Written by Maverick White for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
The scourge of cricket’s already congested schedule is back, bringing with it enough power, corruption, fireworks and drama to keep even the most soap-operatic of fans intrigued. Action begins in the UAE on April 16th, skipping over to India for the month of May and conclusion in early June. The switch pertains to the Indian federal elections, causing security issues in the country until early May, by which time seven of the nine polling dates would’ve passed. To the interest of the Test cricket lover, the BCCI have agreed to a freeze on the growth of the IPL for the next eight years. They have promised that the tournament will not expand beyond the current dates, though this has yet to be put into writing. The comments have served to allay fears that the IPL and BCCI will seek to compete with international cricket, using exorbitant funds to lure the best players away from the international game. The answer to that question is, not yet. And according to Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards, it is not as though they haven’t been thinking about it.
Of course, the supposed focus of India’s two month circus festival, what it all revolves around, takes place in the middle of the pitch. From a betting perspective, there is always good money to be made by backing the underdogs, who not only offer good value but the threat of an upset. There are no guarantees in this league, all sides possessing a collection of world-class players that have the potential for extraordinary acts of individual brilliance. Without further ado, the teams.
Chennai Super Kings
Led by talismanic Indian skipper MS Dhoni, the Super Kings are the tournament’s most successful franchise. Back-to-back victories in 2010 and 2011 ensures they are still ahead of the pack, the Royals, Indians, Knight Riders and now defunct Chargers winning one tournament apiece. Smart work in the recently altered IPL auction, where teams were given the option to retain up to five Indian or international players that they had on their books or stack up on Right-To-Match cards – a right to match the bid from another team on a specific player – means the Super Kings have another menacing side this year. As usual, 2014 will be a year in which it will be impossible to count out the men from Chennai.
Players Retained: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo
Big Buys: Faf du Plessis (Right-To-Match) – $791 000
Dwayne Smith – $750 000
Brendon McCullum – $541 000
Bargain Buys: Samuel Badree – $50 000
Baba Aparajith – $10 000
Badree has come on in leaps and bounds since his introduction into the West Indian T20 team, playing twenty internationals and averaging 14.36 with the ball. He doesn’t just take wickets, going for less than six an over and providing the potential for a few lusty blows at the back of an innings. A key in the legspin renaissance that was the World T20, Badree may find himself a little short on game time due to the restriction of four overseas players in the starting eleven. With this rule in place, Baba Aparajith, a 19-year-old batsman who has shown potential for quick scoring at domestic level, may slot in at number four from time to time.
Probable First XI:
1. Dwayne Smith
2. Faf du Plessis,
3. Suresh Raina
4. Baba Aparajith/Brendon McCullum
5. Dwayne Bravo
6. MS Dhoni
7. Ravi Jadeja
8. Ravi Ashwin
9. Mohit Sharma
10. Ishwar Pandey/Samuel Badree
11. Ben Hilfenhaus/Ashish Nehra
Delhi Daredevils
The talking point in the Delhi Daredevils camp is the appointment of Kevin Pietersen as captain, retained for $1.5 million at the auction. KP has insisted at length that he has nothing to prove during the IPL, least of all to the ECB and the selectors that forced him into exile. He captained Royal Challengers Bangalore for a stint in 2009 and is delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the Daredevils to their maiden IPL victory, Dinesh Karthik his deputy. They are both big money buys and with the side the only IPL team not to retain any players, the Daredevils have a fearsome batting unit but are slightly light in the spin department. Not to be discounted, although they are probably also lacking in core Indian players with leadership experience.
Players Retained: None
Big Buys: Dinesh Karthik – $2.08m
Kevin Pietersen (Right-To-Match) – $1.5m
Murali Vijay – $833 000
Bargain Buys: JP Duminy – $366 000
Ross Taylor – $333 000
Duminy was the most successful of World T20 semi-finalists South Africa’s batsmen, scoring 187 runs in the tournament at an average of 62.00. With the ability to anchor an innings or explode with ferocity, Duminy will likely be a key member of the Daredevils’ line-up, finding his chances at the Sunrisers limited due to injury last year. Although, Ross Taylor could also slot into an already potent middle-order with his success against India in New Zealand’s recent series victories assuring him a place at the IPL. Incredibly dangerous off his legs, Taylor will look to get going right from the start.
Probable First XI:
1. Murali Vijay
2. Quinton de Kock
3. Kevin Pietersen
4. Dinesh Karthik
5. Ross Taylor/JP Duminy
6. Saurabh Tiwary/Manoj Tiwary
7. Laxmi Ratan Shukla/Jayant Yadav
8. Nathan Coulter-Nile/Wayne Parnell
9. Mohammad Shami
10. Shahbaz Nadeem
11. Rahul Shukla
Kings XI Punjab
Usually one of the IPL weaklings, the Kings XI have put together a side for 2014 with all the makings of being challengers for the title. It’s a side loaded with Australians, George Bailey taking over the captaincy. Their performance at the auction was nigh on flawless, securing firepower, depth in batting, fast bowlers and allrounders. They also surprised with their player retention, ensuring unknown youngster Manan Vohra did not leave the set-up. He has impressed at Under-25 level, got a big century in the Ranji Trophy and is a player that the Kings XI will look to develop. The one weakness that may be exposed is their lack of depth when it comes to spinners, Murali Karthik and rookie Shivam Sharma the only outright turners. Also, if Wriddhiman Saha finds himself injured, the Kings XI have no-one else to call upon to keep wicket.
Players Retained: Manan Vohra, David Miller
Big Buys: Mitchell Johnson – $1.08m
Glenn Maxwell – $1m
George Bailey – $541 000
Bargain Buys: Virender Sehwag – $533 000
Cheteshwar Pujara – $316 000
Although Sehwag is in the twilight of a rambunctious career, the Kings XI clearly feel he still has a few more breathtaking innings in him. He will look to get Punjab off to rolling start, and smartly, the Kings XI have purchased Cheteshwar Pujara to follow at number three. With a defence like Dravid and strokeplay orientated, Pujara will look to be the rock of the Punjab innings.
Probable First XI:
1. Virender Sehwag
2. Manan Vohra/Shaun Marsh
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
4. George Bailey
5. David Miller
6. Glenn Maxwell/Thisara Perera
7. Wriddhiman Saha
8. Rishi Dhawan
9. Mitchell Johnson/Beuran Hendricks/Parvinder Awana
10. Murali Karthik
11. Lakshmipathy Balaji
Kolkata Knight Riders
IPL 2012 winners, the Kolkata Knight Riders, go into the 2014 edition of the tournament with little in the way of obvious weaknesses. Captaining the side is axed Indian opener Gautam Gambhir, continuously out to prove the BCCI wrong for letting him go. Jacques Kallis will continue with the franchise following his Right-To-Match bid, the pressures of international cricket a thing of the past for one of the greats of the game who has impressed in the IPL in years past. Of all the squads in this year’s IPL, the Knight Riders may possess the one with the most balance. Firepower, class, pace and turn will all play a part as KKR look to equal CSK for most tournament victories.
Players Retained: Gautam Gambhir, Sunil Narine
Big Buys: Jacques Kallis (Right-To-Match) – $916 000
Robin Uthappa – $833 000
Piyush Chawla – $708 000
Bargain Buys: Chris Lynn – $216 000
Pat Cummins – $166 000
Brisbane Heat middle-order batsman Chris Lynn has been drafted into KKR under the radar, but a series of good scores that impressed enough for him to be added to the Australian T20 international squad against England bodes well for both him and the franchise. The side was lacking a certain X factor until the late on the second day of the auction, when both Lynn and Cummins were snapped up.
Probable First XI:
1. Gautam Gambhir
2. Manvinder Bisla
3. Jacques Kallis
4. Chris Lynn/Shakib Al Hasan
5. Manish Pandey
6. Robin Uthappa
7. Yusuf Pathan
8. Piyush Chawla
9. Pat Cummins/Andre Russell/Morne Morkel
10. Vinay Kumar
11. Sunil Narine
Mumbai Indians
Defending champions, the Mumbai Indians should once again be a force to be reckoned with. Usually big spenders, Mumbai opted instead to retain the services of their best players and spend frugally at the auction. As a result, they are a strong but perhaps lack a few stable Indian batsmen in key positions. They also lack a high-quality wicketkeeper-batsman and with the losses of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson and Dwayne Smith, in essence, are not the side they were last year. Rohit Sharma will captain the side once again and much will rest on his young but experienced shoulders.
Players Retained: Rohit Sharma, Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu
Big Buys: Michael Hussey – $833 000
Corey Anderson – $750 000
Pragyan Ojha – $541 000
Bargain Buys: Josh Hazlewood – $83 000
Krishmar Santokie – $50 000
Hazlewood is yet another Australian quick in a long line, all good enough to play for Australia should they be needed. At the price, he will be more than useful back-up to the already burgeoning pace attack of Mumbai. Krishmar Santokie has recently shot to West Indian superstardom, asked to open the bowling during the World T20 with his left-arm medium cutters. With Marchant de Lange also waiting to back-up Malinga and Zaheer Khan, Mumbai shouldn’t be short on wickets this term.
Probable First XI:
1. Aditya Tare
2. Michael Hussey
3. Rohit Sharma
4. Ambati Rayudu
5. Corey Anderson
6. Kieron Pollard
7. Chidhambaram Gautam
8. Harbhajan Singh
9. Zaheer Khan
10. Lasith Malinga
11. Pragyan Ojha
Rajasthan Royals
Winners of the inaugural IPL under the leadership of Shane Warne, the Royals last year lost out on the final, sunk by eventual winners the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2. Another Australian will lead the Royals this year, Shane Watson being entrusted with the side. They have an economical squad, depth in all departments and proven match-winners. However, much of the depth in their squad is yet to be tested, although this will be nothing new for the Rajasthan Royals. They pride themselves on their ability to keep a tight squad, with youngsters encouraged to express themselves and excel. This could be another exciting year for them, though they won’t be playing at their fortress in Jaipur. They won every match they played there last season, but due to administrative issues, will be forced to shift their home matches to Ahmedabad.
Players Retained: Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, James Faulkner
Big Buys: Steven Smith – $665 000
Brad Hodge – $399 000
Rajat Bhatia – $282 000
Bargain Buys: Tim Southee – $199 000
Pravin Tambe – $17 000
A player like Tim Southee is just what you need sitting on your bench in this competition. His lanky physique offers awkward bounce on subcontinent wickets while he is able to open up lower down the order, although his batting has taken a dip in the past year. He’s not likely to start unless one of the Australians break down, but a cheap buy at the auction and somewhat of an enigma, Pravin Tambe, should get a place. A 42-year-old legspinner, Tambe was the leading wicket-taker in the Champions League T20 last year, helping the Royals to the final with twelve wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 4.10.
Probable First XI:
1. Sanju Samson
2. Ajinkya Rahane
3. Shane Watson
4. Steven Smith
5. Brad Hodge
6. Unmukt Chand
7. Stuart Binny
8. James Faulkner
9. Rajat Bhatia
10. Iqbal Abdullah/Dhaval Kulkarni
11. Pravin Tambe
Royal Challengers Bangalore
The best team never to win an IPL, the consistently underperforming Royal Challengers Bangalore made smart work of the auction and on paper, have the potential to go all the way. They managed to retain three of the best T20 players in the world, while spending big money to bolster a squad already bursting with talent. The strength however lies in the batting, with the restriction of four overseas players in the starting eleven likely to leave the Royal Challengers slightly short in the bowling ranks. Player management will be key for a side like this, who may benefit be relying more on immediate form than certain players’ reputations.
Players Retained: Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers
Big Buys: Yuvraj Singh – $2.33m
Mitchell Starc – $831 000
Albie Morkel – $399 000
Bargain Buys: Muttiah Muralitharan – $166 000
Vijay Zol – $50 000
With the most Test wickets of all time under his belt, Murali will always be a threat in any side. He’s a little bit older and perhaps not quite as sharp, but is still wise to all the tricks of the cricketing trade. It will be interesting to observe how many of the younger batsmen in other sides, many of whom may not have faced Murali, deal with his unique brand of spin. Vijay Zol is another bargain, the 19-year-old has been notching up runs at domestic level with a T20 century already to his name and a strike rate of 130.05, while also staking a claim in the India A side. This may be the tournament that Zol makes a name for himself.
Probable First XI:
1. Chris Gayle
2. Parthiv Patel
3. Virat Kohli
4. AB de Villiers
5. Yuvraj Singh
6. Vijay Zol
7. Albie Morkel
8. Mitchell Starc/Harshal Patel
9. Shadab Jakati/Muttiah Muralitharan
10. Varun Aaron
11. Ashok Dinda
Sunrisers Hyderabad
The surprise package of last year’s IPL, the Sunrisers finished fourth, making the playoffs in their first year in the competition. They lost in the Eliminator, but will be confident they can push for further success this year with a team of proven match-winners. Shikhar Dhawan will captain the side this year, perhaps a good thing for the player given his headstrong nature. He will open the batting with David Warner, the Sunrisers’ biggest buy among many at the auction. They possess a terrific top order and four overs from Dale Steyn, but perhaps will suffer not having enough Indian batsmen and being light in the way of offspin.
Players Retained: Shikhar Dhawan, Dale Steyn
Big Buys: David Warner – $914 000
Amit Mishra – $789 000
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – $706 000
Bargain Buys: Irfan Pathan – $399 000
Brendan Taylor – $50 000
Once touted as a successor to Kapil Dev, Irfan Pathan has been around the block when it comes to Indian cricket. He is still three years from thirty but has been in and out of the national side, shuffled between IPL sides, suffered with a back injury and flattered to deceive. However, fully fit, Pathan will be a useful addition to the Sunrisers unit this year, finding a place for his allrounder abilities to shine. Brendan Taylor was delighted to hear he had been snapped up at the IPL auction, making his first appearance. It is unlikely he will see too much game time, but it should be a great experience for the Zimbabwean nonetheless.
Probable First XI:
1. Shikhar Dhawan
2. David Warner
3. Aaron Finch
4. Naman Ojha
5. Venugopal Rao
6. Darren Sammy
7. Irfan Pathan
8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Ishant Sharma
9. Dale Steyn
10. Amit Mishra
11. Karan Sharma
