The IPL extravaganza will get underway from 7th April. The eleventh edition of the cash-rich league promises to be an exciting affair as all the teams will be aiming to win the coveted title. Teams have built a strong squad by buying players as per their needs in the auction.
The beauty of this year's IPL is that all the teams look evenly matched and thus some close contests are expected. The team management of all the teams would have made their strategies regarding their playing XI and how to make the best use of the players available to them. To know how the teams stand and how far they can progress, we will analyse the squads of all the teams and the probable playing XIs.
Mumbai Indians
The defending champions have kept the core of the squad from last year intact. They have gone with a tried and tested combination and will hope to add another IPL title to their list.
Mumbai Indians Squad
Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard, Mustafizur Rahman, Pat Cummins, Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar, Evin Lewis, Saurabh Tiwary, Ben Cutting, Pradeep Sangwan, JP Duminy, Jason Behrendorff (replaced by Mitchell McClenaghan), Tajinder Singh, Sharad Lumba, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Mayank Markande, Akila Dhananjaya, Anukul Roy, Mohsin Khan, Nidheesh Dinesan
Batsmen - Mumbai Indians have put their money on domestic batsmen like Saurabh Tiwary, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare and Ishan Kishan. Rohit Sharma and JP Duminy will look to put their vast international experience to good effect. West Indies opener Evin Lewis will be making his IPL debut this year and will want to light up the tournament with his hard-hitting batting. Overall, Mumbai Indians' batting looks to be over-dependent on Rohit Sharma.
All-rounders - Mumbai Indians have the best all-rounders this season. Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard have all proved their worth by delivering some match-winning performances in the past and will look to continue to do so. They will be joined by the Australian all-rounder Ben Cutting which provides the team management ample options. Mumbai Indians' all-rounders make them a side to beat in this year's IPL.
Bowlers - Mumbai Indians' bowling looks a little thin. They have Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman, Mitchell McClenaghan and Pat Cummins in the fast bowling department. While Jasprit Bumrah will be a handful for any opposition, Mustafizur and McClenaghan have been out of form of late. Cummins has had a long season playing for Australia and Mumbai Indians' team management will have to manage his workload carefully.
Spin bowling is another major concern for Mumbai Indians as they don't have established spinners in their squad. Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy and Akila Dananjaya are all young and can crumble under pressure.
Predicted Playing XI - Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rohit Sharma (C), Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav, Pat Cummins, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman
Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils looks like one of the most settled squads in this year's IPL. They came to the auction with a well-planned strategy and tried to cover every base possible.
Delhi Daredevils Squad
Rishabh Pant, Chris Morris, Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell, Gautam Gambhir, Jason Roy, Colin Munro, Mohammad Shami, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Daniel Christian, Jayant Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh, Trent Boult, Manjot Kalra, Abhishek Sharma, Sandeep Lamichhane, Naman Ojha, Sayan Ghosh
Batsmen - Delhi Daredevils lost a lot of matches last year because of inexperience in the batting line-up. Even though they had exciting young talents like Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, they had to pay a huge price for not having experienced batsmen in their side. This year they have sorted it out by buying batsmen like Gautam Gambhir, Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell who come with years of T20 cricket experience.
T20 specialists Munro and Maxwell have been in top form playing for their national sides and that makes Daredevils one of the best batting units of the tournament. They also have a strong Indian contingent in Gurkeerat Singh and Naman Ojha and rising stars Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Kalra in the team.
All-rounders - Chris Morris was tremendous for the Daredevils with both bat and ball last season. His presence in the side gives Daredevils a lot of flexibility. Vijay Shankar, who made his debut for the national side in the recently concluded Nidahas Trophy, will look to put up a strong performance to cement a place in the Indian team. India U19 all-rounder Abhishek Sharma and Australian international Daniel Christian will provide backup options to the Daredevils.
Bowlers - Daredevils have put a lot of emphasis on building a strong fast bowling unit. They used both their RTM cards to retain Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Shami, while they also bought Kiwi pacer Trent Boult. Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan are other options that Daredevils will have at their disposal. Amit Mishra, Jayant Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem will take up the spin duties for the franchise.
Predicted playing XI - Gautam Gambhir (C), Colin Munro, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohammed Shami
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders look a bowling heavy side. They spent a huge amount of money on the bowlers which meant they had to sacrifice on the batting front. They will need to be cautious as the move can backfire.
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad
Sunil Narine, Andrew Russell, Mitchell Starc, Chris Lynn, Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Ishank Jaggi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Nitish Rana, Vinay Kumar, Rinku Singh, Shivam Mavi, Cameron Delport, Apoorv Wankhade, Mitchell Johnson (injured but no replacement named), Javon Searles
Batsmen - Kolkata Knight Riders surprised everyone by not buying well established international batsmen in the auction. Instead, they went for players like Robin Uthappa and Dinesh Karthik who have been consistent performers in domestic cricket and the IPL. They also bought young exciting talents like Shubman Gill, who was the man-of-the-series in the Under 19 World Cup, and Nitish Rana who was sensational playing for Mumbai Indians last season. With Chris Lynn's availability still in doubt, it will be interesting to see how KKR fare with the bat this season.
All-rounders - Andre Russell and Javon Searles are the only two all-rounders in the side. Russell will be making his comeback in the IPL and will be vital to KKR's chances of lifting their third IPL title. With his batting heroics last season, Sunil Narine can also be considered an all-rounder who can score crucial runs for the side.
Bowlers - Bowling will be KKR's forte this year. They have a potent bowling unit with Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc in the mix. They will also have the services of seasoned campaigners Piyush Chawla and Vinay Kumar who have years of IPL experience behind them. KKR also invested huge bucks in India U19 pace sensations Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi. With their batting on the lighter side, KKR's bowling unit will have to come to the party.
Predicted Playing XI - Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik (C & WK), Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav
Kings XI Punjab
The Kings will try to put their abysmal show in the last couple of seasons behind them and start afresh this season. They have built a strong squad for the purpose and will give a tough fight to the other teams this year.
Kings XI Punjab Squad
Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, David Miller(RTM card), Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, Mayank Agarwal, Ankit Rajpoot, Manoj Tiwary, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Zadran, Barinder Sran, Andrew Tye, Akshdeep Nath, Ben Dwarshuis, Pradeep Sahu, Mayank Dagar, Chris Gayle, Manzoor Dar
Batsmen - Kings XI Punjab have a problem of plenty when it comes to batting, especially the opening combination. In Chris Gayle and Aaron Finch they have international superstars who can bludgeon any bowling-attack, while they have KL Rahul who has been fantastic playing for RCB at the top of the order. With Mayank Agarwal in the type of form that he is in right now, it will be a headache for the team management to decide their opening combination.
They have a decent middle order too with Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary and David Miller. Kings XI are one of the most dangerous batting sides which can blast any opposition bowling attack on their day.
Wicket Keeper - Kings XI are perhaps the only side who have concerns in this area. They have two players who can keep wickets for them, KL Rahul and Akshdeep Nath. As it will be difficult for Akshdeep to get into the playing XI, KL Rahul will have to take the wicket-keeping duties which might take a toll on his batting.
All-rounders - Axar Patel and Marcus Stoinis are the designated all-rounders of the side. Axar Patel has lost his place in the playing XI of the Indian team and will have a point to prove this IPL. On the other hand, Marcus Stoinis has had an exceptional start to his international career for Australia and Kings XI will hope that Stoinis carries the same form in the IPL.
Bowlers - Kings XI's bowling might be a cause for concern. Their captain Ravi Ashwin missed the last season because of an injury and it will be a challenge for him to get back in his groove and in the reckoning for the national T20 and ODI sides. They don't have much experience in the pace bowling department either with only Mohit Sharma and Andrew Tye having substantial IPL experience. Bowling in the powerplays and at the death can be an area of concern for the side.
Predicted playing XI - Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, David Miller, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin (C), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad look like the most balanced side of this year's IPL. Sunrisers Hyderabad were the smartest buyers at the auction as they not only managed to keep players from last year's team but also bought some highly effective T20 players.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad
David Warner, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan, Shakib Al Hasan, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Carlos Braithwaite, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha, Rashid Khan, Ricky Bhui, Deepak Hooda, Siddharth Kaul, T Natarajan, Basil Thampi, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammad Nabi, Sandeep Sharma, Sachin Baby, Chris Jordan, Billy Stanlake, Tanmay Agarwal, Shreevats Goswami, Bipul Sharma, Mehdi Hasan
Batsmen - SRH retained David Warner before the auctions and acquired Shikhar Dhawan using the RTM card in the auction, thus forming the most threatening opening pair of the season. They also got back Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson and stylish India middle-order batsman Manish Pandey. They will also have the experience of Wriddhiman Saha, who has shown the ability to play match-winning cameos in the past. With players of such quality in the side, SRH can counter any bowling attack in the tournament.
All-rounders - SRH have a barrage of all-rounders at their disposal which makes them a top contender for the IPL title this year. Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Braithwaite, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi and Deepak Hooda have the potential to turn a match in their team's favour with their all-round abilities.
Bowling - In Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan, SRH have two of the best limited overs bowlers in the world right now. Bhuvneshwar and Rashid have been phenomenal for the franchise in the last couple of seasons and their performances this year will have a huge bearing on SRH's chances in the tournament. They have the strongest Indian contingent when it comes to fast bowlers. Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, Basil Thampi, T Natarajan and Khaleel Ahmed have performed consistently well in the domestic circuit and will only strengthen the already potent bowling-attack.
Predicted playing XI - David Warner (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Deepak Hooda, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore have been known to play a bold brand of cricket throughout the past seasons of the IPL. With Virat Kohli at the helm, RCB are one of the top contenders to lift the trophy this year.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad
Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Brendon McCullum, Chris Woakes, Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Manan Vohra, Kulwant Khejroliya, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini, Murugan Ashwin, Mandeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Mohd Siraj, Nathan Coulter-Nile (replaced by Corey Anderson), Aniruddha Joshi, Parthiv Patel, Tim Southee, Pavan Deshpande
Batsmen - RCB have always been a batting heavy side. This year they went with the same strategy as they retained Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers and Sarfaraz Khan before the auctions. In the auctions, they bought the likes of Quinton de Kock and Brendon McCullum who played some scintillating innings at the top of the order for their previous franchises. They also bought Manan Vohra and Mandeep Singh in the auction. The Punjab duo have had a successful stint for the teams that they have played for in the past and they will give options to the team management in case of injuries to their international stars.
All-rounders - RCB made a conscious effort of filling their squad with a lot of all-rounders to reduce their over-dependence on Kohli and de Villiers. To solve the issue they bought Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes and Pawan Negi. Even though none of these players have set the IPL on fire so far, they provide the much-needed flexibility to the team.
Bowlers - RCB have struggled with their bowling throughout the IPL. In a bid to change their fortunes, RCB went for a complete overhaul in the bowling attack. They retained Yuzvendra Chahal using the RTM card in the auction. However, their prize acquisition was the new spin sensation of Indian Cricket, Washington Sundar. Sundar is going through a purple patch and RCB management will want that to continue in the IPL as well. They also have an abundance of fast bowlers with International pacer Tim Southee and Indian pacers like Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Mohd Siraj, Aniket Choudhary and Kulwant Khejroliya in the side. With such a strong outfit, RCB can win their first IPL title.
Predicted playing XI - Quinton de Kock (WK), Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli (C), Ab de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Pawan Negi, Chris Woakes, Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohd Siraj
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals are making a comeback to the IPL after a two-year hiatus. They are known to give new talents an opportunity to shine on the big stage and they followed their set pattern by going for lesser known players in the auctions as well.
Rajasthan Royals Squad
Steven Smith, Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Rahul Tripathi, D'Arcy Short, Jofra Archer, Gowtham K, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Ankit Sharma, Anureet Singh, Jatin Saxena, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Shreyas Gopal, Midhun S, Prashant Chopra, Ben Laughlin, Mahipal Lomror, Aryaman Birla, Dushmantha Chameera
Batsmen - Rajasthan Royals retained Steven Smith before the auctions and used the RTM card to get back one of their most consistent players, Ajinkya Rahane, in the auction. Rahul Tripathi, who had a terrific debut season playing for Rising Pune Supergiant, will look to extend his good run in the IPL. Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson will bear the responsibility of carrying the middle order. D'Arcy Short, who is in dazzling form at the moment, will provide the X-factor to the Royals. They don't have much backup in the batting department and injuries to some of the regulars might give the team management a hard time.
All-rounders - Ben Stokes, the man of the tournament of the last season, will be Rajasthan Royals' biggest hope in the pursuit of their second IPL title. Jofra Archer and Gowtham K, both of whom were bought for big bucks in the auction, will have to do justice to the money that they were bought for. Stuart Binny and Mahipal Lomror are the other all-rounders available to the Royals.
Bowlers - Bowling is perhaps the weakest suit for the Royals this season. They don't have well-established bowlers in the squad and the team management will need to come up with a concrete plan on how they are going to use the bowlers that are available to them. Jaydev Unadkat, their second most player, is going through a lean patch at the moment and his form will worry the team. Anureet Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shreyas Gopal and Ankit Sharma are efficient T20 bowlers, but can they perform against big teams in high-pressure situations?
Predicted playing XI - Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Ben Stokes, Gowtham K, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat
Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings are one of the most celebrated teams of the IPL and their return to the league has increased the excitement manifold. Led by their charismatic captain, MS Dhoni, CSK will look to win another IPL title.
Chennai Super Kings Squad
MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Jagadeesan Narayan, Mitchell Santner (injured but no replacement named), Deepak Chahar, Asif KM, Lungi Ngidi, Kanishk Sheth, Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay, Sam Billings, Mark Wood, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Singh, Chaitanya Bishnoi
Batsmen - In order to recreate the old CSK magic, the think-tank decided to form the team that was present in 2015. However, in the process, they might have selected a team whose average age is on the higher side. Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav all have incredible IPL records but are all in their thirties and most of them are going through a lean phase. Vijay and Rayudu haven't played much cricket of late and Jadhav is not part of India's T20 setup. Thus, CSK's fortunes will depend on the performances of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.
All-rounders - CSK are blessed with some world class all-rounders in Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja. Even though Watson had a dismal time with both bat and ball for RCB last year, his superb show in the PSL and BBL will inject a lot of confidence into CSK's team management. Jadeja will look to get in the reckoning for a spot in the national side with a strong show in the IPL, while the ever dependable Bravo will look to entertain the crowds all over the country with his energetic performances once again.
Bowlers - CSK's problems lie in their bowling. While they do possess experienced spinners like Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir and Karn Sharma, their pace department looks extremely weak. Mark Wood and Lungi Ngidi, who are the only overseas options available to CSK in the pace attack, will be playing their debut IPL season and it will be a big test of their skills in Indian conditions. Shardul Thakur did get an opportunity to represent the country recently but his performances weren't consistent enough. The much talked about KM Asif, Kanishk Seth and Deepak Chahar will form the rest of the pace attack. If CSK are to come good this season, then their experienced players will need to bring their A game to the table.
Predicted Playing XI - Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mark Wood
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