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The 2024 season of the Indian Premier League came to a close with KKR emerging victorious over SRH in the tournament’s final showdown. Below is the comprehensive assessment of all participating teams’ performances throughout the competition.
On Sunday, May 26, KKR triumphed over SRH to claim the Indian Premier League title. KKR asserted their dominance from the first ball and secured an 8-wicket victory. Led by Shreyas Iyer, KKR stood out as the superior team throughout the tournament, defeating SRH—the second-best team—three times on three different surfaces and at three different venues.
Some teams underperformed this season, while others exceeded expectations significantly. With that in mind, here are the report cards and ratings for all teams from the IPL 2024 season.
KKR – 9.5/10
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KKR stood head and shoulders above the rest, performing exceptionally well as a unit. The hiring of Gautam Gambhir proved to be a masterstroke, as KKR made subtle yet effective adjustments to their team. Promoting Sunil Narine to the top order was a brilliant move. Varun Chakravarthy returned to his best form, and Phil Salt, brought in as a replacement player, had a significant impact this season.
Mitchell Starc, who faced much criticism upon signing with KKR, silenced his detractors by dismantling SRH’s renowned batting lineup in the playoffs, reaffirming his value at the highest level.
SRH – 7/10
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SRH underwent a complete transformation this season. Under the leadership of Pat Cummins, they appeared as a formidable unit for the first time in three years. Shifting their strategy from a bowling-centric approach to a batting-focused one, SRH intimidated opponents with their aggressive on-field performances.
RR – 7/10
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RR appeared to be a championship-caliber team in the first half of the season but faltered in the final stages of the IPL. The departure of Jos Buttler for international duties left them struggling to cope with the pressure. After defeating RCB in the Eliminator, RR collapsed against SRH.
RCB – 6/10
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RCB had a rough start to the tournament, performing at a 1/10 level in the first half. However, they significantly improved, performing at an 11/10 level in the last six matches of the group stage. They exceeded expectations, particularly with their bowling efforts, despite lacking an experienced, international-quality spinner, which proved to be a significant drawback.
Credit to the team for adopting and maintaining an aggressive approach mid-season, which ultimately yielded positive results.
CSK – 6/10
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Chennai maintained a strong performance for most of the IPL, with standout contributions from Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tushar Deshpande, and Matheesha Pathirana keeping them on course for the playoffs. However, numerous injuries in the bowling department towards the end of the tournament caused CSK’s decline this season.
DC – 5.5/10
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DC’s season was plagued by injuries to Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav. Despite these setbacks, their young Indian core and the fortunate inclusion of Jake Fraser-McGurk made them a formidable team. When at their peak, DC looked unbeatable, but it took them a while to reach that level.
The management handled Rishabh Pant well before the tournament, and he regained his world-class form. However, some of the captaincy decisions and tactical choices, such as moving Pant down the order and shuffling Abishek Porel’s batting position, were questionable.
LSG – 5/10
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LSG made a puzzling trade by bringing in Devdutt Padikkal and letting go of Avesh Khan. Their confusing strategy continued as they struggled to find a consistent No. 3 batsman for most of the tournament.
KL Rahul’s batting approach was inconsistent, leaving many bewildered. On some days, he was thrilling to watch, while on others, he reverted to the defensive style that frustrated fans. The injury to Mayank Yadav weakened their bowling attack, leading to a disappointing 7th place finish this season.
GT – 3/10
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GT was severely impacted by Hardik Pandya’s departure and Mohammed Shami’s injury. They struggled to recover from these setbacks, and despite their efforts in the latter half of the season, they couldn’t secure enough wins.
Rashid Khan didn’t perform at his best, which contributed to GT’s disappointing 8th place finish, a stark contrast to their appearances in the finals in 2022 and 2023.
PBKS – 3/10
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PBKS found solace in the performances of Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Singh, and Harpreet Brar this season. However, as has been the case in previous years, the team failed to gel together as a unit, hindering their progress.
Despite having the home ground advantage, PBKS couldn’t capitalize on it, ultimately finishing in 9th place in the league table.
MI – 2/10
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MI endured a tumultuous season marred by both on-field and off-field controversies. The franchise, along with their new captain, faced abuse from their own supporters on the field, which significantly impacted their morale. Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the squad, MI struggled to overcome their batting woes, culminating in their bottom-place finish in IPL 2024.
