IPL 2019: Shane Warne predicts four playoff teams and the winner of the season

Former Australia spinner Shane Warne has revealed the names of the four teams he thinks can progress ahead of the group stage in the soon-to-start twelfth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The much-awaited season of the IPL will kickstart with the marquee clash between the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) welcoming Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chepauk.

And as the teams gear up to start the season on a high, Warne feels Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders will make it to the last four. Interestingly, he left out Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful teams in the league, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have won the title, finished runners-up and made it to the playoffs in the last three seasons.

Shane Warne, who is the former Rajasthan Royals skipper and currently the brand ambassador of the franchise, took to Twitter to reveal his picks for the four teams that are likely to make the playoffs of this season. He backed Royals to go all the way.

“Good luck to all the teams in the @IPL which starts tmrw ! I fancy Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata & the @rajasthanroyals to make the play offs & for the RR’s to win it this year in pink. The RR squad looks full of match winners, X factor players plus some glue in the middle ! Agree?” his tweet read.

Good luck to all the teams in the @IPL which starts tmrw ! I fancy Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata & the @rajasthanroyals to make the play offs & for the RR’s to win it this year in pink. The RR squad looks full of match winners, X factor players plus some glue in the middle ! Agree?

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) March 22, 2019

Royals – a force to reckon with

The Rajasthan-based outfit is definitely one of the strongest teams on the paper this year. Right from the top-order to the bowling department, the inaugural winners of the league has every base covered. At the top, Jos Buttler, Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi have the ability to destroy any attack.

Sanju Samson, comeback man Steve Smith, Jos Buttler and Ashton Turner form a formidable trio in the middle-order although the latter three are unlikely to play together. Jofra Archer provides the x-factor to the team with his all-round skills while Jaydev Unadkat, K Gowtham, Oshane Thomas and Dhawal Kulkarni are more than capable of doing the work with the ball. The Royals, who had made it to the playoffs last season, will start their campaign against Delhi Capitals on Sunday.

Here’s Rajasthan Royals full squad for the IPL 2019:

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