As the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) draws nearer, the growing excitement for thrilling cricket is intensifying. When batsmen are on form, T20 cricket can get quite intense, as demonstrated by the previous edition’s record runs and sixes.
Dream batting surfaces and the luxury of the impact player rule provided the ideal conditions for batters to flourish. The tail end of the innings was even more cruel for the bowlers, the spinners were treated with no mercy, and the fielding limits were mailed out as much as possible.
The bowling attack, all-rounders, and the top and middle order are given a lot of attention in order to create depth and balance. The finishers, a subcategory of this, are frequently overlooked in all of this. Given the dearth of trustworthy and dependable choices, they are among the most difficult units to put together, but they occasionally have the potential to make the difference by giving a team a boost when they are batting first or navigating the closing stretch of a run chase.
In light of this, let’s examine the top 5 teams in the IPL 2025 that have the finest finishers.
5. Rajasthan Royals (RR)
RR focused on securing strong finishers during retention, prioritizing trusted players over uncertain auction picks. With Indian core players like Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, and Riyan Parag handling the batting, finishers like Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, and Wanindu Hasaranga have the freedom to go all out. The ₹25 crore spent on Jurel and Hetmyer strengthens their lower middle order. Hetmyer is a proven finisher, while Jurel shows great potential, making them crucial to RR’s success.
4. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
RCB rebuilt their finishing unit after releasing key players and Dinesh Karthik’s retirement. Effective finishing is vital at Chinnaswamy Stadium, where high scores are expected. They recruited consistent finishers like Jitesh Sharma and Tim David, with Liam Livingstone also a potential game-changer. Krunal Pandya, Jacob Bethell, and Manoj Bhandage offer additional options.
3. Gujarat Titans (GT)
Despite losing key finishers like Hardik Pandya and David Miller, GT retains reliable players like Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan. They also added Glenn Phillips, who impressed in the 2025 Champions Trophy, along with Shahrukh Khan, who has potential despite his underwhelming IPL numbers.
2. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
PBKS’s lone positive from IPL 2024 was their late-innings batting, led by Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. Retaining Shashank, they added experienced finishers like Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, and all-rounder Marco Jansen to rebuild their lower middle order.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
KKR retained their powerful lower middle order of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh. Russell’s unmatched power-hitting and Rinku’s growing reputation make them formidable. Ramandeep has been effective when given chances, with Rovman Powell available as backup. KKR won last year largely without relying on these hitters, but they may be more crucial this season.
