Astrologer's pick: RCB, Lions & MI best bets; DD & SRH have slim chances

The captain with the best horoscope amongst all competitors wins a mega tournament like IPL. Also the captain needs to be running through an astrologically favourable planetary transit. The team and the coach should possess strong horoscopes too. Let’s analyse team by team who stands a chance this time.

The new team ‘Rising Pune Super Giants’ have no chances to win the IPL-9. The core of the team is the same as the now debarred Chennai Super Kings. The same coach, the same captain and the nucleus of the team too is the same. Dhoni will never be able to lead any team to a glorious victory in future in any format as he is on a decline.

Though he has a great horoscope, he has already won 2 IPLs, 2 Champions Leagues and a World Cup in this format and hence has exhausted his ‘karmic quota’ of success. Besides, Planet – X (2007 RH283) has come into his twelfth house of losses and he will only end up with frustrations. Murugan Ashwin and Ankit Sharma are two new faces that can shine for Pune if given chances.

Gautam Gambhir has a horoscope that is as powerful as Dhoni being born in the same year 1981 when the planet Uranus and Planet Y (1999 JV 127) were in exaltation. Unfortunately, exactly like Dhoni , Gautam too is going through the worst phase of his career and is on a decline. This IPL can be very disappointing for KKR and Gambhir could even step down from captaincy post this IPL. There isn’t any new face that would shine for KKR. The old war horses will just about fall short of crossing the line.

Kings XI Punjab have done a mistake by omitting George Bailey from their lineup. He was their best bet to lead them to a title. He was born in 1982 and had similar planetary positions like Dhoni and Gambhir. Alas, he is not in the team! David Miller, the rookie skipper will come a cropper and discover that captaincy isn’t that easy. David doesn’t have it in his horoscope to win a major tournament as of now. Expect Manan Vohra to once again stake his claim as one to watch out for in the future.

Delhi Dare Devils have an outside chance to win the IPL due to the strong horoscope of their skipper Zaheer Khan. They may seem to lack big names but Rahul Dravid and Paddy Upton will galvanise them into a fighting unit. Expect Shreyas Iyer to stamp his authority on this IPL. Some unknown youngsters of DD will be household names by the end of the season. The team consists of some older and some too younger players. This skews the astrological balance and hence their chances.

David Warner has a superb horoscope and he is the only person who can can take Sunrisers Hyderabad to the title. His major handicap is that opener Shikhar Dhawan will be a pale shadow of self and having the two veterans Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra affects the astrological balance of the squad. Brainder Sran and Mustafizur Rahman will lead the charge for them. The coach Moody has a fab horoscope and that slightly tilts things in their favour.

Mumbai Indians once again stand an excellent chance to win the tournament simply because of an astrologically good squad and the fantastic horoscopes of captain Rohit Sharma and coach Ricky Ponting. The only factor that goes against them is the fact that they had won the last IPL with exactly the same squad.

Astrologically, the top two teams that have excellent chances to win this tournament would be Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions. Both the captains Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina have almost identical horoscopes with Uranus, Planet – X, and Planet – Z (2008 FC76) in exalted positions. The fact that their coaches Daniel Vettori and Brad Hodge haven’t won a tournament yet despite possessing good horoscopes only works in their favour.

These are the two most ‘astrologically balanced’ teams of the tournament with the highest chance to win their maiden title. Virat has come agonizingly close to winning a title a few times before and this is his best chance to go ahead and clinch it. Suresh Raina has a great squad, a great coach and a great horoscope for himself. This is his best chance too!

Watch out for Sarfaraz Khan; he is a legend in the making. K L Rahul of RCB and Andrew Tye of Gujarat Lions will shine too if given chances.

So…the IPL this year should go to either RCB or Lions! Mumbai Indians have some decent chances too. You cannot completely discount DD and SRH either. But heavy weights KKR, Rising Pune Super Giants and Kings XI Punjab have no chances at all.