With IPL XI now almost upon us, the 578 payday hopefuls have been whittled down to the chosen few via this year’s ground breaking IPL auction.
The mass jettisoning of players set to take place after the competition’s tenth edition prompted an inevitable backlash from team owners desperate to keep hold of their big telent. Each team, as a result, has been allowed to retain three players.
Strong local talent, depth in key departments and an experienced senior playing group go a long way historically in the IPL, and the contract cycle change will likely highlight the teams who can gel their playing group together quickly.
We take a look at each team’s chances and the business they’ve done, in The Independent’s IPL 2018 preview.
Chennai Super Kings
The prodigal son returns (well, one of two). CSK are back following two years on the betting scandal ‘naughty step’, with Stephen Fleming the man tasked with ensuring their return is a fruitful one. Historically, the Super Kings have been perennially strong. The experience in their line up bodes particularly well for CSK fans, with MS Dhoni leading a side that includes Suresh Raina, Ravi Jadeja and Faf Du Plessis as well as Harbhajan Singh, who returns from Mumbai Indians. IPL and global T20 experience is a base they have covered, with the dynamism of Sam Billings and South African quick Lungisani Ngidi adding a new dimension. South Africa’s leg spinner Imran Tahir will be looking for another big year, with exuberant celebrations a likely side effect.
Tournament Chances: There or there abouts. Team Rating = 7/10
Player to watch: Lungisani Ngidi – Right Arm Bullets from roughly 9ft.
CSK will always have a puncher's chance with Dhoni at the helm (Getty)
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Last year was one to forget, which is easier to do when you’ve got a fresh crop of talent to choose from. Coach Daniel Vettori will be desperate to foster some success after the 2017 season saw their big batting canons misfire repeatedly on a home pitch which lost its usual flatness. Three time finalists, they’ll be looking for a better showing from messrs Kohli, De Villiers and McCullum this time round. Pawan Negi stood out in a poor 2017 campaign, with his darting left arm spin a real asset. The key will be whether Vetorri can keep a more settled line up and get his big guns firing. In Chris Woakes and Corey Anderson, they have two more match winners capable of coping with extreme pressure.
Tournament Chances: Middling, based on history. Team Rating = 6/10
Player to watch: Partiv Patel – not a shirt seller, but 8th in last year’s batting list.
Delhi Daredevils
Daredevils coach Ricky Ponting, a man who openly admits he didn’t take T20 overly seriously as a player, has become a sought after commodity as a short format coach. Cricket Australia want him, Mumbai Indians won with him, and he takes on the coaching ‘poison chalice’ at Delhi. One of the more versatile teams, all-rounders such as Chris Morris and Dan Christian provide excellent support for the more explosive Jason Roy and Colin Munro. Glenn Maxwell will undoubtedly insist on not wearing a helmet, smiting as he goes. With the ball, Delhi have real class. Kagiso Rabada adds genuine pace to an attack boasting Mohammed Shami, Trent Boult and Amit Mishra. Leg spinner Mishra will be looking to improve on his 2017 showing.
Tournament Chances: Ponting factor aside, nothing more than ok. Team Rating = 6.5/10
Player to watch: Kagiso Rabada – just 6 games last year, and in some form.
Ponting could help Delhi make a few headlines (Getty)
Mumbai Indians
Last year’s winners have recruited well this year. Rohit Sharma has been retained, and they are blessed with depth in key areas. Pat Cummins is a class act, but this will be a test of his reserves after intense workloads against England and South Africa this winter. That depth could indeed prove vital. Jasprit Bumrah is a top addition with 20 wickets at 7.35 an over last year, his quirky action belying serious pace. Most importantly, they have players coming in with form. Evin Lewis scored well in the World Cup Qualifiers, whilst JP Duminy has had an excellent PSL campaign. Nothing to suggest, on paper, that they can’t challenge again this year.
Tournament Chances: Unsurprisingly strong. World class local players. Team Rating = 8/10
Player to watch: Hardik Pandya – hitting form and getting used to being the ‘go to man’ for India.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Simon Katich has assembled a backroom staff second to none, a vital component to success when personnel change is as wholesale as it is this year. The squad itself is a balance of IPL stalwarts in Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine combined with firepower with the likes of Mitchell Starc and Chris Lynn in the ranks. Robin Uthappa is arguably an IPL great, a consistent top order whacker who made last year’s batting top ten. This is a small squad - just 19 of the possible 25 spots have been filled - but they’ll be hoping their pace with bat and ball will make an impact early in the tournament. Nitish Rana racked up 437 runs last year in an impressive campaign, and Javon Searles arrives courtesy of injuries and a strong personal showing at the latest CPL.
Tournament Chances: Dinesh Karthik has some sharp tools at his disposal making Kolkata contenders. Team Rating = 7.5/10
Player to watch: Nitish Rana – in some great form in domestic cricket and a top IPL X last year.
Narine is an IPL veteran and is always dangerous (AFP)
Rajasthan Royals
They’ve been in the news. Thanks, Steve. They’ve also been into their pockets. Looking for a new captain a week out from the start of a tournament isn’t ideal, but Rajasthan have added Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and T20 firebrand Jofra Archer to the mix, which will help. Back after their own hiatus, Rajasthan have a squad full of match winners led by Ajinkya Rahane. Shane Warne will add some IPL experience, having won the inaugural IPL with RR back in 2008. Archer has to be the key man. His Big Bash exploits saw his social media following and cash value grow exponentially, with England clamouring to do whatever they can to fast-track his England eligibility. Captain Rahane has been a consistent IPL run scorer, and adding the firepower they have with Stokes and Buttler could make up for a lack of depth. Jaydev Unadkat, who took 24 wickets for Rising Pune Supergiants in 2017, adds variety to the Royals’ attack.
Tournament Chances: Unlikely, dangerous underdogs. Team Rating = 6.5/10
Player to watch: Jofra Archer – his first IPL. He’ll want to ensure he does enough to return next year unlike his Sussex teammate, Tymal Mills ($1M man last year).
Kings XI Punjab
Management of big players, and their egos, is a challenge magnified by tournaments like the IPL. Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle are two of the biggest names in world cricket, and Ravichandran Ashwin will be hoping coaches Brad Hodge and Virender Sehwag can assist in keeping the squad together. They’ve added international experience in Karun Nair and KL Rahul, having had three poor years. In Mohit Sharma and Andrew Tye, they have two very skilled and battle hardened T20 bowlers. David Miller, Aaron Finch and Manoj Tiwary provide additional clout to accompany Singh and Gayle. The key could be Gayle’s form. His recent ton at the World Cup qualifiers was his 23rd in ODIs, and a timely reminder that the 38 year old is a bit of a bargain here.
Tournament Chances: Batting heavy, with promise. Team Rating = 7/10
Player to watch: Barinder Sran – likened to Zaheer Khan by his teammate, Yuvraj Singh, Sran’s height makes him a tricky prospect for those looking to get after him.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
It remains to be seen whether David Warner will be at the helm, with Australia’s pious and vociferous defender of cricket’s values caught up in the recent ball tampering scandal. That aside, this is the strongest squad going this year. Tom Moody brings an abundance of T20 experience, and Sunrisers Hyderabad have the varied attack to adapt to different surfaces. In Billy Stanlake, they have a man capable of thunderbolts – impressive in the most recent Big Bash for the Adelaide Strikers. Spin options are plentiful with Shakib Al Hasan, Afghan superstar Rashid Khan and Mehdi Hasan of Bangladesh bolstering the ranks. Chris Jordan is great at the death, and electric in the field. In Warner and Shikhar Dhawan, they have the potential for consistent, blistering starts – although Warner’s form will be a concern. Kane Williamson and the experience of Mohammad Nabi gives them a strong chance.
Tournament Chances: Altogether, promising. Team Rating = 8.5/10
Player to watch: Billy Stanlake – just two games in 2017, he’s capable of making a real impact with the ball this year. He also goes at 6.77 per over in Big Bash Cricket, which is exceptional.
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The more some things change, the more they stay the same. The Indian Premier League , was conceived as a cuttingedge tournament, something so audacious in scope that it had not been attempted in any seriousness till Lalit Modi came along. With the might of the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI ) behind him, and promises of multi-million dollar contracts, cricket’s Mary Shelley unleashed a summer Frankenstein on the world.In the years that the IPL has been in existence it has done many things. It has made millionaires of journeymen cricketers, it has given coaches a new stage to showcase their wares, it has allowed limited cricketers to earn massive paychecks in the auction and, it has held a mirror to the cricket world. In 2008, when the IPL began, there was an air of freshness, a complete newness to the tournament. Even the people involved in running the tournament had no idea how it might pan out.Cut to 2018, and there are some maddeningly repeatable things: MS Dhoni is back at Chennai Super Kings; Shane Warne is hugging the Rajasthan Royals; Gautam Gambhir is a Delhi Daredevil, captain, at that; Yuvraj Singh wears the pink and silver of Kings XI Punjab.This is exactly what the cricketing landscape was like in 2008. When the fresh season begins, there are many things that will be, and feel, different, and here are the most critical ones:There hasn’t been a single edition of the tournament when each team was captained by an Indian. 2018 came close, with Sunrisers Hyderabad losing David Warner to Sandpapergate. Bhuvneshwar Kumar might well have been given charge of the team, but Kane Williamson was the management’s choice. With the IPL being so much about workload management and recovery, perhaps the franchise believed that it was not a good idea to add the captaincy burden to their top medium-pacer.And not a penny less than Rs 7.2 crore for Archer. Not Jeffrey, but Jofra. At 23, this allrounder with a fluid action and bat-speed that is typical to his hometown of Barbados, is not eligible to play international cricket. Having chosen to qualify for England, turning his back on West Indies, Archer can showcase his talents in T20 leagues even before he is available for national selection. Archer, who was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals , and is sure to be central to their plans, described his IPL selection as a “lifechanging” moment.The debate over Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s future in Indian cricket has reached fever pitch, especially after Dinesh Karthik proved to be such a star finisher in the Nidahas Trophy tri-series in Sri Lanka. But, when Dhoni marched to the podium in army colours to receive his Padma Bhushan award, the sight of him in uniform, and his loyalty to the cause, was something else. Similarly, when the Chennai Super Kings take the field, the fact that they have their lion in yellow in harness means the world to their loyal fans.The Decision Review System has been in place in different series in cricket for a while now. Twenty20 cricket, which was designed for pace and ease of viewing, was exempt from these stoppages and delays in the game. Yet, the IPL, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to introduce this form of adjudication in the 2018 edition. How will this change things? Previously rain-interrupted late games would finish after midnight. Now we may have night-day matches instead of day-night.For the first time in the IPL’s history, teams will have an opportunity to re-think their theories and strategies in the middle of their campaign. The Governing Council has allowed a five-day transfer window in the middle of the tournament, where uncapped players who have featured in two or fewer games, to be picked up by other teams. This means that each team has a chance to boost its reserves, while players who were simply warming the bench get more chances of actually playing. That can only be a good thing.
IPL 2018
IPL 2018 - That Happened
Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Sat, 07 Apr, 2018, 11:14 AM
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will kickoff the 11th edition of IPL © IPL
Wedding bells: So Finch and Maxwell won't be playing tomorrow
More wishes: Here's Mr. Sachin wishing Mumbai Indians ahead of their encounter today
Special words from the MI Icon! ???? @sachin_rt's wishes will surely boost the team. ????#CricketMeriJaan pic.twitter.com/Ehk3GFMEi9 — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 7, 2018
Preity Zinta wishing KXIP
Trip down the memory lane
On this day in 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore fought tooth and nail in Hyderabad before the former prevailed in the Super over.
Initially, Royal Challengers' formidable batting line-up comprising Gayle, Dilshan, Kohli and co. was restricted to just 130 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs. Kohli top-scored with 46 while Henriques compiled a useful 44.
The Hyderabad franchise too struggled on a sluggish wicket. Hanuma Vihari led the way for them with an assured 44. It all came down to the final over with Sunrisers needing just seven for a victory. However, Vinay Kumar, who had already bowled a crucial last over versus Mumbai Indians to defend 10 runs, continued to impress.
The gritty pacer used slower ones and the occasional yorker, and gave away just six as the nail-biter went to a Super over. In the subsequent Super over, White landed a couple of sixes of a crestfallen Vinay, while Steyn was able to restrict the marauding duo of Gayle and Kohli to just 15 as Sunrisers clinched a thriller by five runs!
Build Up
With the 11th edition of the IPL about to kick-off, frenzied fans across the length and breadth of the country are buzzing with excitement. From offices, bus-stands, or while travelling in a tuk-tuk, cricket lovers have expert opinions on who will hoist the trophy. Fans fiercely argue and debate about team combinations and who should play.
On hot days of Indian summer, serpentine queues would be seen at stadiums, with cops having a tough time to control the crowd. Every year, IPL rekindles the sheer passion in cricket fans.
After what is expected to be a glitzy and glamorous opening ceremony, arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, will lock horns in the opening encounter of IPL 2018 at the furnace of the Wankhede stadium.
So are you ready for another blockbuster season of the IPL?
© Cricbuzz
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Dubai: The Indian Premier League is the most sought-after tournament in world cricket today. Its popularity increases by leaps and bounds with every edition.
The crowds that turn up to watch the league at different venues as well as the television viewership have shot up every year. The result has been that the television broadcasters are willing to pay huge amount to telecast IPL rights.
ALSO READ: Inside a legendary cricket gear manufacturing company in India
All international cricketers around the world now look forward to being picked by the different franchises to play in the league. The remuneration that they can get for the display of their skills is the highest among all leagues around the world.
The IPL may be an Indian tournament, but the reach of this league has been enormous. Many leagues have come up around the world wanting to emulate the success of IPL, but they have not been able to match it in stature. The elected officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that runs this league have also been removed and it’s being run by a body appointed by the Supreme Court, yet the progress of this tournament has not been dented.
Here are five reasons behind this league, which even after a decade since inception, holds the same magic and is likely to become another cricketing spectacle this year:
1. New team for players
Following the 2018 IPL auction, for the first time, all the teams will have fresh players. Most of the players who were associated with a particular franchise will be playing for new teams and cricket fans are eagerly waiting to see how their favourite cricketers will be performing wearing new team jerseys. The retention policy had resulted in most teams never releasing their top players but that trend has now changed.
All team have focused on building a strong squad taking into consideration the utility of the player and his ability to play in all their matches. The introduction of mid-season transfer has also added to the excitement. A five-day transfer window between Match No.28 and 42 allowing teams to transfer players may help some players who were confined to benches to get an opportunity to exhibit their skills too.
2. Return of Chennai, Rajasthan
The return of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals who were suspended from the league for two years will stage a comeback. Though it was the wrong doing of these teams that resulted in the suspension, the fans are ready to back them. The return of Chennai has generated huge expectation from the fans.
This team, which has always qualified for the play offs, have got good players like in the past. The video from their star player Mahendra Singh Dhoni saying We are back! We are back as a whole team has become very popular. The return of Royals to has created a huge impact in the social media and fans believe that their team will make it a ‘Royal’ return through their performances.
3. Innovation in broadcasting
This edition of the IPL will be a television viewers’ delight. Technology will be introduced extensively to make the matches more exciting. Star India will bring the matches on the Virtual Reality platform via the Hotstar app. This app will allow users to select different camera angles and change the commentary language. VRT cameras will be installed in the stadiums which will shoot the game from all the angles.
The event will be exclusively broadcasted by Star India in six different languages - targeting a reach of 700 million viewers across TV and digital formats. The broadcasters have claimed that it will be an immersive experience for the cricket fans. Star India, foreseeing the increasing popularity for the league, acquired the IPL’s global broadcasting and digital rights for $ 2.55 billion for a period of five years.
4. Introduction of Decision Review System
Cricket fans are eagerly awaiting to see how much the Decision Review System (DRS) that will be in use for the first time in the IPL add to the excitement. Since the DRS has reduced umpiring errors in all three international formats of the game, it is likely that DRS may help IPL too. Each team will be allowed one review per innings.
It is a fact that IPL had seen some poor decisions by umpires in the previous seasons. Teams are likely to use the DRS intelligently and in crucial moment of the game unlike early years when the decision of the umpire was final. The IPL will thus become the second major T20 league to introduce DRS after Pakistan Super League which has availed its service for their matches.
5. New talents in IPL
Cricket fans are eagerly expecting not only the star players to deliver but also the new talents. Many Under-19 players have turned into overnight millionaires with franchises picking them up for huge money during the auction. All eyes will be on Kamlesh Nagarkoti, the India Under-19 pacer who has become the costliest under-19 player in the 2018 auction when Kolkata Knight Riders got him for Rs 3.2 crores.
Kolkata also picked India Undere-19 vice captain Shubman Gill. Prithvi Shah, the Indian under-19 captain, has been picked by Delhi Daredevils. Another Under-19 player, fans are waiting for is Afghanistan’s Mujeed Zadran who is already creating waves and will play for the Kings XI Punjab. It was through IPL that players like Shreyas Iyer, Rishab Pant and Washington Sundar have reached the Indian team.
Strength and weakness of all eight IPL teams
1. Kolkata Knight Riders
Strength: Kolkata’s strength is its bowling. There is variety in their attack as bowlers include Mitchell Johnson, Tom Curran (replacement for injured Mitchell Starc), Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, and Kuldeep Nayar and under-19 pacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi. They have a confident captain in inform Dinesh Karthik.
Weakness: Batting doesn’t look very strong. Middle order looks inexperienced. There has been an overreliance on youth and U-19 star Shubhman Gill will have to deliver. The bench strength is extremely weak.
2. Chennai Super Kings
Strength: Chennai has a number of all-rounders who can win matches like Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. Their spin attack is also excellent with Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir and Karn Sharma and Jadeja. The inspiring presence of their captain M.S. Dhoni is a huge plus.
Weaknesses: CSK have nine players who haven’t played a single game in the IPL prior to this season. Also, 11 players in their squad are above 30. The team might miss a top quality opening batsman for building the innings. They don’t look a balanced team.
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Strength: Bangalore’s strength is, of course, the strongman of Indian batting in Virat Kohli. Backing him are batsmen like AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock. In bowling, they have Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav and Nathan-Coulter Nile. They look strong in all departments of the game.
Weakness: Despite their huge strength, the team has never gelled as a unit. Picking the right XI for the match is a tough task. Some of the players in the squad did not have a great domestic season. Their performance, despite the big names, have been inconsistent and they are put their name in the roll of honours for champions.
4. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Strength: Hyderabad has some excellent matchwinners in Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan. The batsmen too can win matches especially players like Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey and Shikhar Dhawan. They have players for all positions and for all conditions as they have retained their core team in the auction.
Weakness: The ban on captain David Warner will hit the team hard so the absence of a top class experienced batsmen will be felt. Yusuf Pathan, one of their star batsmen, is no longer the same force they used to be. They have England’s Chris Jordan but still miss a good pacer. They lack finishers in the team.
5. Mumbai Indians
Strength: Reigning champions Mumbai is another team which has some of the finest allrounders in the squad like Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting and Suryakumar Yadav. They also have the Pandya brothers and is being led by one of the most aggressive batsmen in Rohit Sharma. They also have a good T20 player in JP Duminy.
Weakness: The team bowling attack isn’t impressive like it’s batting. The team will have to depend on Jaspreet Bumrah, Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff to click. They don’t have a specialist spinner and those in the squad haven’t proven their strength.
6. Kings XI Punjab
Strength: They have two of the finest opening batsmen in Chris Gayle and Aaron Finch and if they get going, the team can get off to a brilliant start. Another strong point is the presence of T20 experts like David Miller, Yuvraj Singh and Marcus Stoinis. Though Ravichandran Ashwin is captaining in the IPL for the first time, he is one of the shrewdest thinkers in the game today.
Weakness: There aren’t any top class bowlers in the team. Except for Ashwin, none of the others can win matches through their bowling while their pace attack looks very mediocre. They also do not have an experienced wicketkeeper. Their bench strength is also not particularly strong.
7. Delhi Daredevils
Strength: The return of Gautam Gambhir as captain has given a huge boost to the team as he hails from New Delhi and fans are waiting to cheer him. He also comes after a successful stint with Kolkata Knight Riders. With Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Christian Chris Morris. Jason Roy and Rishabh Pant, the battling looks solid.
Weakness: The bowling isn’t impressive with only Amit Mishra as a matchwinner. It remains to be seen if Mohammad Shami, who is grappling with a crisis in his personal life and has just suffered a road accident, can still be the leader of the pace pack. They also lack a batsman lower down the order who can lift the team from a poor start.
8. Rajasthan Royals
Strength: Rajasthan Royals have the batsmen who can adapt to any roles needed for the team, though it remains to be seen if they can thrive with the sudden loss of Steve Smith. Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Jofra Archer and Jos Butler are very useful batsmen who can rise to any challenge. D’Arcy Short in the role of a pinch-hitter can be deadly.
Weakness: The team’s biggest drawback is the absence of a good spinner. If the match is held on a slow wicket, the team will struggle. Most of the bowlers in the squad are inexperienced and Jaydev Unadkat will have to rise to the expectations. Their bench strength is also not very strong.
Top buys of the IPL 2018
Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals) $1.96m
Ben Stokes. PTI
The England allrounder Ben Stokes career was involved in a drunken bar brawl leading to him miss the Ashes, but he was the biggest purchase of the 2018 IPL auction. Rajasthan Royals snapped him up for $1.96m making him the costliest overseas player.
Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals) $1.8m
Jaydev Unadkat. Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
Indian pacer Jaydev Unadkat was purchased by Rajasthan Royals for $1.8m. Unadkat was responsible for India inflicting a 3-0 sweep over Sri Lanka in the T20 International series. It could be his accuracy and consistent performance that fecthced him such a huge amount.
Manish Pandey (Sunrisers Hyderabad) $1.7m
Manish Pandey. IPL
During the auction, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab were in a race to get Indian batsman Manish Pandey. When Royal Challengers Bangalore too entered the fray, his stakes went higher. Finally, KXIP bowed out and Sunrisers Hyderabad sealed the deal at $1.7m.
Lokesh Rahul (Kings XI Punjab) $1.7m
Lokesh Rahul. Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
Lokesh Rahul’s splendid show in all three formats of the game fetched him a whopping $1.7m from Kings XI Punjab. The advantage of Rahul is his adaptability to bat at No.3 or No.4. He has the additional benefit of being a wicketkeeper too.
Chris Lynn (Kolkata Knight Riders) $1.5m
Chris Lynn. Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
Australia’s big-hitting Chris Lynn became another big earner of the 2018 IPL auction when Kolkata Knight Riders got him for $1.5m. His creditable show in the Big Bash League matches this season has resulted in the huge price.
