The IPL is underway and this week's schedule is full of enticing matches. KKR are pressed into action twice before the weekend while Mumbai Indians are absent from the action.
Tuesday 29 March
Sunrisers 23/20 | Tie 25/1 | Royals 72/100
It is the first match for both of these teams who were not in action over the opening weekend.
Both teams have shuffled a lot of personnel and appear to have taken on different characters altogether.
Much is expected of young Royals batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is a player to watch in this IPL.
The Sunrisers do not have a ready replacement for David Warner, who parted ways with the franchise he led to glory in 2016 at the end of last season. They also lost Rashid Khan which could make life difficult for the franchise.
The Sunrisers have simply lost too many key players and may well struggle this season. Get on the Royals at 72/100.
Wednesday 30 March
Royal Challengers 82/100 | Tie 25/1 | Knight Riders 21/20
RCB may have lost their opener but they did at least bat very well, while KKR won but didn’t really hit their straps with the willow.
Faf du Plessis began his captaincy stint with a big innings but it wasn’t enough to get his side victory.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer is the man leading KKR and trying to make point to the India selectors regarding leadership.
The Knight Riders have a strong and balanced side this season.
This should be a close-run thing, but I reckon Knight Riders should sneak it. They appear to be a far more well-rounded side than RCB at the minute.
Thursday 31 March
Supergiants | Tie 25/1 | Kings *betting tba
Lucknow Super Giants will want to make a big impression on the defending champions in their first meeting.
CSK suffered defeat on the opening day but you shouldn’t be against them fighting back.
MS Dhoni has given up the captaincy but remains an important member of the CSK squad as he showed in the opening match.
Ravindra Jadeja has been charged with leading CSK through a transition and it remains to be seen if he is the long-term option.
Tough one to call as this was written prior to the Supergiant’s opener, but you it’d take a brave punter to go against CSK.
Friday 1 April
Knight Riders | Tie 25/1 | Kings *betting tba
There is little rest for KKR as they are back in action on April Fool’s day and face a Punjab Kings side that laid down a marker in their opener.
While KKR started with a good win, Punjab Kings launched their season with an epic chase.
Odean Smith’s brutal finish was a huge plus for Punjab Kings and if he can produce more of the same the team might just achieve the success they crave.
Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa also showed that his acquisition by the Punjab Kings might have been one of the smartest moves at the auction.
The Kings were magnificent in their stunning chase of RCB’s 205 which they nailed with six balls to spare. I’m happy to back them off the back of that performance.
