The 11th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway this weekend, with eight franchises competing for the coveted title from April 7-May 31 across nine cities. This season sees the return of two franchises - Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals - after the two served two-year suspensions for the 2013 spot-fixing scandal.
Ahead of IPL 11’s opening game between defending champions Mumbai Indians and two-time winners CSK in Mumbai on Saturday, here’s a lowdown on the eight franchises.
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
Captain: Rohit Sharma
With two T20I centuries and three ODI double-centuries, this is a batsman worth his salt and then some when it comes to limited-overs cricket. As always, it will fall on Rohit to bat Mumbai Indians through the innings.
Squad:
Strengths: The bowling. In Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, Mustafizur Rahman, Mitchell McClenaghan, Hardik and Krunal Pandya the team has a very balanced attack.
Weaknesses: Not enough international quality in the batting. Evin Lewis and JP Duminy are not good enough support for Rohit Sharma.
Fixtures: April 7 v CSK (home); April 12 v SRH (away); April 14 v DD (home); April 17 v RCB (home); April 22 v RR (away); April 24 v SRH (home); April 28 v CSK (away); May 1 v RCB (away); May 4 v KXIP (away); May 6 v KKR (home); May 9 v KKR (away); May 13 v RR (home); May 15 v KXIP (home).
IPL 11 prediction: Their pedigree speaks for itself, but a reliance on too few players with the bat and ball threaten to detail Mumbai Indians’ season. To reach the play-offs will take a lot of consistency. Mumbai can do it, but that over-dependency factor could scupper their chances.
Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings
Captain: MS Dhoni
What else needs to be said of the man who has led India to the 50-over World Cup and World Twenty20 and CSK to two IPL and Champions League Twenty20 titles?
Squad:
Strengths: A very balanced batting lineup featuring Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja, with backup comprising Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu and Sam Billings.
Weaknesses: The spin bowling is reliant on an ageing Harbhajan Singh and it will be tough to accommodate South African legspinner Imran Tahir given the four overseas player cap.
Fixtures: April 7 v MI (away); April 10 v KKR (home); April 15 v KXIP (away); April 20 v RR (home); April 22 v SRH (away); April 25 v RCB (away); April 28 v MI (home); April 30 v DD (home); May 3 v KKR (away); May 5 v RCB (home); May 11 v RR (away); May 13 v SRH (home); May 18 v KXIP (home).
IPL 11 prediction: Putting together the core of the successful squad of seasons past could prove the smartest move the franchise owners made. Put your money on CSK going to the play-offs.
Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils
Captain: Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles, has returned to his first franchise as captain. He is credited with turning around KKR’s fortunes with his innovative captaincy, crucial batting and selection of certain uncapped Indian and experienced overseas players, and is the franchise’s leading run-getter with 3345 in 122 matches.
Squad:
Strengths: The batting. A squad featuring the batting might of Colin Munro, Glenn Maxwell, Jason Roy, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Gambhir, with Chris Morris down the order, gives Daredevils hope of challenging all bowling attacks.
Weaknesses: Beyond Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult - who will struggle to make the XI as a pair - the pace bowling is suspect with only Morris a certainty. Mohammed Shami is injury prone and Harshal Patel expensive. A lack of serous Indian pace off the bench is a worry.
Fixtures: April 8 v KXIP (away); April 11 v RR (away); April 14 v MI (away); April 16 v KKR (away); April 21 v RCV (away); April 23 v KXIP (home); April 27 v KKR (home); April 30 v CSK (away); May 2 v RR (home); May 5 v SRH (away); May 10 v SRH (home); May 12 v RCB (home); May 18 v CSK (home); May 20 v MI (home).
IPL 11 prediction: If the batting can live upto its reputation and the bowlers - particularly the spinners - remain penetrative and consistent to support the pace attack, expect Daredevils to reach the knockouts.
Kings Xi Punjab
Kings Xi Punjab
Captain: R Ashwin
Though a hugely successful bowler, Ashwin has never captained in T20 cricket and thus his IPL nous - 120 wickets for CSK - will be the key.
Squad
Strengths: Plenty of top order batting options in Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair, plus too good spinners in Ashwin and Axar Patel.
Weaknesses: The pace bowling. Barring the Australian Andrew Tye, there is no penetrative and bankable fast bowler.
Fixtures: April 8 v DD (home); April 13 v RCB (away); April 15 v CSK (home); April 19 v SRH (home); April 21 v KKR (away); April 23 v DD (away); April 26 v SRH (away); May 4 v MI (home); May 6 v RR (home); May 8 v RR (away); May 12 v KKR (home); May 14 v RCB (home); May 16 v MI (away); May 20 v CSK (away).
IPL 11 prediction: It all depends on consistency. Too many KXIP teams have struggled, and it given how frail the bowling looks it, it appears another glum season is in store.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Captain: Virat Kohli
After missing the recent Nidahas Trophy in Bangladesh, Kohli enters IPL 11 fresh and raring to go. First on his agenda will be to move RCB up the rankings and put behind them a dismal last season, and if he continues to bat the way he has over the last year it will spell plenty of trouble for opposing bowlers.
Squad:
Strengths: Kohli, AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock make for a superb top four. With the addition of Washington Sundar, who was Player of the Series in India’s Nidahas Trophy win, there is a very fine spin bowling partner for Yuzvendra Chahal.
Weaknesses: As always there will be focus on how the pace bowlers fare, which puts Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya under the microscope.
Fixtures: April 8 v KKR (away); April 13 v KXIP (home); April 15 v RR (home); April 17 v MI (away); April 21 v DD (away); April 25 v CSK (home); April 29 v KKR (home); May 1 v MI (home); May 5 v CSK (away); May 7 v SRH (away); May 12 v DD (home); May 14 v KXIP (away); May 17 v SRH (home); May 19 v RR (away).
IPL 11 prediction: If the batting clicks to its potential - imagine what McCullum, de Kock, Kohli and de Villiers can do - and the pace bowlers fire collectively, the pressure will be eased on the formidable pair of Chahal and Sundar. It is the bowling that will decide where they end up on the points table, and not having serious domestic backup for Umesh could be pivotal. RCB need their bowling to last the distance, otherwise the knockouts are a tough shot.
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals
Captain: Ajinkya Rahane
Rahane has taken over the leadership following Steve Smith’s suspension, and thus the question has been raised: how will a batsman whose confidence has appeared low at international level fare when saddled with the burden of captaincy as he tries to remain relevant in India’s limited-overs plans?
Squad:
Strengths: Expectations will be high from a bowling group featuring Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ben Stokes, Joffra Archer, Ben Laughlin, Ankit Sharma and Anureet Singh.
Weaknesses: Not enough international experience in the batting. Rahane, Stokes and Jos Buttler may have too much pressure on their shoulders.
Fixtures: April 9 v SRH (away); April 11 v DD (home); April 15 v RCB (away); April 18 v KKR (home); April 20 v CSK (away); April 22 v MI (home); April 29 v SRH (home); May 2 v DD (away); May 6 v KXIP (away); May 8 v KXIP (home); May 11 v CSK (home); May 13 v MI (away); May 15 v KKR (away).
IPL 11 prediction: The Royals’ squad has plenty of promise, and it will boil down to how Rahane marshals the players while delivering starts. But the lingering feeling is that the squad lacks international experience, which could end up being the decisive factor in Royals’ season.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders
Captain: Dinesh Karthik
In Karthik - who played India’s first T20I in 2006 - the franchise has a very smart, experience and successful figure as leader. Karthik has captained South Zone, India Under-19s, Tamil Nadu, Delhi Daredevils and India Blue and is still, at the age of 32, one of the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the country.
Squad:
Strengths: With Mitchell Johnson ruled out with injury, an already suspect bowling pace attack has been depleted, but in Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla KKR boast the best spin-bowling trio in the league.
Weaknesses: Was spending 12.6 crore on five batsmen at January’s auction a smart move? Time will tell, but a reliance on Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill and Cameron Delport could prove costly.
Fixtures: April 8 v RCB (home); April 10 v CSK (away); April 14 v SRH (home); April 16 v DD (home); April 18 v RR (away); April 21 v KXIP (home); April 27 v DD (away); April 29 v RCB (away); May 3 v CSK (home); May 6 v MI (away); May 9 v MI (home); May 12 v KXIP (away); May 15 v RR (home); May 19 v SRH (away).
IPL 11 prediction: If Lynn, one of the best openers in the IPL, Uthappa and Karthik click as a batting unit and Narine, Kuldeep and Chawla remain consistent, the pressure will be eased off Mitchell Johnson and Tom Curran. The real test is how KKR fare without their inspirational past captain, Gautam Gambhir. The play-offs look difficult.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Captain: Kane Williamson
A proven leader with New Zealand, Williamson was the best option SRH had once David Warner was removed from the IPL for the season. He can manage his players well, while being understated, and captaincy has not effected his batting.
Squad:
Strengths: Despite losing Warner, SRH have very good batsmen in Williamson, Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales, Wriddhiman Saha and Yusuf Pathan.
Weaknesses: A lack of support for the talismanic Bhuvneshwar Kumar means that Rashid Khan, the sensational Afghanistan legspinner, and Shakib have plenty to do.
Fixtures: April 9 v RR (home); April 12 v MI (home); April 14 v KKR (away); April 19 v KXIP (away); April 22 v CSK (home); April 24 v MI (away); April 26 v KXIP (home); April 29 v RR (away); May 5 v DD (home); May 7 v RCB (home); May 10 v DD (away); May 13 v CSK (away); May 17 v RCB (away); May 19 v KKR (home).
IPL 11 prediction: A strong side on paper despite Warner not being around. The batting looks good and balance, as well as deep, but how far Sunrisers go in the league will be dependent on the bowlers. If it all goes well, they look sure shots for the play-offs.
News Referance :- UCNEWS
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