To rank the three IPL teams—SRH (Nikhil), RR (Jagadish), and RCB (Jesurun)—for the

2025 IPL season, I’ll evaluate their squads based on the provided rosters,
considering the Impact Player rule, the 4 overseas players in the playing XI rule,
and key factors like batting strength, bowling options, all-round capabilities,
squad balance, and remaining purse. The analysis will focus on how these teams are
likely to perform in the 2025 IPL context, factoring in player form, team
composition, and strategic flexibility.

Key IPL 2025 Rules Considered

Impact Player Rule: Allows teams to substitute a player during the match,
effectively extending the playing XI to 12. This rule favors teams with versatile
players who can adapt to game situations, such as all-rounders or specialist
batters/bowlers for specific phases.
4 Overseas Players Rule: Only four overseas players can be included in the playing
XI, requiring careful selection to balance the team while maximizing the impact of
overseas talent.
Squad Depth and Purse: Remaining purse and squad size affect flexibility for mid-
season adjustments or replacements, especially for injuries.
Team Analysis
SRH (Nikhil)
Squad: 14 players (5 overseas: Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Glenn Maxwell,
Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult)
Remaining Purse: 55 Lac
Key Players:
Batting: Virat Kohli (21.75 Cr), Ruturaj Gaikwad (11.25 Cr), Rohit Sharma (7.8 Cr),
Ishan Kishan (3.2 Cr), Sanju Samson (2 Cr), Quinton de Kock (2 Cr)
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya (18 Cr), Sunil Narine (8.6 Cr), Shivam Dube (5.4 Cr),
Glenn Maxwell (1.5 Cr)
Bowling: Mitchell Starc (16.5 Cr), Yuzvendra Chahal (14.75 Cr), Trent Boult (1.5
Cr)
Strengths:
Batting Firepower: SRH boasts an exceptional top order with Kohli, Gaikwad, Rohit,
and wicketkeeper-batters like Kishan, Samson, and de Kock. This depth ensures
stability and aggression, ideal for high-scoring IPL 2025 venues like Hyderabad.
All-round Depth: Hardik Pandya and Sunil Narine are match-winners with bat and
ball, while Maxwell and Dube add flexibility. The Impact Player rule enhances their
ability to swap in specialists like Samson or Maxwell based on the situation.
Bowling Variety: Starc and Boult provide pace, Chahal offers world-class spin, and
Narine’s mystery spin is a trump card. This mix suits most IPL conditions.
Leadership: Hardik Pandya’s captaincy experience with Mumbai Indians and Gujarat
Titans makes him a strong leader, with Kohli and Rohit as tactical advisors.
Weaknesses:
Overseas Slot Crunch: With five overseas players, SRH must choose four from de
Kock, Narine, Maxwell, Starc, and Boult. Leaving out one (likely Maxwell or de
Kock) could limit flexibility.
Pace Bowling Depth: Beyond Starc and Boult, the pace attack relies on Hardik, who
may not bowl full overs, and Dube, who is inconsistent. The lack of a fifth bowler
is a concern.
Squad Size: 14 players is decent but leaves less room for backups compared to
larger squads.
Projected XI (with Impact Player options):
XI: Kohli, Gaikwad, Rohit, Hardik (c), Narine, Kishan (wk), Dube, Maxwell, Starc,
Chahal, Boult
Impact Player Options: Samson or de Kock (for batting boost), Tilak Varma (middle-
order stability)
Overseas: Narine, Maxwell, Starc, Boult (de Kock as Impact Player if needed)
RR (Jagadish)
Squad: 13 players (5 overseas: Faf du Plessis, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell,
Marcus Stoinis, Kagiso Rabada)
Remaining Purse: 4.7 Cr
Key Players:
Batting: KL Rahul (18 Cr), Suryakumar Yadav (11.5 Cr), Rishabh Pant (9.2 Cr), Faf
du Plessis (5 Cr), Nicholas Pooran (2 Cr), Rahul Tripathi (1.8 Cr)
All-rounders: Andre Russell (13.5 Cr), Axar Patel (7.4 Cr), Marcus Stoinis (6.2
Cr), Krunal Pandya (2.4 Cr)
Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah (22 Cr), Kagiso Rabada (9.8 Cr), Harshal Patel (5 Cr)
Strengths:
Explosive Batting: Rahul, Suryakumar, Pant, and Pooran form a dynamic batting core,
capable of chasing or setting big totals. Faf’s experience and Tripathi’s
versatility add depth.
Bowling Strength: Bumrah is the IPL’s premier pacer, Rabada complements him with
pace and bounce, and Harshal Patel’s death-bowling skills are proven. This trio can
dominate in high-scoring games.
All-round Options: Russell is a game-changer with explosive batting and handy
bowling. Axar’s spin and Stoinis’ power-hitting provide balance, with Krunal as a
spin-bowling all-rounder.
Impact Player Flexibility: Pant or Pooran as wicketkeepers, or Russell as a
finisher, can be swapped in to maximize match-ups.
Weaknesses:
Spin Bowling: Axar and Krunal are the only spinners, and neither is a wicket-taking
threat like Chahal or Rashid Khan. This could be a liability on turning pitches.
Squad Depth: Only 13 players limit injury cover and bench strength, especially with
a high purse spent on stars.
Overseas Choices: Choosing four from Faf, Pooran, Russell, Stoinis, andRabada is
tough. Likely dropping Faf or Stoinis reduces batting experience or all-round
depth.
Projected XI (with Impact Player options):
XI: Rahul (wk), Suryakumar, Pant, Pooran, Russell, Axar, Stoinis, Tripathi, Bumrah
(c), Rabada, Harshal
Impact Player Options: Faf (for top-order stability), Krunal (for spin bowling)
Overseas: Pooran, Russell, Stoinis, Rabada (Faf as Impact Player if needed)
RCB (Jesurun)
Squad: 13 players (5 overseas: Jos Buttler, David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, Jofra
Archer, Rashid Khan)
Remaining Purse: 6.2 Cr
Key Players:
Batting: Shubman Gill (15.75 Cr), Jos Buttler (14 Cr), Shreyas Iyer (13 Cr), David
Miller (2 Cr)
All-rounders: Rashid Khan (12.75 Cr), Ravindra Jadeja (10.5 Cr), Venkatesh Iyer
(9.2 Cr), Mitchell Marsh (2.6 Cr)
Bowling: Mohammed Shami (8.2 Cr), Arshdeep Singh (7.2 Cr), Jofra Archer (3.8 Cr),
Varun Chakravarthy (5.4 Cr), Khaleel Ahmed (3.4 Cr)
Strengths:
Balanced Batting: Gill, Buttler, and Iyer form a strong top order, with Miller and
Venkatesh providing middle-order firepower. Buttler’s explosive form is a major
asset.
Spin Dominance: Rashid Khan and Jadeja are world-class spinners, with Varun
Chakravarthy’s mystery spin adding variety. This makes RCB lethal on spin-friendly
pitches.
Pace Options: Shami, Archer, and Arshdeep offer pace, swing, and death-bowling
skills, with Khaleel as a left-arm option.
All-round Strength: Jadeja, Rashid, Venkatesh, and Marsh provide batting and
bowling contributions, enhancing Impact Player flexibility.
Weaknesses:
Squad Size: Only 13 players, similar to RR, limit depth for injuries or form
slumps.
Wicketkeeping: No specialist wicketkeeper, relying on Buttler or Gill to keep,
which may affect fielding or batting flexibility.
Overseas Decisions: Choosing four from Buttler, Miller, Marsh, Archer, and Rashid
is challenging. Dropping Miller or Marsh may weaken batting depth.
Projected XI (with Impact Player options):
XI: Gill, Buttler (wk), Iyer, Venkatesh, Jadeja, Rashid, Marsh, Shami, Archer,
Arshdeep, Varun
Impact Player Options: Miller (for batting boost), Khaleel (for extra pace)
Overseas: Buttler, Rashid, Marsh, Archer (Miller as Impact Player if needed)
Ranking Criteria
Batting Strength: Ability to post or chase big totals, considering top-order
quality and middle-order depth.
Bowling Strength: Variety and wicket-taking ability in pace and spin, suited to IPL
2025 conditions.
All-round Balance: Presence of all-rounders for flexibility, especially under the
Impact Player rule.
Overseas Management: Effective use of the four overseas slots to maximize impact.
Squad Depth and Purse: Ability to handle injuries or form issues, with remaining
purse for adjustments.
Leadership: Captaincy experience and tactical acumen, critical in high-pressure IPL
matches.
Ranking for IPL 2025
1. SRH (Nikhil)
Reason: SRH has the most balanced and star-studded squad, with a formidable batting
line-up (Kohli, Rohit, Gaikwad, Kishan, Samson) that can dominate any bowling
attack. Their bowling, led by Starc, Boult, Chahal, and Narine, covers all bases,
though pace depth is a minor concern. Hardik Pandya’s captaincy and all-round
ability, combined with Narine and Maxwell’s versatility, make SRH adaptable under
the Impact Player rule. The 14-player squad and 55 Lac purse provide decent
flexibility, though not the highest. SRH’s ability to field a strong XI while
managing the overseas limit (Narine, Starc, Boult, Maxwell/de Kock) gives them the
edge. Their batting depth and leadership make them favorites to top the 2025 IPL
rankings.
Key Advantage: Unmatched batting firepower and experienced leadership.
2. RCB (Jesurun)
Reason: RCB’s squad is well-rounded, with a strong top order (Gill, Buttler, Iyer)
and a versatile middle order (Venkatesh, Miller). Their bowling is a standout, with
Rashid, Jadeja, and Varun dominating spin and Shami, Archer, and Arshdeep handling
pace. The all-round depth (Jadeja, Rashid, Marsh) is ideal for the Impact Player
rule, allowing tactical swaps like Miller for Khaleel. The lack of a specialist
wicketkeeper and only 13 players are drawbacks, but the 6.2 Cr purse offers more
flexibility than RR. RCB’s spin-heavy attack suits many IPL venues, and their
overseas choices (Buttler, Rashid, Archer, Marsh) are impactful. They rank slightly
below SRH due to less batting depth and squad size.
Key Advantage: Elite spin bowling and all-round flexibility.
3. RR (Jagadish)
Reason: RR has a potent batting core (Rahul, Suryakumar, Pant, Pooran) and a top-
tier pace attack (Bumrah, Rabada, Harshal), but their spin bowling is a glaring
weakness, relying on Axar and Krunal, who are more containing than wicket-taking.
Russell, Stoinis, and Axar provide all-round depth, but the overseas slot decisions
(Pooran, Russell, Rabada, Stoinis/Faf) may force compromises, like dropping Faf’s
experience. The 13-player squad and 4.7 Cr purse limit flexibility, making them
vulnerable to injuries. While Bumrah’s leadership and bowling prowess are huge
assets, the lack of spin variety and smaller squad place RR below SRH and RCB.
Key Advantage: Strong pace bowling and explosive batting, but spin weakness holds
them back.
Summary Table
Rank Team Owner Key Strengths Key Weaknesses Projected Captain
1 SRH Nikhil Elite batting, versatile all-rounders, balanced bowling
Limited pace depth, overseas crunch Hardik Pandya
2 RCB Jesurun Strong spin, all-round depth, pace variety No
specialist keeper, small squad Shubman Gill
3 RR Jagadish Explosive batting, top pace attack Weak spin, limited squad
depth Jasprit Bumrah
Additional Notes
Impact Player Rule Impact: SRH benefits most from this rule due to their batting
depth (Samson, de Kock as Impact Players) and all-rounders (Maxwell, Dube). RCB’s
all-rounders (Jadeja, Marsh) and RR’s batting options (Faf, Tripathi) also leverage
this, but SRH’s versatility stands out.
Overseas Rule: All teams have five overseas players, requiring one to be benched.
SRH’s Maxwell or de Kock, RCB’s Miller, and RR’s Faf are likely bench options, but
SRH’s domestic depth (Kohli, Rohit, Gaikwad) handles this best.
2025 IPL Context: High-scoring games are expected, as seen in SRH’s 286/6 vs. RR in
2025. Teams with strong batting and death bowling (SRH, RCB) are better equipped,
while RR’s spin weakness could hurt on turning tracks.
Memory Context: In prior conversations, SRH’s star power (e.g., Kohli, Rohit) was
noted, but RCB often ranked higher due to balance. Here, SRH’s superior batting and
leadership edge them ahead, aligning with their strong 2024 performance (runners-
up).
Final Ranking for IPL 2025
SRH (Nikhil)
RCB (Jesurun)
RR (Jagadish)
This ranking reflects the teams’ potential based on squad composition, strategic
fit for IPL 2025 rules, and recent IPL trends. Let me know if you’d like a deeper
dive into specific players or match scenarios!