Kolkata Knight Riders

Of course, I, like many, feel that the side hasn’t really replaced the likes of Gautam Gambhir and Manish Pandey, who shouldered a lot of responsibility for the side on previous seasons. But then, KKR have always been a bowling rich side who hardly saw big targets as a regular occurrence. In the likes of Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc, KKR have some lethal options who can dictate terms in Eden Gardens.

Chennai Super Kings:

Probable Starting XI: Sam Billings, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

On the new team, Billings and du Plessis are expected to open the innings with Raina and Jadhav to follow. With Bravo, the team has a good medium pace bowler to bank on in the middle overs, and can hardly afford a bad day for Lungi Ngidi and Shardul Thakur. While MS Dhoni has always been lethal behind the stumps, he hardly the match-winner that Chennai fans fell in love with and will seriously need the top-order to dictate terms. Jadeja has been a legend for CSK in previous seasons and will also spearhead the spin unit, with Harbhajan, who turned out to be an absolute steal at his base price. While it is understandable that the offie has not been in his usual wicket-taking self anymore, some things are actually timeless – pretty much like Harbhajan’s miserly overs and CSK will want that more than ever now.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Probable Starting XI : Quinton De Kock, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Manan Vohra, Sarfaraz Khan, Chris Woakes,  M.S. Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Nathan Coulter-Nile

While the batting has actually been the best in the league for the longest time, they finally managed to secure a very good bowling unit this year with Umesh Yadav leading the pack. Yadav will have Coulter-Nile, Woakes, and Navdeep Saini in the pace-bowling unit while Yuzvendra Chahal, alongside Sundar, will take care of the spin-bowling unit and that makes the franchise arguably the “Best team on the paper” and if they will fail to win the title this year, well there is always a next year!

Team Rating: 8/10

Probable Starting XI : Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary, David Miller, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Axar Patel, Andrew Tye

After raising the paddle for almost every player who was on for bidding on Day 1, I will take the Kings XI Punjab as one of the disappointments at the auction. Still, they fought hard and managed to put up a team that can compete with anyone on their day. The team need Finch and Rahul to unleash their fireworks from the word go because neither Nair or Yuvraj have been known for their flair lately. Manoj Tiwary and Miller turned out to be absolute steals and the duo can guide the team to a good total with a good base laid on. 

Stonis and Ashwin know how to give late-order surge to the team, but the team will need them more with the ball. With the Mohali track being pace-friendly, Stonis will be an effective option for the franchise and he will be well supported by Mohit Sharma and Andrew Tye. Obviously, Axar will be their main weapon in the spin department and Punjab can finally hope for some change in luck once the new decade of the IPL begins.

Team Rating: 7/10

Probable Starting XI : Rohit Sharma, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Jason Behrendorff

This team could have been stacked with better players but what Aakash Ambani and co. managed to buy at the auction is no less a potential champion team. With Rohit and Lewis to open the innings, the oppositions can only count their luck cause once the duo gets going they can just be the most devastating duo in the world. However, their middle-order doesn’t paint a usual menacing picture as Ishan Kishan, Surya Kumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard will take charge of the same. The presence of Pandya brothers, however, will be the biggest boost for the franchise in the small Wankhede arena and the team will be safe if they fire on all cylinders. 

Team Rating: 7/10

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Can arguably be called as one of the title contenders of the season. After retaining Bhuvneshwar Kumar and David Warner, the franchise was successful in putting together a fine supporting cast at the top and a brilliant blend of youth and experience in the bowling line up to defend the totals. With Dhawan and Warner as the opener, Pandey, Williamson, and Pathan have the ability to provide fireworks so as to maintain their consistent performances in the league. The 2016 champions have a safe pair of hands with Wriddhiman Saha and he will double up as a pure batsman with Shakib al Hassan – in case the top-order fails. 

Recently, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has shown was he has been capable up and will take the position of Ashish Nehra as the bowling spearhead of the franchise. Bhuvi, currently the best new ball and death-ball specialist in world cricket, will have Siddharth Kaul and Basil Thampi for support in the pace-bowling attack and the ever-so-impressive Rashid Khan to carry on their spin resources.  

Rajasthan Royals:

Probable Starting XI : Jos Buttler, Rahul Tripathi, Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, K Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Anureet Singh

Then comes the man of the moment – but literally and controversially. Ben Stokes may not have much representative cricket for last five months, but that doesn’t justify the maniac that surrounds him. On the day, Stokes get going, Royals will be assured. Stokes will have the support cast in Unadkat, Archer, Kulkarni and Anureet. With Gowtham, Royals’ big money signing in the lineup, it will be a shame if Royals fail to go all the way to glory.

Team Rating: 7.5/10

Probable Starting XI : Colin Munro, Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Glenn Maxwell, Naman Ojha, Chris Morris, Trent Boult, Mohammed Shami, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem

Delhi Daredevils have always come up with a renewed cast every year, but that hardly changed their fortunes in the league. This time though, with a proven captain at the helm and the world’s No.1 T20 batsman opening, the franchise can hope at least. The team also have some of the country’s finest talents in the form of Iyer, Pant, Naman Ojha to form their batting order and the dangerous Maxwell and Morris will add the runs as the bonus. 

Team Rating: 7.5/10