Thursday, 24 April 2025
Thursday, 24 April 2025
As the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off, cricket experts have already made bold predictions about how the season could unfold.
While Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are once again chasing their elusive first IPL title, Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist has delivered a damning forecast, predicting that RCB will finish last in IPL 2025.
Speaking on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, which he co-hosts with former England captain Michael Vaughan, Gilchrist humorously pointed out that RCB's heavy investment in English players might be their downfall.
"Nothing against Virat, nothing against their fans. I apologise to the fans, but you've got to talk to your recruiting agents," Gilchrist said.
RCB spent big on English talent in the IPL 2025 mega auction, securing Phil Salt for Rs 11.5 crore, Liam Livingstone for Rs 8.75 crore, and young all-rounder Jacob Bethell for Rs 2.6 crore.
While these players bring considerable firepower, Gilchrist hinted that their presence might not necessarily translate into success for the Bengaluru-based franchise.
Gilchrist has a history with RCB in IPL finals. He was the first captain to defeat them in a final, leading Deccan Chargers to the IPL title in 2009.
Meanwhile, RCB head coach Andy Flower took a cheeky dig at defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of their opening match.
When asked whether playing KKR would be daunting for his side, Flower flipped the narrative.
"Yes, it is very daunting. For KKR! I hope it is an El Clasico tomorrow night. That'll be a brilliant way to start IPL 2025," Flower quipped during a pre-match press conference.
Orange Cap for Shreyas Iyer
In another striking prediction, Gilchrist backed Punjab Kings’ new captain Shreyas Iyer to top the run-scoring charts and win the Orange Cap.
Despite Iyer having only one 500-run IPL season (in 2020), the former Australia captain is confident that the star batter will shine under the guidance of head coach Ricky Ponting.
"Shreyas Iyer is going to be my Orange Cap wearer by the end of IPL 2025," Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist also tipped Punjab Kings to win their maiden IPL title, believing that the combination of Iyer and Ponting could bring much-needed stability to the franchise.
"I think the combination of Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer is gonna be what’s gonna inspire that franchise. They’ve worked well together previously [at DC]. And that’s going to be the cohesive gel to bring the ownership together," he said.
Delhi Capitals to finish last, says Vaughan
While RCB were Gilchrist’s pick for the bottom spot, Michael Vaughan believes that Delhi Capitals (DC) will end IPL 2025 as wooden spooners.
Citing a lack of high-quality Indian batters, Vaughan dismissed DC’s chances.
"I just don't think they have got a very good team. My reason is that I believe you need high-class Indian batters to play on those wickets. They've got KL Rahul, that's it, really," Vaughan said.
"I mean, they've got Axar Patel probably about in the middle, but they just don't seem to have enough quality Indian batters," he added.
Interestingly, Vaughan picked Mumbai Indians (MI) as his title favorites, aligning with the views of former Australia captain Aaron Finch.
MI strong contenders, says Finch
Aaron Finch, a former IPL captain, is bullish on Mumbai Indians' chances, citing their wealth of match-winners.
"I just feel everything is coming back together for the Mumbai Indians. They've just got match winners and experience right throughout their lineup," Finch said in an interaction with IANS.
