IPL teams and their international equivalents

<p>Cricket fans all across the globe were left disappointed after the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Over the years, IPL has witnessed some mind-boggling action between the bat and the ball, with T20 stars from worldwide featuring in the marquee event. In fact, many fans have even claimed that some IPL sides can even beat the best of international teams.</p>
<p>Now, a match between an IPL side and an international team is highly unlikely. Hence, we won’t be able to know if such claims are appropriate. However, all IPL sides indeed have some attributes which remind you of international teams. While some teams have a knack for choking in crucial games, many tend to lose momentum despite dominating the majority of the game. Well, all these things happen in international games as well.</p>
<p>So, in a slightly different activity, we will compare international equivalents of all IPL sides that participated in this year’s competition. Notably, the eight teams featured in the now-postponed IPL 2021 have played over 100 games. Hence, we have enough data to analyse their attributes and pick up their international counterparts.</p>
<h3>In the article, let’s take a look at international equivalents of the current IPL teams:</h3>
<h3>1. Royal Challengers Bangalore – South Africa</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517878" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517878" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517878" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-and-South-Africa.jpg" alt="Royal Challengers Bangalore and South Africa international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517878" class="wp-caption-text">Royal Challengers Bangalore and South Africa. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Well, you don’t need rocket science to make this match. Big names, strong side, starting the tournament as favourites but falling short of the title. This has been the story of both <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a></strong> and South Africa over the years. Despite having a daunting team on the paper, the two teams haven’t tasted glory due to their knack of ‘choking’ in big games.</p>
<p>Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, and Graeme Smith are some of the many legends produced by the rainbow nation. While they guided South Africa to many triumphs in bilateral series, they couldn’t take the Proteas side to the trophy in major ICC events. The same tendency has haunted RCB in previous IPL seasons.</p>
<p>Some of the biggest T20 legends like <strong>Virat Kohli</strong>, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Shane Watson have joined forces for the Bangalore franchise. They even put up several memorable individual performances as RCB qualified for three finals. However, the side could never cross the final hurdle.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>2. Chennai Super Kings – India</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517877" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517877" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517877" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Chennai-Super-Kings-and-India.jpg" alt="Chennai Super Kings and India international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517877" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings and India. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>India and <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/csk-chennai-super-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chennai Super Kings</a></strong> have been two of the most consistent teams over the years, and hence, the two sides are each other’s counterparts. Both teams start the tournament with strong teams and are hardly seen in the latter half of the points table. They might not win the title at times, but their overall performances have always garnered praises.</p>
<p>While CSK has three IPL titles under their belt, they qualified for the playoffs in 10 of the 11 seasons they participated in. In fact, they have advanced to IPL finals on as many as eight occasions. India’s journey in ICC tournaments this century has also been similar.</p>
<p>The Men in Blue won the 2007 World T20, 2011 World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy while they finished runners-up in the 2003 World Cup, 2014 World T20, and 2017 Champions Trophy. Notably, the remainder of IPL 2021 and the T20 World Cup will take place later this year and both CSK and India are hot favourites to win their respective tournaments.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>3. Delhi Capitals – England</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517876" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517876" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517876" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Delhi-Capitals-and-England.jpg" alt="Delhi Capitals and England international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517876" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Capitals and England. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Delhi often found themselves in the bottom half of the team standings in earlier IPL season. However, they have been on a roll in the last couple of editions and won one game after another. Hence, DC’s international counterpart should be the team that has taken giant strides in recent years. England indeed fits this criterion.</p>
<p>After a disastrous <strong>World Cup</strong> campaign in 2015, England inducted many young faces in their limited-overs team to bolster the side. The move proved to be spot on as the Three Lions, under Eoin Morgan, defeated the best of the teams and even climbed to the top of ICC ODI and T20I team rankings. They also advanced to the 2016 T20 World Cup finals, semi-finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy, before lifting the prestigious World Cup in 2019.</p>
<p>Similarly, <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/dc-delhi-capitals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Capitals</a> </strong>qualified for the playoffs in IPL 2019 before making it to the finals in the following season. In fact, they were at the top of the team standings at the time of IPL 2021 suspension. The Rishabh Pant-led side has already won six of their eight games and needs just two more victories in six remaining league-stage matches to make a place in playoffs.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>4. Sunrisers Hyderabad – New Zealand</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517875" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517875" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517875" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Sunrisers-Hyderabad-and-New-Zealand.jpg" alt="Sunrisers Hyderabad and New Zealand international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517875" class="wp-caption-text">Sunrisers Hyderabad and New Zealand. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a> and New Zealand don’t tend to make a lot of noise in their journey. However, they are always found among the top teams at the end of the tournament. This common trait of the two sides makes them each other’s counterparts. Interestingly, both these teams are led by <strong>Kane Williamson</strong> currently.</p>
<p>Well, many of you might not realise, but New Zealand’s performance in ICC tournaments has been staggering since the last decade. They qualified for the finals of the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and 2015 and went to the semi-finals in the 2011 edition. Apart from that, they made it to the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-finals and are also the finalists of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. Now, that’s impressive.</p>
<p>Similarly, SRH are also one of the top IPL teams when it comes to consistency. In fact, they are the only side to have qualified for the playoffs in the last five IPL editions (2016 to 2020). However, they haven’t done well in this year’s competition, losing six of their first eight games until the season’s suspension. Hence, they need to win almost all their remaining league-stage games to extend their record.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>5. Kolkata Knight Riders – Sri Lanka</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517874" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517874" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517874" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Kolkata-Knight-Riders-and-Sri-Lanka.jpg" alt="Kolkata Knight Riders and Sri Lanka international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517874" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders and Sri Lanka. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Now, you might find this match a little odd as Sri Lanka has struggled across formats in the last few years. However, their performance in most of the ICC tournaments this century has been staggering. Similarly, <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/kkr-kolkata-knight-riders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> </strong>had also done well, barring the last couple of seasons. Hence, the Men in Purple and Gold find their international equivalent in Sri Lanka.</p>
<p>The Lankan Lions was undoubtedly a force to reckon with Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Tillakaratne Dilshan were active cricketers, and Lasith Malinga was at his prime. Under them, Sri Lanka advanced to the finals of 50-over World Cups in 2007 and 2011. They also played three T20 World Cup finals and also won the 2014 edition of the showpiece event.</p>
<p>Speaking of KKR, the side enjoyed its best time under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership. The former Indian batsman led the team in seven seasons and took them to the title in 2012 and 2014. However, KKR hasn’t done well since the last couple of seasons. In fact, they were seventh in the points table when IPL 2021 got suspended.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>6. Mumbai Indians – Australia</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517873" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517873" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517873" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Mumbai-Indians-and-Australia.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians and Australia international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517873" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians and Australia. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI and Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Five-time World Champions Australia and five-time IPL champions <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/mi-mumbai-indians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a></strong> have to be each other’s equivalent. The two sides are known to dominate oppositions, and their record speaks volumes of their prowess. MI and Australia even have a sensational record in knock-out games which makes them a formidable force.</p>
<p>Australia won their first World Cup title in 1987 and have been multiplying the trophies since then. The Men in Yellow lifted three consecutive World Cups in 1999, 2003, and 2007 before clinching the showpiece tournament again in 2015. If that’s not enough, Australia also have two Champions Trophy award in their cabinet.</p>
<p>Similarly, Mumbai Indians didn’t have any title in the first five seasons. However, they clinched their maiden trophy in 2013 and won four more in the following seven seasons. Rohit Sharma’s men are also the frontrunners to lift the IPL 2021 title, and they would be raring for the season resumption. At the time of postponement, the defending champions were fourth in the table with four wins in seven games.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>7. Rajasthan Royals – Pakistan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517872" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517872" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517872" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Rajasthan-Royals-and-Pakistan.jpg" alt="Rajasthan Royals and Pakistan international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517872" class="wp-caption-text">Rajasthan Royals and Pakistan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After winning the inaugural season in 2007, <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Royals</a></strong> haven’t done well. They tend to blow hot and cold in the tournament and often find themselves in the middle of team standings.&nbsp; Likewise, Pakistan also won the 2009 T20 World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy. However, when it comes to consistency, they lack behind.</p>
<p>Pakistan tends to struggle against big teams, and their position in ICC rankings speaks everything. However, their knack for performing out of the blue moon has earned them the ‘unpredictable’ tag. Nevertheless, the Men in Green need to make consistency their priority to thrive at the highest level.</p>
<p>A positive attribute which Pakistan and Rajasthan Royals share is their young talent. While the Men in Green have Shaheen Afridi and Haider Ali in their ranks, RR have the services of Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson, and Kartik Tyagi, who all are deemed as future stars. Meanwhile, at the season postponement, RR was fifth in the table with three wins in seven games.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>8. Punjab Kings– West Indies</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517871" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517871" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-517871" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Punjab-Kings-and-West-Indies.jpg" alt="Punjab Kings and West Indies international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517871" class="wp-caption-text">Punjab Kings and West Indies. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Apart from Chris Gayle’s presence,<strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Punjab Kings</a></strong> and West Indies have many things in common. Both the sides are studded with star cricketers but coming together as a unit has been a challenge for them. Hence, West Indies don’t feature in the top five of any ICC rankings, while PBKS was sixth in the points table at the time of season suspension.</p>
<p>In fact, Punjab is the only side to have not qualified for the final once despite featuring in all 13 IPL seasons. One of the biggest reasons behind their struggle is not having a settled combination. The same issue has been haunting West Indies in the past few years. Although they have won the T20 World Cup twice, they don’t have much to show in other series and tournaments in the last decade.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, as mentioned above, the two sides have some big guns who are capable of guiding their side to glory. Hence, teams should beware of West Indies in this year’s T20 World Cup while the KL Rahul-led side should back themselves to bounce back in IPL 2021.</p>

<p>Cricket fans all across the globe were left disappointed after the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Over the years, IPL has witnessed some mind-boggling action between the bat and the ball, with T20 stars from worldwide featuring in the marquee event. In fact, many fans have even claimed that some IPL sides can even beat the best of international teams.</p>
<p>Now, a match between an IPL side and an international team is highly unlikely. Hence, we won’t be able to know if such claims are appropriate. However, all IPL sides indeed have some attributes which remind you of international teams. While some teams have a knack for choking in crucial games, many tend to lose momentum despite dominating the majority of the game. Well, all these things happen in international games as well.</p>
<p>So, in a slightly different activity, we will compare international equivalents of all IPL sides that participated in this year’s competition. Notably, the eight teams featured in the now-postponed IPL 2021 have played over 100 games. Hence, we have enough data to analyse their attributes and pick up their international counterparts.</p>
<h3>In the article, let’s take a look at international equivalents of the current IPL teams:</h3>
<h3>1. Royal Challengers Bangalore – South Africa</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517878" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517878" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517878" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-and-South-Africa.jpg" alt="Royal Challengers Bangalore and South Africa international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517878" class="wp-caption-text">Royal Challengers Bangalore and South Africa. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Well, you don’t need rocket science to make this match. Big names, strong side, starting the tournament as favourites but falling short of the title. This has been the story of both <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a></strong> and South Africa over the years. Despite having a daunting team on the paper, the two teams haven’t tasted glory due to their knack of ‘choking’ in big games.</p>
<p>Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, and Graeme Smith are some of the many legends produced by the rainbow nation. While they guided South Africa to many triumphs in bilateral series, they couldn’t take the Proteas side to the trophy in major ICC events. The same tendency has haunted RCB in previous IPL seasons.</p>
<p>Some of the biggest T20 legends like <strong>Virat Kohli</strong>, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Shane Watson have joined forces for the Bangalore franchise. They even put up several memorable individual performances as RCB qualified for three finals. However, the side could never cross the final hurdle.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>2. Chennai Super Kings – India</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517877" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517877" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517877" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Chennai-Super-Kings-and-India.jpg" alt="Chennai Super Kings and India international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517877" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings and India. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>India and <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/csk-chennai-super-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chennai Super Kings</a></strong> have been two of the most consistent teams over the years, and hence, the two sides are each other’s counterparts. Both teams start the tournament with strong teams and are hardly seen in the latter half of the points table. They might not win the title at times, but their overall performances have always garnered praises.</p>
<p>While CSK has three IPL titles under their belt, they qualified for the playoffs in 10 of the 11 seasons they participated in. In fact, they have advanced to IPL finals on as many as eight occasions. India’s journey in ICC tournaments this century has also been similar.</p>
<p>The Men in Blue won the 2007 World T20, 2011 World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy while they finished runners-up in the 2003 World Cup, 2014 World T20, and 2017 Champions Trophy. Notably, the remainder of IPL 2021 and the T20 World Cup will take place later this year and both CSK and India are hot favourites to win their respective tournaments.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>3. Delhi Capitals – England</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517876" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517876" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517876" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Delhi-Capitals-and-England.jpg" alt="Delhi Capitals and England international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517876" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Capitals and England. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Delhi often found themselves in the bottom half of the team standings in earlier IPL season. However, they have been on a roll in the last couple of editions and won one game after another. Hence, DC’s international counterpart should be the team that has taken giant strides in recent years. England indeed fits this criterion.</p>
<p>After a disastrous <strong>World Cup</strong> campaign in 2015, England inducted many young faces in their limited-overs team to bolster the side. The move proved to be spot on as the Three Lions, under Eoin Morgan, defeated the best of the teams and even climbed to the top of ICC ODI and T20I team rankings. They also advanced to the 2016 T20 World Cup finals, semi-finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy, before lifting the prestigious World Cup in 2019.</p>
<p>Similarly, <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/dc-delhi-capitals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Capitals</a> </strong>qualified for the playoffs in IPL 2019 before making it to the finals in the following season. In fact, they were at the top of the team standings at the time of IPL 2021 suspension. The Rishabh Pant-led side has already won six of their eight games and needs just two more victories in six remaining league-stage matches to make a place in playoffs.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>4. Sunrisers Hyderabad – New Zealand</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517875" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517875" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517875" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Sunrisers-Hyderabad-and-New-Zealand.jpg" alt="Sunrisers Hyderabad and New Zealand international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517875" class="wp-caption-text">Sunrisers Hyderabad and New Zealand. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a> and New Zealand don’t tend to make a lot of noise in their journey. However, they are always found among the top teams at the end of the tournament. This common trait of the two sides makes them each other’s counterparts. Interestingly, both these teams are led by <strong>Kane Williamson</strong> currently.</p>
<p>Well, many of you might not realise, but New Zealand’s performance in ICC tournaments has been staggering since the last decade. They qualified for the finals of the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and 2015 and went to the semi-finals in the 2011 edition. Apart from that, they made it to the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-finals and are also the finalists of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. Now, that’s impressive.</p>
<p>Similarly, SRH are also one of the top IPL teams when it comes to consistency. In fact, they are the only side to have qualified for the playoffs in the last five IPL editions (2016 to 2020). However, they haven’t done well in this year’s competition, losing six of their first eight games until the season’s suspension. Hence, they need to win almost all their remaining league-stage games to extend their record.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>5. Kolkata Knight Riders – Sri Lanka</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517874" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517874" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517874" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Kolkata-Knight-Riders-and-Sri-Lanka.jpg" alt="Kolkata Knight Riders and Sri Lanka international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517874" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders and Sri Lanka. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Now, you might find this match a little odd as Sri Lanka has struggled across formats in the last few years. However, their performance in most of the ICC tournaments this century has been staggering. Similarly, <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/kkr-kolkata-knight-riders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> </strong>had also done well, barring the last couple of seasons. Hence, the Men in Purple and Gold find their international equivalent in Sri Lanka.</p>
<p>The Lankan Lions was undoubtedly a force to reckon with Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Tillakaratne Dilshan were active cricketers, and Lasith Malinga was at his prime. Under them, Sri Lanka advanced to the finals of 50-over World Cups in 2007 and 2011. They also played three T20 World Cup finals and also won the 2014 edition of the showpiece event.</p>
<p>Speaking of KKR, the side enjoyed its best time under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership. The former Indian batsman led the team in seven seasons and took them to the title in 2012 and 2014. However, KKR hasn’t done well since the last couple of seasons. In fact, they were seventh in the points table when IPL 2021 got suspended.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>6. Mumbai Indians – Australia</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517873" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517873" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517873" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Mumbai-Indians-and-Australia.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians and Australia international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517873" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians and Australia. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI and Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Five-time World Champions Australia and five-time IPL champions <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/mi-mumbai-indians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a></strong> have to be each other’s equivalent. The two sides are known to dominate oppositions, and their record speaks volumes of their prowess. MI and Australia even have a sensational record in knock-out games which makes them a formidable force.</p>
<p>Australia won their first World Cup title in 1987 and have been multiplying the trophies since then. The Men in Yellow lifted three consecutive World Cups in 1999, 2003, and 2007 before clinching the showpiece tournament again in 2015. If that’s not enough, Australia also have two Champions Trophy award in their cabinet.</p>
<p>Similarly, Mumbai Indians didn’t have any title in the first five seasons. However, they clinched their maiden trophy in 2013 and won four more in the following seven seasons. Rohit Sharma’s men are also the frontrunners to lift the IPL 2021 title, and they would be raring for the season resumption. At the time of postponement, the defending champions were fourth in the table with four wins in seven games.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>7. Rajasthan Royals – Pakistan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517872" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517872" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517872" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Rajasthan-Royals-and-Pakistan.jpg" alt="Rajasthan Royals and Pakistan international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517872" class="wp-caption-text">Rajasthan Royals and Pakistan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After winning the inaugural season in 2007, <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Royals</a></strong> haven’t done well. They tend to blow hot and cold in the tournament and often find themselves in the middle of team standings.&nbsp; Likewise, Pakistan also won the 2009 T20 World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy. However, when it comes to consistency, they lack behind.</p>
<p>Pakistan tends to struggle against big teams, and their position in ICC rankings speaks everything. However, their knack for performing out of the blue moon has earned them the ‘unpredictable’ tag. Nevertheless, the Men in Green need to make consistency their priority to thrive at the highest level.</p>
<p>A positive attribute which Pakistan and Rajasthan Royals share is their young talent. While the Men in Green have Shaheen Afridi and Haider Ali in their ranks, RR have the services of Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson, and Kartik Tyagi, who all are deemed as future stars. Meanwhile, at the season postponement, RR was fifth in the table with three wins in seven games.</p>
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<h3>8. Punjab Kings– West Indies</h3>
<figure id="attachment_517871" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-517871" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-517871" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2021/05/Punjab-Kings-and-West-Indies.jpg" alt="Punjab Kings and West Indies international equivalents of the current IPL teams" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-517871" class="wp-caption-text">Punjab Kings and West Indies. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Apart from Chris Gayle’s presence,<strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Punjab Kings</a></strong> and West Indies have many things in common. Both the sides are studded with star cricketers but coming together as a unit has been a challenge for them. Hence, West Indies don’t feature in the top five of any ICC rankings, while PBKS was sixth in the points table at the time of season suspension.</p>
<p>In fact, Punjab is the only side to have not qualified for the final once despite featuring in all 13 IPL seasons. One of the biggest reasons behind their struggle is not having a settled combination. The same issue has been haunting West Indies in the past few years. Although they have won the T20 World Cup twice, they don’t have much to show in other series and tournaments in the last decade.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, as mentioned above, the two sides have some big guns who are capable of guiding their side to glory. Hence, teams should beware of West Indies in this year’s T20 World Cup while the KL Rahul-led side should back themselves to bounce back in IPL 2021.</p>

Cricket fans all across the globe were left disappointed after the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Over the years, IPL has witnessed some mind

Many IPL teams and international sides share similar traits.

8 IPL teams and their international equivalents

Check out the equivalent connections between each IPL franchise and their counterparts in international cricket.