significant example.
Here are the possible opening combinations for each IPL side going into the 17th edition of the tournament.
CSK
The success of the Ruturaj Gaikwad-Devon Conway combination was the cornerstone of Chennai Super Kings’ title win last season. CSK, though, will be without Conway, at least for the first half of IPL 2024, due to a thumb injury. In the newly acquired Rachin Ravindra, CSK has a nearly like-for-like replacement for Conway. In addition to being a left-hander, the 24-year-old Kiwi can also provide a few handy overs with his off-spin. The experienced Ajinkya Rahane, who had an impressive first season with CSK, is a left-field option to partner Gaikwad up top.
RR
Rajasthan Royals is one of the few teams heading into the 2024 IPL season unworried about its opening pair. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler provide the Royals with a rare combination of stability and explosiveness. The left-right combination has scored 933 runs for the first wicket in 28 innings in the IPL at an eye-catching run rate of 8.88. Jaiswal’s recent exploits in Test cricket — he scored two double-hundreds against England — will only add to his confidence going into the IPL.
Overcoming lean patch: Freed from the captaincy responsibilities — as Hardik Pandya takes over the reins for MI this season —Rohit Sharma is expected to lead the charge with the bat this year. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
LSG
Much like Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants also has a well-settled left-right opening partnership in Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul. LSG, though, will be sweating over the fitness of skipper Rahul, who injured his quadriceps during the England Test series. It also doesn’t help that de Kock had an unflattering SA20 campaign, where the left-hander averaged 19.36 with a strike rate of 123.12. The addition of left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal offers LSG another option to structure its opening combination.
SRH
After trying seven different pairs up top last season, Sunrisers Hyderabad enters IPL 2024 without a definite answer to who its openers are. With the Hyderabad-based side spending nearly Rs. 7 crore on Travis Head, it only seems likely that the Australian ODI World Cup hero will be slotted at the top of the order. While the experienced Mayank Agarwal is the most plausible partner for Head, all-rounder Abhishek Sharma, Anmolpreet Singh, and Rahul Tripathi offer a few more alternatives as well.
PBKS
Prabhsimran Singh’s maiden IPL hundred, against Delhi Capitals last season, is likely to give him a longer rope as the Punjab Kings opener, alongside skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan, though, will be expected to do much of the heavy lifting, with the left-hander scoring nearly 20 per cent of his team’s runs in both seasons with Punjab Kings. The Kings also have the option of bringing in the explosive Jonny Bairstow, which would, though, come at the cost of team balance.
MI
The five-time champion Mumbai Indians will deploy Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan at the top. Freed from the captaincy responsibilities — as Hardik Pandya takes over the reins for MI this season — Rohit is expected to lead the charge with the bat. Meanwhile, his opening partner, Ishan, will have a point to prove after he missed out on a central contract. Together, Ishan and Rohit have amassed 963 runs over the past two seasons and remain pivotal to the team’s fortunes, even after the latter has struggled to dominate the batting charts since 2017.
RCB
In the RCB camp, Kohli and Faf du Plessis form a dynamic opening duo. The 2023 season’s most successful pair scored 939 runs in 14 innings, with five 50-plus and three 100-plus partnerships.
Kicking up a storm: Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis formed the most successful opening pair of IPL 2023, scoring 939 runs in 14 innings, with five 50-plus and three 100-plus partnerships. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR K
The ever-batting-dependent RCB will need its opening pair to fire once more. However, concerns linger over Du Plessis’ recent form — he managed 239 in 11 innings — highlighted by his inconsistent performances in the SA20 Championship and the inactivity of the former Indian captain, who has only played two T20s after IPL 2023. Yet, their experience and familiarity with Bengaluru’s conditions make them indispensable to RCB’s aspirations.
GT
As for Gujarat Titans, the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2023, Shubman Gill, shoulders the responsibility of steering the team in the absence of Hardik. With the T20 World Cup approaching, the 24-year-old faces the daunting task of shepherding the back-to-back finalist with both bat and as captain. Teaming up with Wriddhiman Saha, who has found renewed confidence in the top order, he provides stability to the Titans’ batting lineup. The pair added 590 runs at a 145.32 strike rate in IPL 2023.
DC
Delhi Capitals relies on the explosive combination of David Warner and Prithvi Shaw at the top. Warner’s batting approach will be facilitated by the return of regular captain Rishabh Pant, allowing him to start on an attacking note. Shaw, after a decent domestic season, looks to make an impact from the outset, aiming to provide solid starts for the Capitals. With Mitchell Marsh, Harry Brook, and Yash Dhull, DC also possesses quality replacements for its first-choice opening pair.
KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders continues to grapple with its opening conundrum. Having experimented with eight different pairs in the previous campaign — the most by any team — with none scoring over 100 together, it seeks stability. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jason Roy added 64 in four innings, while N. Jagadeesan and Roy combined for 83 in a solitary innings. Venkatesh Iyer could be paired up with Gurbaz at the top to accommodate Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine.
Despite having only played one innings together, the right-left combination could be persisted with.
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