We are now around a third of the way through the 2025 Indian Premier League so it seems a good time to take stock and assess which teams are looking healthy and which need reviving.
It is a cliche that bowling wins you T20 trophies, but it is true. A look at the IPL table will also tell you that the early front-runners all made significant changes to their bowling attacks at the auction, changes that have made them stronger.
Gujarat Titans got to two finals in their first two years, and in both seasons they had a gun bowling attack.
In 2023, they even had the three highest wicket takers in the tournament in Rashid Khan, Mohammad Shami and Mohit Sharma.
Last year, their bowling completely lost its cutting edge (the batting did too, which didn’t help) and they looked a shadow of their former selves.
Highlights from the IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals, where England’s Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer were on opposing teams
At the auction, they decided a revamp was needed, and their smart buys are already starting to bear fruit. Mohammed Siraj has looked close to his fiery best, while Prasidh Krishna has shown once again that, when he is fit, he could be a real weapon for India in all formats.
The canny Sai Kishore has carried the spin-bowling burden to such an extent that it has not even been noticed that Rashid has been completely ineffective. If he hits form too, they will cruise into the play-offs.
Delhi Capitals were the worst bowling side in the tournament last year, and they needed to make a statement signing in the fast-bowling department.
For some reason, Kolkata Knight Riders let Mitchell Starc go (a bizarre decision), and the Capitals swooped at the auction.
Highlights of Delhi Capitals’ six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League
Four games in and he has already made a huge difference, picking up early wickets to get Delhi ahead of the game. With Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel still one of the best spin duos around, they now have a bowling attack that can compete against the best batting line-ups.
His Aussie new-ball partner Josh Hazlewood has had a similar impact at Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Neither he nor Starc have played that much IPL cricket.
In fact, Hazlewood has only played 33 matches. The main reason for that is they have prioritised international cricket over the IPL, something which has helped keep them fit and fresh well into their mid-thirties.
We are now seeing what the IPL has missed over the last few years and just how much they can offer any team that is lucky enough to have them.
Gujarat, Delhi and Bangalore struggle with batting
Archer bowls a 91mph delivery to take the wicket of Gill
So Gujarat, Delhi and the Royal Challengers have all improved their bowling attacks and as a result are looking in rude health. The three teams at the bottom of the table are there mainly because their batting has not fired.
Chennai Super Kings are the most obvious example of this. They have lost four in a row, all chasing, and each time their lack of firepower in the middle order has been as clear as day.
They rely too heavily on Shivam Dube in the second half of the innings and too often Ravindra Jadeja and Vijay Shankar are required to score very quickly from ball one, something which does not come naturally to either of them.
The elephant in the room is MS Dhoni. His strike-rate over the last two seasons has been very good, but because he has a chronic knee issue, CSK are reluctant to bring him in until the final five overs or sometimes even later.
Highlights from the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings as Priyansh Arya hit the second century of the season
But by this point, it is often too late and the game has been lost.
Head coach Stephen Fleming said ‘Dhoni can’t bat 10 overs running at full stick’, but I still think he can be brought in a little earlier to give him time to influence a match with the bat. If CSK do not, it may end up being too late for their play-off chances as well.
The big shock of the season so far has been the Sunrisers finding themselves propping up the table.
After dominating the Royals in their first match, it seemed like they would pick up where they left off last season, but their batting has suddenly malfunctioned in a major way. Their problem is not a lack of power, though – if anything, it is the opposite.
Phil Salt produced a remarkable bit of fielding on the boundary to set up a catch for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL
The mantra of the entire top six – barring Nitish Kumar Reddy – is to go out all guns blazing but when this does not work, there does not seem to be a plan B. I still think they can recover and finish in the top four, but they need to turn things around immediately.
Two of their next three games are against Mumbai, which might help as they have started poorly yet again. On paper, they have a strong batting line-up but seem to be falling short in tight run chases, which is not a habit you want to fall into.
Their spin-bowling depth also looks light, which could be more of a problem as the tournament wears on.
There is a long way to go, so expect the table to change, but so far it is looking like the mega auction has shaken things up and we may have some teams in the play-offs who were not there last year.
Watch every match from the 2025 IPL live on Sky Sports Cricket, up to and including the final on Sunday May 25.
