Best Indian Premier League Bets to Target in 2021

The 2021 Indian Premier League season resumed this week following a four-month absence. The campaign was halted due to the pandemic, but we can now wager on T20 cricket’s biggest competition again.

With dozens of games remaining, there are still plenty of opportunities to bet on the IPL and win money – and that is exactly why I created this post.

I have scoured the leading online cricket sportsbooks to find the best IPL bets for the remainder of the 2021 season.

My top Indian Premier League picks concern the title winner, both the Orange and Purple Cap winner, top run-scorers and wicket-takers for a number of teams, and a host of other IPL betting markets.

So, without further ado, let’s go through my best IPL bets for the rest of the 2021 campaign.

Before the season was put on hold, KKR was not in a good place. Brendon McCullum’s men only managed to win two of their opening seven games, giving themselves plenty of work to do after the restart.

In their first game back, Eoin Morgan and co. bowled out Royal Challengers Bangalore for just 92 runs. They only lost one wicket on their way to chasing down the target inside ten overs, with Shubman Gill (48) and Venkatesh Iyer (41*) scoring the bulk of the runs.

Last time out, they limited Mumbai Indians to 155/6 before chasing down the target in 15.1 overs. Iyer (53) starred once again, while Rahul Tripathi smashed an unbeaten 74 off 42 deliveries.

Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings are the bookies’ favorites to lift the trophy this year, while RCB and MI are also in the mix. But in terms of value, I really like the look of KKR at 9.00.

Believe it or not, Shikhar Dhawan has never won the Orange Cap. Despite being the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the Indian Premier League, the 35-year-old has never managed to score the most runs in a single IPL season.

That said, if he carries on the way he’s going, he could easily get his hands on the illusive Orange Cap.

As the table below details, it looks like being a two-horse race for the Orange Cap this year. KL Rahul is keeping pace with Dhawan for now, but the chasing pack are losing ground.

Dhawan kicked off the campaign with a massive 85 against CSK before smashing 92 off 49 against PBKS. Following scores of 45 and 46 against MI and KKR, respectively, he then hit an unbeaten 69 against PBKS just before the shutdown.

Thankfully for the Capitals, Dhawan picked up where he left off before the lay-off – hitting an impressive 42 in his team’s first game back. He now finds himself 42 runs clear of Rahul in the run-scoring charts.

Rahul – the 2020 Orange Cap winner – is priced at 4.00 to defend his crown, with Faf du Plessis (8.00), Mayank Agarwal (9.00), and Prithvi Shaw (13.00) behind him. Still, I think this is Dhawan’s year.

Unsurprisingly, Harshal Patel (1.95) is the bookies’ favorite to claim the Purple Cap this year. The RCB seamer is three wickets clear of both Avesh Khan and Chris Morris and has a game in hand over Khan.

In my eyes, though, Khan’s price of 6.50 is very difficult to ignore.

With DC flying high at the top of the table, Khan will almost certainly be playing in the playoffs next month. Patel, on the other hand, could miss out on a top-four finish with RCB.

The Royal Challengers were demolished by RCB in their first game since the restart, losing by nine wickets with 60 balls remaining. That defeat means they have now lost three of their previous four matches.

Admittedly, some of my Indian Premier League picks are a little bold. But this is arguably one of the safest IPL bets you are likely to come across in 2021.

Having won just one of their eight matches this season, the Sunrisers sit four points adrift at the foot of the table. The Hyderabad franchise has been the worst team in the league this year, so I can’t see how they will get off the bottom.

Granted, SRH has a game in hand over PBKS. But even if they win that match, they would still be two points behind their nearest challenger.

It is also worth remembering that PBKS still has five matches remaining. So, even if the Sunrisers did win the majority of their remaining encounters, the likelihood of them overtaking the Kings is pretty slim, as the Kings aren’t likely to lose all of their remaining games.

Things look bleak for Trevor Bayliss’ men, so I expect them to finish rock bottom of the table this year.

We all know that Chennai endured a campaign to forget last year. Having reached the final in 2019, CSK ended up second from bottom last season – registering their worst-ever IPL finish.

This year, however, the Super Kings appear to be back to their best.

Captained by the legendary MS Dhoni, the Yellow Army have only lost two of their eight games in 2021 – picking up six wins in the process. They also boast the best net run rate in the comp by a considerable margin (+1.223).

The Yellow Army have qualified for the playoffs ten times in 11 seasons, finishing inside the top four on more occasions than any other side. They have also reached a record eight finals, claiming three titles along the way.

With du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the way with the bat, Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood dominating with the ball, and all-rounders like Moeen Ali and Dwayne Bravo doing a bit of both, it feels like CSK is a genuine force again.

Before I sign off, I want to share a few more Indian Premier League picks with you.

While the wagers I discussed above are excellent value, there are tons of IPL bets to take advantage of between now and the end of the season. Make sure you explore all the different markets to give yourself the best possible chance of winning cash.

Here are some more IPL picks to consider.

If you want to learn more about the 2021 Indian Premier League season so far, check out our IPL recap and update. You will find lots of useful information on that page, including team analysis, insight, and more.