IPL 2024 | CSK Vs MI Vs RCB - Who Has The Best Batting Unit?

Is CSK the strongest batting line-up of the IPL 2024? [X.com]Is CSK the strongest batting line-up of the IPL 2024? [X.com]

The excitement is brewing in the air ahead of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled to kickstart on March 22. The league's popularity continues to sail through the roofs, with teams excelling in the marquee domestic Indian league and providing great entertainment in T20 cricket's annual showpiece carnival. 

Not immune to the sense of anticipation around us, we at 'OneCricket' decided to delve into the strategic side of the IPL and focus on the league's three most followed franchises - Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - to try and statistically determine which is the best batting unit among the famed trio. 

Chennai Super Kings 

The Super Kings have a very strong opening pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad  up their sleeves. While Conway has smashed 924 runs in 23 matches at an average of 48.63 with a strike-rate surpassing 141, Gaikwad has smashed his 1,797 runs in the league at an average of nearly 40 with a scoring rate of 135.52. 

CSK retained their experienced middle-order options Moeen Ali, Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube with each forming an integral part of the first-choice playing XI with their runs coming at a strike-rates of 136.26, 172.49 and 159.22 during IPL 2023, respectively. 

There is no shortage of depth to CSK's batting as they still boast of the experienced duo of Dhoni (5,082 runs at 135.96) and Ravindra Jadeja (2,677 runs at 128.21).

CSK's ability to keep the accelerator on while maximising all phases of the innings because of the length of their batting unit is remarkable and that is why we give them a rating of 9 out of 10 points. 

Royal Challengers Bangalore 

RCB are greatly dependent on their senior, experienced figures such as former skipper Virat Kohli, his successor Faf du Plessis and middle-order mavericks Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik. 

After struggling at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kohli made amends last season, making 639 runs at a strike-rate close to 140 while Du Plessis collected a whopping 730 runs at 153.68 with the two greats averaging well above 40. Maxwell, too, retained his match-winning ways by smashing 400 runs at 183.49. 

However, Karthik failed to provide RCB with similar substance and value down the order. The wicketkeeper-batter is slowly beginning to decline with his power-hitting skills and it was reflected in his scoring rate of just 134.62. 

Karthik's struggles would be a cause of headache for RCB and also put their comeback man Rajat Patidar and new recruit Cameron Green under serious pressure. It's a team that can blast off opposition attacks but also lacks robust strength and consistency in its batting outside the famed Kohli, Du Plessis and Maxwell trio and we give it a rating of 7 out of 10 points. 

Mumbai Indians 

The return of premier Indian allrounder Hardik Pandya has infused life back into MI's middle-order, with the key player boasting of an impressive track record with the bat in the IPL: 2,309 runs at a strike-rate of 145.86. 

Hardik Pandya, the new MI skipper, joins hands with veteran opener Rohit Sharma, who is aiming to revive his batting undergoing two poor seasons on the bounce. Rohit made just 268 runs at 120.18 during IPL 2022 and backed it up with only 333 runs at 132.80 in IPL 2023. 

Outside of those two senior players, MI's fortunes with the bat rest heavily on the shoulders of their middle-order match-winner Suryakumar Yadav, comeback wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and young, rising left-hander Tilak Varma. The trio made 605 runs at 181.14, 455 runs at 142.77 and 343 runs at 164.11 during IPL 2023, respectively. 

On the performance of the top 5 depends the output of their usual 'Impact Player' choice - young Nahel Wadhera - as well as overseas recruits Tim David and Dewald Brevis. Collectively, we give MI's batting unit a rating of 8 out of 10 points. 

After digging into the options and respective strengths, we at OneCricket conclude that CSK has the best unit when compared with their closest rivals MI and RCB and should be able to perform better than their competitors under pressure with their overall greater batting strength.