The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to be another thrilling season, with franchises reshuffling their squads after the auction and dealing with injuries to key players. As teams finalize their strategies, fans are eager to know the best predicted Playing XI for all 10 teams, considering recent injuries and player form.
In this article, we analyze each team’s likely starting lineup, factoring in:
✔ Player injuries and replacements
✔ Current form in domestic & international cricket
✔ Team balance (batting depth, bowling options)
✔ Impact Player strategy
Table of Contents
Mumbai Indians (MI) – Can Hardik Pandya Lead Them to Glory? (IPL 2025)
Key Injuries: Jasprit Bumrah (fitness concerns), Suryakumar Yadav (minor niggle)
Predicted XI:
- Rohit Sharma
- Ishan Kishan (WK)
- Suryakumar Yadav* (if fit) / Naman Dhir
- Tilak Varma
- Hardik Pandya (C)
- Tim David
- Romario Shepherd
- Piyush Chawla
- Jasprit Bumrah* (if fit) / Nuwan Thushara
- Gerald Coetzee
- Kumar Kartikeya
Impact Player: Dewald Brevis (for an extra batter)
Analysis: MI’s batting looks strong, but Bumrah’s fitness remains a concern. If he’s unavailable, Nuwan Thushara or Akash Madhwal could step in.
(IPL 2025) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – Will Dhoni Play a Full Season?
Key Injuries: Deepak Chahar (recurring fitness issues)
Predicted XI:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (C)
- Rachin Ravindra
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Daryl Mitchell
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- MS Dhoni (WK)
- Shardul Thakur
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Tushar Deshpande
Impact Player: Sameer Rizvi (for spin-friendly tracks)
Analysis: CSK’s middle order looks solid, but Chahar’s absence weakens their powerplay bowling.
(IPL 2025) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – Can Kohli & Co. Finally Win?
Key Injuries: Will Jacks (doubtful for first few games)
Predicted XI:
- Faf du Plessis (C)
- Virat Kohli
- Rajat Patidar
- Glenn Maxwell
- Cameron Green
- Dinesh Karthik (WK)
- Mahipal Lomror
- Alzarri Joseph
- Mayank Dagar
- Mohammed Siraj
- Yash Dayal
Impact Player: Suyash Prabhudessai (for extra batting depth)
Analysis: RCB’s bowling still looks thin—their success depends on Siraj and Joseph’s form.
(IPL 2025) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – Russell & Narine’s Final Dance?
Key Injuries: Jason Roy (opted out), Shreyas Iyer (back concerns)
Predicted XI:
- Phil Salt (WK)
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Shreyas Iyer (C)* (if fit) / Nitish Rana
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Sunil Narine
- Ramandeep Singh
- Mitchell Starc
- Harshit Rana
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Chetan Sakariya
Impact Player: Suyash Sharma (extra spinner)
Analysis: KKR’s batting is explosive, but Starc must justify his price tag.
(IPL 2025) Delhi Capitals (DC) – Pant the star wicketkeeper
Key Injuries: Harry Brook (unavailable), Lungi Ngidi (doubtful)
Predicted XI:
- David Warner
- Prithvi Shaw
- Mitchell Marsh
- Rishabh Pant (C & WK)
- Tristan Stubbs
- Axar Patel
- Lalit Yadav
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Anrich Nortje
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Mukesh Kumar
Impact Player: Abishek Porel (wicket-keeping backup)
Analysis: Pant’s return is a huge boost, but DC’s pace attack lacks depth.
Gujarat Titans (GT) – Life After Hardik Pandya (IPL 2025)
Key Injuries: Mohammed Shami (out for season)
Predicted XI:
- Shubman Gill (C)
- Wriddhiman Saha (WK)
- Sai Sudharsan
- David Miller
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- Umesh Yadav
- Spencer Johnson
- Noor Ahmad
- Kartik Tyagi
Impact Player: Shahrukh Khan (finisher role)
Analysis: Shami’s absence hurts—GT needs Umesh Yadav or Spencer Johnson to step up.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) (IPL 2025)
Key Injuries: Prasidh Krishna (recovering)
Predicted XI:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Jos Buttler
- Sanju Samson (C & WK)
- Riyan Parag
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Dhruv Jurel
- Rovman Powell
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Trent Boult
- Avesh Khan
- Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Player: Sandeep Sharma (for death bowling)
Analysis: RR has a balanced squad but needs Parag & Jurel to perform consistently.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – Can Cummins Deliver? (IPL 2025)
Key Injuries: Wanindu Hasaranga (doubtful)
Predicted XI:
- Travis Head
- Abhishek Sharma
- Rahul Tripathi
- Aiden Markram
- Heinrich Klaasen (WK)
- Abdul Samad
- Pat Cummins (C)
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Mayank Markande
- Umran Malik
Impact Player: Jaydev Unadkat (extra pace option)
Analysis: SRH’s batting looks strong, but spin bowling is a concern.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) – Will They Finally Click? (IPL 2025)
Key Injuries: Jonny Bairstow (late arrival)
Predicted XI:
- Shikhar Dhawan (C)
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Liam Livingstone
- Sam Curran
- Sikandar Raza
- Harshal Patel
- Kagiso Rabada
- Rahul Chahar
- Arshdeep Singh
- Harpreet Brar
Impact Player: Rilee Rossouw (for extra firepower)
Analysis: PBKS lacks a reliable Indian middle-order batter—could be their downfall.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – KL Rahul’s Captaincy Test (IPL 2025)
Key Injuries: Mark Wood (doubtful)
Predicted XI:
- KL Rahul (C & WK)
- Quinton de Kock
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Marcus Stoinis
- Nicholas Pooran
- Deepak Hooda
- Krunal Pandya
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Shivam Mavi
- Naveen-ul-Haq
- Mohsin Khan
Impact Player: Ayush Badoni (finisher role)
Analysis: LSG’s pace attack looks weak without Wood—Mavi & Mohsin must step up.
Who Looks Strongest?
- Best Batting Lineup: RCB (Kohli, Faf, Maxwell, Green)
- Best Bowling Attack: CSK (Jadeja, Theekshana, Mustafizur)
- Dark Horse: GT (if Gill & Rashid fire)
Key Factors for Success:
✔ Managing injuries (Bumrah, Shami, Chahar)
✔ Impact Player usage (teams like MI & RR use it well)
✔ Overseas combinations (teams must pick wisely)