IPL 2018: Area of concern for each side this season

Every side has played three games so far this season. While three matches might be too little to constitute a sample size large enough to come to any firm conclusions, it is enough to pick out trends. Trends that are working for teams that are winning and problems that teams have lost more than they have won.

With each side still figuring out what their combinations might be this season, let us take a look at problems and area of concern for each side this season in IPL 2018. Some are obvious and have led to defeats and others are apparent even if they haven't led to losses so far. These are concerns that each side must look to address if they are looking to end the season by lifting the IPL trophy.

Here is an area of concern for each side this season:

Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma's role as a batsman needs to be defined

Let us start at the bottom and go to the side that is currently winless in this year's IPL. While the defending champions haven't really clicked in across all departments in a game, all of their games have been close encounters.

They lost to CSK in the opening game, one which they should have won. But the next two games should have been comfortable victories for the opposing side but that was far from the case as MI made it a close encounter. While Rohit Sharma's form is a concern, he will find his way out but the bigger problem has to do with their batting line-up.

Although Evin Lewis is the established opener, he has had two different partners in three games. Both Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav have opened the innings and while the latter fared much better, MI haven't been consistent in defining the roles for each player. Rohit has been used as a floater, Pollard seemingly as an all-rounder, who doesn't really bowl or bat.

Both Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya have also been moved up and down the order. Although MI are traditionally slow starters, they need to find some stability, they could start by fixing their batting order and sticking with it.

Delhi Daredevils

The form of DD's experienced spinners is a worry

If you look past the results, DD have had a decent start to the tournament so far. They were blown away by a KL Rahul blitzkrieg in the opening game and were robbed of a win in the second thanks to rain and DLS. But their batting depth has been on show and a couple of their key batting mainstays have come to the party.

Despite their shuffling of players, each one comes into the side with a designated role. The main concern for Gautam Gambhir's side has to be the form of the spinners. While Rahul Tewatia has been terrific, both Shahbaz Nadeem and Amit Mishra have gone for plenty.

Although their pace attack is solid, theirs is a bowling line-up that needs everyone to contribute to be successful over a long stretch and finding the ideal spin combination is something that DD should look to answer immediately.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB continue to rely too heavily on Kohli and AB

It has been a case of déjà vu for RCB so far this season. Their batting has been explosive as usual but their bowling has lacked consistency and that has resulted in them not being able to get over the line.

RCB's problem is one of plenty across the starting XI. While they have plenty of quality, finding the right piece that fits into the puzzle isn't easy. Three of their four foreign slots are filled by players in the top four, who can't bowl. And that is where the problem lies.

The fact that they don't have a genuine all-rounder in the top six has meant that they have had to go in with just five bowling options, which, irrespective of the strength of the batting line-up is a recipe for disaster in T20s. On any given day, one bowler might have an off day and it is always good to have options.

The easiest solution to RCB's problem would be to drop one of the openers and play Colin de Grandhomme or Corey Anderson in the middle-order to add more depth to the batting line-up and provide an option with the ball.

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR need to find an answer to the Narine dilemma

For all the talk of inexperience in their side ahead of the tournament, KKR actually have a strong base of experienced campaigners to build their team around. And it is in a way unfortunate that one of those key players become the area of concern for the side.

Sunil Narine has been a revelation as an opening batsman. With his carefree attitude, he has often given opposing bowlers a tough proposition. And while his success as a batsman doesn't exactly determine whether his side wins or loses, his position in the batting order is creating a slight issue.

If he opens that means the likes of Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Nitish Rana and Andre Russell will have to bat a spot lower than they would ideally prefer to bat. And that in turn disrupts the role for each batsmen. In the three matches, he has opened twice and came in at No.4 once.

Ideally, having him feature as an opener or playing him as a bowler who can tonk the ball towards the end of the innings is a choice that KKR have to make and stick with.

Rajasthan Royals

Should RR stick or twist with D'Arcy Short?

Despite winning two of their three matches, Rajasthan Royals' bowling attack doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence. Although they have the variety of a right arm pacer, left arm pacer, leg spinner and a bowler who has all the tricks in the books, they haven't really struck fear in the minds of the opposing batsmen.

That should be an area of concern for Warne as their batting nor rain will not always come to their aid. The easiest solution to this would be add something different to the mix, ala Jofra Archer, who has pure pace and variety as well.

Another concern is the form of D'Arcy Short and the role of Rahul Tripathi. So far the Australian hasn't looked at home opening the innings with Rahane and the uncapped Indian player hasn't really taken to his new role of finisher. While they can wait for a while and look for the duo to settle into the role, they could also drop Short, have Tripathi open and bolster the middle-order with Heinrich Klaasen or bowling with Jofra Archer.

Chennai Super Kings

Injuries have become a real concern for CSK

"But every game one player is getting injured. By that calculation we will not have 14 players at the end of the league." When MS Dhoni half-jokingly said that after Suresh Raina got injured in their second game of IPL 2018 and followed Kedar Jadhav onto the treatment table, he couldn't have possibly foreseen an injury to a key player in the third game as well.

This time, it was Dhoni, who had back problems. Faf du Plessis is just coming back from an injury and they are running out of batsmen who could draft into the side. Injuries have become a major concern for a side that came into the IPL relying on their key stars to perform and a few others to contribute on the side.

While injuries is not something that the team can control, one area they can is their bowling. That just hasn't been up to the mark so far and the likes of Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar haven't been particularly effective. Even the spinners have gone for plenty and Ravindra Jadeja's usage has made for curious viewing. If they are to have any chance of winning their third IPL title, they will certainly need to sort out their bowling.

Kings XI Punjab

Punjab need to be ready with answers if the questions arise

The return of Chris Gayle helped solve a problem Kings XI Punjab thought they might have soon after the auction ended. How do you fit in four openers into two slots? Now the answer seems simple, have the two most destructive batsmen open the innings, slot in another at No.3 and have the most versatile of the lot play in the middle-order.

While power-hitting isn't an area that is going to trouble them, lack of variety with the ball just might. Although the spin trio of Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have been on the money so far, none of the three turn the ball a great deal. And their two main pacers, Mohit Sharma and Andrew Tye rely a lot on their slower balls.

As the tournament reaches its business end, teams might find it easy to line up a bowling attack whose next move you can predict. The easiest option would be for them to continue doing what they do right now and not let any batsman settle against one of them by constantly shuffling the pack. If that stops working, they might have to think about another combination that might work for them.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

How do you pick the bones out of a side that has won three games in a row, despite losing their inspirational skipper for the season ahead of the tournament? The short answer? You don't.

Yet you only have to dig just a little deeper to find out the type of problem they might face as the tournament progresses. Their bowling attack is largely one-dimensional, even if that is still good enough to beat most teams on any given day. Although they have a leg spinner and a left-arm spinner, their pace attack is three right-arm pacers. Although all three bring something different to the table, if teams can see off Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, they know that they can still get at the bowling line-up.

The batting is top-heavy and the middle-order doesn't have enough consistent performers. While they have chased every total they have been set so far this season, they don't have the fire power to set huge totals on a consistent basis due to the lack of fire power.