Wednesday 11 April 2018 14:21, UK
The 2018 Indian Premier League season is underway!
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are back after a two-year absence, bringing with them England big-hitters Ben Stokes, the record $1.9m signing in this year's auction, and Jos Buttler - two of 10 England internationals set to star in this season's tournament.
Want to know more? Here's a guide to each the eight teams battling it out for the title...
Sky Bet odds: 6/1
Chances in a tweet:
MS Dhoni's Super Kings are back after serving their suspension. Except for that two-year absence, Chennai have never not made the play-offs - expect them to be in the mix again.
What could go wrong?
Chennai's prior successes were built on a stable, consistent squad, but two years removed from their last tournament, can they harness that same team spirit as before? Also, Dhoni is two years older and not quite the IPL force he was previously if his last two years with Rising Pune Supergiant is anything to go by.
Offseason moves:
With IPL teams only allowed to retain up to three players in this year's auction, Chennai opted to keep hold of Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, but they did well to also bring back former key players Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo. Sam Billings, Mark Wood, and David Willey, add to the England interest, while Harbhajan Singh arrives from Mumbai to fill the Ravichandran Ashwin-shaped offspinners role left behind.
Captain: MS Dhoni
Coach: Stephen Fleming
Best performance: Winners (2010, 2011)
2017 result: N/A
England signings: Mark Wood ($230,000), Sam Billings ($153,000), David Willey
Overseas players: Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Shane Watson (Australia), Faf du Plessis (South Africa), Lungi Ngidi (SA), Imran Tahir (SA)
Indian stars: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Vijay
Sky Bet odds: 8/1
Chances in a tweet:
Some experienced IPL signings added to a young, talented core meaning the Daredevils should finally be in contention to deliver silverware to Delhi.
What could go wrong?
We've been here before. This wouldn't be the first Delhi side to promise much but deliver little - they've failed to finish higher than sixth in any of the last five IPL seasons. Plus, the loss of Kagiso Rabada to a back injury on the eve of the tournament is a big blow.
Offseason moves:
Young stars Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant have been retained, while Gautam Gambhir - a consistent performer with Kolkata and second-highest scorer last season - is a terrific pick-up and will captain the side. The Daredevils have a new coach too in Ricky Ponting, who led Mumbai to success in 2015. Jason Roy could partner Gambhir at the top of the order, while the bowling reserves are added to with the signing of England destroyer in the recent Test series, Trent Boult, and Liam Plunkett - in for the injured Kagiso Rabada.
Captain: Gautam Gambhir
Coach: Ricky Ponting
Best performance: Third (2012)
2017 result: Sixth
Top run-scorer in 2017: Sanju Samson (386)
Top wicket-taker in 2017: Pat Cummins (15)
England signing: Liam Plunkett ($306,000), Jason Roy ($230,000)
Overseas players: Trent Boult (New Zealand), Dan Christian (Aus), Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Glenn Maxwell (Aus), Chris Morris (SA), Colin Munro (NZ)
Indian stars: Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer, Amit Mishra, Rishabh Pant
Sky Bet odds: 8/1
Chances in a tweet:
Rip it up and start again! That seems to be Kings XI's philosophy for 2018 after only one play-off appearance in nine years. They'll be more competitive, but not contenders.
What could go wrong?
A lot. As mentioned, Kings XI's IPL track record is not the best, and while big-name additions like Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin may leap off their team sheet, their best IPL days are arguably behind them.
Offseason moves:
Not much remains from 2017, only the retained Axar Patel, and David Miller and Marcus Stoinis to be precise. Gayle and Aaron Finch make for an explosive prospect at the top of the order, but it's actually the bowling which could cause some surprises. There's Ashwin, who also captains the side, Australian Andrew Tye - who took a hat-trick for the Gujarat Lions last year - and watch out for 17-year-old Afghanistan offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman as a future star.
Captain: Ravichandran Ashwin
Coach: Brad Hodge
Best performance: Runners-up (2014)
2017 result: Fifth
Top run-scorer in 2017: Hashim Amla (420)
Top wicket-taker in 2017: Sandeep Sharma (17)
England signings: N/A
Overseas players: Ben Dwarshuis (Aus), Aaron Finch (Aus), Chris Gayle (WI), David Miller (SA), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan), Marcus Stoinis (Aus), Andrew Tye (Aus)
Indian stars: Ravichandran Ashwin, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Yuvraj Singh
Sky Bet odds: 5/1
Chances in a tweet:
Consistent IPL performers Kolkata could be in for a big fall from grace in 2018, after a poor auction which has given them a desperately thin-looking squad.
What could go wrong?
It already appears as if it is going wrong, with their star signing Mitchell Starc - bought for $1.4m - pulling out through injury a week before the tournament.
Offseason moves:
As exciting a prospect as Tom Curran is, he is hardly a like-for-like replacement for Starc, nor is he likely to replicate the impressive return of Chris Woakes (who is now with RCB) from last season, meanwhile 36-year-old Mitchell Johnson is very much Starc-light these days. Gambhir is also gone, meaning the Knight Riders will be heavily reliant on their retained West Indian stars, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.
Captain: Dinesh Karthik
Coach: Jacques Kallis
Best performance: Winners (2012, 2014)
2017 result: Third
Top run-scorer in 2017: Gautam Gambhir (498)
Top wicket-taker in 2017: Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav (17)
England signings: Tom Curran ($153,000)
Overseas players: Cameron Delport (SA), Mitchell Johnson (Aus), Chris Lynn (Aus), Sunil Narine (WI), Andre Russell (WI)
Indian stars: Piyush Chawla, Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa
Sky Bet odds: 9/2
Chances in a tweet:
The defending champs don't look the imposing outfit of last year, particularly in the batting department. But, impressive pace bowling reserves could yet fire the IPL's most successful franchise to a fourth title.
What could go wrong?
They don't score enough runs. Captain Rohit Sharma remains, and will be heavily relied upon, as will the retained Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, and their explosive hitting down the order, but there's not much else.
Offseason moves:
It's the top order that looks lightest, with their top-scorer from 2017, Parthiv Patel (RCB), and his opening partner, Jos Buttler (Rajasthan), both moving on. JP Duminy arrives in their place, to minimal fanfare. But, bowling-wise Mumbai will again be strong - the unorthodox death-bowling brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah is added to by the the left-arm options of Mustafizur Rahman and Mitchell McClenaghan, though the loss of the raw pace of Pat Cummins to injury will be sorely felt.
Captain: Rohit Sharma
Coach: Mahela Jayawardena
Best performance: Winners (2013, 2015, 2017)
2017 result: See above
Top run-scorer in 2017: Parthiv Patel (395)
Top wicket-taker in 2017: Jasprit Bumrah (20)
England signings: N/A
Overseas players: Jason Behrendorff (Aus), Ben Cutting (Aus), Akila Dananjaya (Sri Lanka), JP Duminy (SA), Evin Lewis (WI), Mitchell McClenaghan (NZ), Kieron Pollard (WI), Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
Indian stars: Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rohit Sharma
Sky Bet odds: 6/1
Chances in a tweet:
The IPL team to follow for England fans, with the big-money arrivals of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and (the soon-to-be England-qualified) Jofra Archer. But, after serving their two-year suspension, a run to the title in their first season back is unlikely.
What could go wrong?
Their preparations have been disrupted by the year-long ban from cricket for their captain Steve Smith after his role in the Australian ball-tampering controversy. Also, beyond their England big-names, the Royals look a little thin on the ground in terms of star power.
Offseason moves:
After a sensational IPL debut with Pune in 2017, Stokes arrives in Rajasthan for big money - his $1.9m deal the most cash splashed in the 2018 auction! Buttler's performances last season weren't quite so consistent, but the idea of him at the crease with his England pal is a thrilling prospect. Also, Archer arrives as a surprise $1.1m signing following a stunning Big Bash season with the Hobart Hurricanes.
Captain: Ajinkya Rahane
Coach: Paddy Upton
Best performance: Winners (2008)
2017 result: N/A
England signings: Ben Stokes ($1.9 m), Jos Buttler ($674,000), Jofra Archer ($1.1 m)*not yet England qualified
Overseas players: Dushmantha Chameera (SL), Ben Laughlin (Aus), Heinrich Klaasen (SA), D'Arcy Short (Aus), Ish Sodhi (NZ)
Indian stars: Stuart Binny, Ajinkya Rahane
Sky Bet odds: 4/1
Chances in a tweet:
This could finally be their year. It has been said numerous times before, but the big names of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers remain and there appears to be a greater balance to the team this time out.
What could go wrong?
Endured a disastrous 2017 season, finishing last with only three wins in 14. So, when it does go wrong, it really goes wrong! Also, incredibly, RCB have still yet to win the thing. Does that count against them when it comes to crunch time up against more experienced champions like Mumbai and Chennai?
Offseason moves:
Underperforming signings from last year like Chris Gayle, Shane Watson and Tymal Mills have been moved on. And, while it didn't work out for Mills, RCB certainly haven't been scared off from going English again, as Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali both arrive. Not only does that strengthen their batting but, more importantly, the bowling too, which has too often been the Achilles heel of Bangalore. Umesh Yadav, who made for a useful foil to Woakes in Kolkata, adds further to the bowling reserves, as do Tim Southee and Nathan Coulter-Nile. And, don't worry, they've far from neglected the batting - Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock add to their explosive line-up.
Captain: Virat Kohli
Coach: Daniel Vettori
Best performance: Runners-up (2009, 2011, 2016)
2017 result: Eighth
Top run-scorer in 2017: Virat Kohli (308)
Top wicket-taker in 2017: Pawan Negi (16)
England signings: Chris Woakes ($1.1 m), Moeen Ali ($260,000)
Overseas players: Corey Anderson (NZ), Colin de Grandhomme (NZ), Quinton de Kock (SA), AB de Villiers (SA), Brendon McCullum (NZ), Nathan Coulter-Nile (Aus)
Indian stars: Yuzvendra Chahal, Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Pawan Negi, Parthiv Patel, Washington Sundar
Sky Bet odds: 13/2
Chances in a tweet:
Winners in 2016, and boasted both the leading wicket-taker and run-scorer from 2017 in their squad - the loss, therefore, of the latter, David Warner, hurts their chances.
What could go wrong?
Sunrisers not only lose Warner's runs, but also his leadership, as he was again set to skipper the side in 2018. Can New Zealand captain Kane Williamson step up in his absence, as well as top-order replacement, England's Alex Hales?
Offseason moves:
Hales gets another IPL opportunity, having failed to make an appearance for Mumbai after signing for them late in the 2015 campaign. He is joined by international team-mate Chris Jordan, who returns to Hyderabad for a second season too hoping for more game time following his one solitary appearance last year. He is one of a number or returning stars, with Sunrisers doing well to keep hold of the likes of Williamson, Shikhar Dhawan, Afghanistan legspin sensation Rashid Khan and last year's top wicket-taker in the tournament, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Captain: Kane Williamson
Coach: Tom Moody
Best performance: Winners (2016)
2017 result: Fourth
Top run-scorer in 2017: David Warner (641)
Top wicket-taker in 2017: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (26)
England signings: Alex Hales ($153,000), Chris Jordan ($150,000)
Overseas players: Shakib Al Hasan (Ban), Carlos Brathwaite (WI), Alex Hales (Eng), Rashid Khan (Afg), Mohammad Nabi (Afg), Billy Stanlake (Aus), Kane Williamson (NZ)
Indian stars: Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Manish Pandery, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha
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