IPL teams and their Euro 2020 counterparts

The year 2020 wasn’t a pleasant one for sports fanatics, with many major series and tournaments being cancelled left, right and center due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 2021 is much better as non-stop sporting action has entertained the fans. From India vs Australia Test series to the French Open 2021 and UEFA Champions League, many mind-boggling tournaments took place across various sports that left the fans in awe.

The sporting fever will remain high as several important fixtures are lined up. While football fans will be engaged in Euro 2020, many cricket lovers are waiting for the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Now, football and cricket are two entirely different sports, and contrasting skills are required to thrive in both fields.

While the shortest format of international cricket, T20, lasts for at least three hours, a football game is a 90-minute affair. However, there are also some similarities between the two sports which lead to comparisons. 11 players per team are required in both games, with one member assigned to keep. Football has defenders, and strikers while cricket requires bowlers and batsmen. Teamwork is undoubtedly one of the most crucial requirements to taste success in both sports.

Owing to these, we have seen many football teams being compared to cricket sides based on their common traits. With the Euro 2020 and IPL 2021 being the talk of the town in the sporting world, we are also going to do a similar exercise.

Here we look at the eight IPL teams and their Euro 2020 equivalents:

1. Rajasthan Royals – Netherlands

After failing to qualify for the 2016 edition of the European competition, Netherlands will definitely enjoy their return to the international main stage. The Dutch side should seek inspiration from their 3rd place finish at the 2014 World Cup to challenge the big names in the competition. However, they have a daunting task at hand, with regular skipper Virgil van Dijk missing the season due to an unfortunate injury.

Donny van de Beek and Jasper Cillessen will also not feature in the tournament due to health and fitness reasons. The absence of multiple names has certainly impacted the combination of the team. Interestingly, there was a team in the now-postponed IPL 2021 which faced the same problem. It is none other than the inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals.

The Sanju Samson-led side lost several big names like Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, and Liam Livingstone due to injuries and other reasons. However, RR made a decent utilisation of their leftover resources and won three of their seven games before the season was called off. Hence, it would be interesting to see whether the Netherlands can put up a similar show or not.

2. Punjab Kings – Belgium

Fans had high hopes from Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2021, but the KL Rahul-led side couldn’t rise to the expectations. Despite having several T20 stars like KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mohammed Shami, and Nicholas Pooran in the ranks, Punjab couldn’t do well and lost five of their first eight games. They were reeling at sixth place at the time of season suspension.

One Euro 2020 team which has similar traits is Belgium. The side looks quite formidable on the paper, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukako being one of the most celebrated footballers. However, performing as a unit has been a challenge for them.

They reached the quarterfinals in the previous edition of the tournament in 2016 but will like to go a couple of steps further this season. Belgium once again has an experienced core, and there aren’t many shortcomings in the squad. Manager Roberto Martinez has even brought back Thierry Henry to strengthen the side even further. However, they need to get rid of their old tendency to thrive.

3. Sunrisers Hyderabad – Spain

Since their triumph in Euro 2020, Spain lost their sheen, and their performance narrates the entire story. While the Spanish side went as far as the Round of 16 in the Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup, they couldn’t even cross the league stage in the 2014 WC. Notably, this is the same team that was crowned the winner of the 2010 World Cup.

Spain’s downfall resembles a lot to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s journey in IPL 2021. The Orange Army is the only side to make a place in playoffs every single time since the last five IPL editions. However, their performance this year has been nothing but disappointing. They lost six of their first seven games and need to fight tooth and nail for a place in the final four.

Not having a balanced squad was SRH’s biggest concern in the first half of IPL. In fact, the team management even sacked their regular skipper David Warner in search of an ideal combination. The same problem has been haunting Spain as well in the past few years. However, one must not forget that the Spanish side has lifted the Euro title thrice, and taking them lightly can be costly for opposition teams.

4. Delhi Capitals – Portugal

The defending Euro champions Portugal are one of the front runners to clinch the title this time as well. In Cristiano Ronaldo, the side has arguably the best football player ever. At the same time, prominent names like Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva have also been doing well lately. All these factors make the Portuguese side an equivalent of the Delhi Capitals.

Under Rishabh Pant’s leadership, DC enjoyed a phenomenal run in IPL 2021 and won six of their first eight matches. While dashers like Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, and skipper Pant scored runs consistently, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, and Kagiso Rabada shone with the ball. The majority of the DC players don’t have a lot of experience but that can’t be seen in their performance.

In Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, and Ruben Dias, Portugal also have services of several in-form young players and all of them would be determined to take the side to the title. However, delivering at such a massive stage will definitely test their nerves.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders – Italy

With two IPL titles in the cabinet, Kolkata Knight Riders are one of the most successful IPL teams. However, their performance in the last few seasons hasn’t been that impressive. KKR failed to qualify for playoffs in the previous two seasons, and their campaign in IPL 2021 wasn’t fruitful either. The Eoin Morgan-led side won just two of their first seven games and aren’t likely to make it to the final four.

Italy football team’s story has also been quite similar. The four-time World Cup champions won the 1968 edition of the Euro Championship and were impressive in the following editions as well. In this decade, they even finished as the runners-up twice – 2000 and 2012. However, their performance has dropped significantly in the past few years.

They couldn’t even qualify to play the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Italy’s downfall has indeed been heart-breaking for football fans, and it will be interesting to see if they can perform like their heydays in Euro 2020. At the same time, KKR will like to put up a better show when the season resumes.

6. Royal Challengers Bangalore – England

Possessing a potent team, starting the tournament as favourites but ending up being short of the title. This has been a sad story of both Royal Challengers Bangalore and England over the years. In Kevin Pietersen, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle, many big guns of world cricket have donned the RCB jersey. The side even qualified for the finals thrice but couldn’t cross the final hurdle.

Speaking of England, there’s hardly been any competition where the Brits weren’t deemed, front-runners. However, all they have won is a single World Cup title which they clinched back in 1966. If you even look at their current, there aren’t many shortcomings with Mason Mount, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling in the arsenal.

However, only time will tell if England can break their jinx or not. Interestingly, Virat Kohli and Harry Kane, skippers of RCB and England respectively, are known to share a good bond and have also posted pictures with each other on social media.

7. Chennai Super Kings – Germany

Consistency is one word associated with Chennai Super Kings and Germany ever since the two teams came into existence. CSK thrived under MS Dhoni’s leadership and won three IPL and two Champions League titles. On the other hand, Germany have also been a force to reckon with, winning four World Cup trophies and three Euro championships.

However, the other thing which makes CSK and Germany each other’s counterpart is their frequent appearances in the finals. CSK went to the finals in eight of the 11 IPL seasons they participated. While they tasted glory thrice, they lost the other five summit clashes. Similarly, Germany also finished as runner-ups seven times combined in World Cups and Euro tournaments.

Notably, Germany couldn’t cross the semi-final stage in the two Euro tournaments. Hence, they would be determined to go a couple of more steps further and lift the prestigious title for the fourth time. Coming to CSK, they enjoyed a stellar run in the initial half of IPL 2021, winning five of their first seven games.

8. Mumbai Indians – France

Two of the biggest teams in their respective fields, Mumbai Indians and France, had to be each other’s counterparts. Both sides comprise prominent names, and the number of titles in their cabinet shows their dominance over the years. It won’t be wrong to say that Mumbai Indians have ruled IPL and subsequently lifted the prestigious title five times.

In Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, MI have a combination which many teams dream of. The same implies to Germany as well. Their line-up in Euro 2020 will see prominent figures like Serge Gnabry, Kai Havertz, Thomas Muller, and Timo Werner joining forces. This makes them a team to beat in the marquee tournament.

As far as Germany’s titles are concerned, they won World Cup twice and the Euro competition as many times. Notably, they finished as runners-up in Euro 2026. Hence, they would be raring to go all the way this year.