IPL and surprises often go hand in hand. We’ve seen in the past how teams with less predictability have convincingly beaten many giants. For example, Gujarat Titans emerged as winners in 2022 by defeating the well-established Rajasthan Royals, and PBKS beat CSK in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2014. IPL 2024 also showcased various tactical changes, with some teams achieving their targets while others failed miserably, such as the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. On the other hand, teams like SRH and KKR saw their tactical adjustments propel them to success.
With IPL 2025 on the charge now, we will soon witness the mega auction and then the two-month league. The mega auction could bring significant changes, and teams that performed well in IPL 2024 might retain their key players and aim for the trophy. While some teams are perennial favorites, there are a few that could emerge as dark horses in IPL 2025. Let’s take a look at these teams that might surprise everyone.
IPL teams that could emerge as dark horses in IPL 2025
SRH
With a strong batting lineup featuring Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, and versatile all-rounders like Nitish Reddy, as well as powerful batsman Pat Cummins, SRH has significantly improved their consistency. They have emerged as a strong contender, scoring 250 or more on multiple occasions, indicating they are now packed with lethal batters. Historically known for their bowling game and run control but also failing to make those runs, SRH is now solid across all components of the game and could emerge as a dark horse or even champions this time.
However, one area they need to address is handling the pressure of big games. They faltered in the finals against KKR, but looking at their overall performance throughout the IPL phases, SRH has shown they can be a formidable team and stands out among the favorites.
RR
Can Rajasthan Royals break their jinx of failing in the knockouts? As they perform well initially, but failing when it matters most, this remains their current issue, which they surely dislike. In IPL 2024, we saw how they were heavily dependent on batters like Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson. When Buttler left due to international commitments, RR struggled to handle the pressure. After beating RCB in the Eliminator, RR crumbled against SRH.
They are surely dark horses if they address a few aspects, starting with their batting ability and adapting to different surfaces, particularly slower ones. We saw issues in games played in Guwahati and Chepauk, Chennai, where they failed to capitalize on the conditions and scored less than 150. Also, not having genuine all-rounders has led the team to rely heavily on R. Ashwin, which limits RR’s ability to experiment.
While Ashwin is a legend of the game, many do not view him as a powerful finisher. Despite his excellent bowling performance, taking 9 wickets at an economy rate under 9, his batting in 15 games he made only 86 runs at a strike rate of 116. Aside from these concerns, RR’s pace attack also needs attention. If they can address these issues, they have shown enough potential in IPL 2024 to emerge as dark horses.
LSG
For now, they are underdogs for various reasons, having finished 7th in the IPL 2024 table with 7 wins, 7 losses, and one controversial meeting between captain KL Rahul and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka. This summarizes LSG’s last season, but looking at the bigger picture, this team could be a strong contender, surpassing even the power-packed but underperforming RCB.
LSG’s strategy of controlling runs, which was effective in IPL 2024, failed to be consistent in later matches. Their batting, from Nicholas Pooran to KL Rahul, was decent but not compelling, leading to their downfall. If reports are to be believed, KL Rahul may not be the captain moving forward. However, the team still has key players with strong attributes, such as Marcus Stoinis, reliable spinner Ravi Bishnoi, finisher Nicholas Pooran, and pace prospect Mayank Yadav.
If LSG can replicate their performance from the first two seasons in IPL 2022 and 2023, they are extremely close to achieving triumph and could emerge as a formidable team in the upcoming IPL.
