We have three matches to look forward to over the course of the first weekend of Indian Premier League action.
The IPL starts in 2019 the same way it did in 2018, with the Chennai Super Kings facing the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai before we are treated to a double-header on Sunday.
The Kolkata Knight Riders host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic Eden Gardens, leading into the meeting at the Wankhede Stadium between hosts Mumbai Indians and the renamed Delhi Capitals.
Saturday, 23 March
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (16:30)
To Win Match
Chennai Super Kings 82/100
Tie 35/1
Royal Challengers Bangalore 21/20
The MA Chidambaram Stadium will be used for home games of CSK after the Chepauk stadium was only used for two matches in the victorious 2018 IPL campaign as civil unrest forced a shift of stadium. The grounds are a stone’s throw from one another.
The Super Kings start the tournament as one of the favourites with a strong balance of local talent and international flavour.
MS Dhoni will apparently fulfil a floating role in the middle order, while Ambati Rayudu will be eager to make his case for India’s ODI World Cup squad with another great tournament. Rayudu’s efforts last season propelled him back into the India T20I and ODI teams.
The men in yellow have an abundance of spin options with a slow bowling attack that includes Proteas star Imran Tahir and Kiwi tweaker Mitchell Santner – as well as homegrown talents Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja.
RCB will be hoping that their raft of stars can finally end the team’s long wait for an IPL title. Quite how much India skipper Virat Kohli will be available remains to be seen as he and others are carefully managed.
The Royal Challengers have in their ranks one of the most exciting cricketers in the world right now in the form of West Indies blaster Shimron Hetmyer. Kiwi all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme is now an RCB fan favourite for his brutal finishing and tricky seam-bowling and he is joined by fellow Black Cap Tim Southee.
Former South Africa opener and coach Gary Kirsten is at the helm of the franchise again this season and will be able to call on former Proteas skipper and IPL legend AB de Villiers again despite his retirement from the international game last year.
Verdict: Chennai Super Kings 82/100
This is a tough match-up to call early in the tournament but CSK should feel this is a match they should win.
Sunday, 24 March
Eden Gardens, Kolkata (12:30)
To Win Match
Kolkata Knight Riders 82/100
Tie 35/1
Sunrisers Hyderabad 21/20
The Knight Riders were struck a blow to their prospects with the news that Proteas paceman Anrich Nortje would not be able to turn out in the 2019 IPL after picking up an injury against Sri Lanka.
Coach Jacques Kallis can still call on the raw pace of Black Caps seamer Lockie Ferguson and will also have plenty of explosive batting at his disposal.
Australian wrecker Chris Lynn headlines an all-star list of imports that includes Windies T20 guns Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Carlos Brathwaite.
In terms of Indian talent, it doesn’t get much bigger than Kuldeep Yadav, but the spin wizard is likely to be one of many whose workload is set to be closely managed throughout the campaign.
The Sunrisers built a reputation as a ‘bowling team’ in 2018, being one of the few teams comfortable defending a total in a tournament that otherwise favoured chasers. The Sunrisers have one very notable returnee in Australian persona non grata David Warner. Warner returns to the franchise he led to IPL glory in 2016 for the first time since he was banned for his role in the ball-tampering saga in South Africa.
Along with Warner, the Sunrisers will have the incredible talents of Kane Williamson that will give the Orange Army a formidable top order.
Their bowlers proved excellent in 2018 and they will once again look to India superstar Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead that attack, backed up by the match-winning talents of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.
Verdict: Sunrisers Hyderabad 21/20
Despite playing away from home, when these two squads are placed side by side the Sunrisers look to be the better collection.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (16:30)
To Win Match
Mumbai Indians 67/100
Tie 35/1
Delhi Capitals 5/4
India stars form the core of the Mumbai Indians batting and bowling line-ups and are the chief reason the franchise are among the favourites to win the whole thing.
The ‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma will want to lead from the front with a barrel of runs, while Jasprit Bumrah will be the ace up the skipper’s sleeve in the field.
If their West Indian destroyer Evin Lewis can find his best form there are few players who can match his destructive ability, while veteran Yuvraj Singh will be a huge asset to the franchise on the field and in training.
Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was traded to the Indians last year and could be set to strike up a very interesting partnership with either Rohit or Lewis as the opening pair.
In December 2018 the Delhi Daredevils changed their name to the Delhi Capitals in line with a change of the structure of ownership of the franchise, but most of the coaching and playing staff have been retained. Australia legend Ricky Ponting continues to coach in India’s capital.
The Delhi franchise have secured the services of Rohit’s India partner Shikhar Dhawan as they seek to win their first ever IPL title under any name.
Chris Morris and Proteas team-mate Kagiso Rabada will give the bowling attack plenty of fire as will Aussie pace demon Pat Cummins and the Black Caps number one bowler Trent Boult.
Verdict: Mumbai Indians 67/100
On paper, the Capitals have a very strong team, but in the past, they have struggled to bring all the elements together consistently, early impressions are that Mumbai Indians should start with a win unless the visitors can really turn it on.
Written by @JonhenryWilson
