Hardik Pandya and Gerald Coetzee (Image: IPL & ICC)
Ishaan Shahane
Mumbai Indians
Gun Batters – Mumbai Indians have some very good attacking batters who can change the course of the game – the experience of Rohit Sharma, fearlessness of Ishan Kishan and the explosiveness of Dewald Brevis, who in turn should be provided with more opportunities this season.
Middle/ Lower order finishers – The experience trickles down to the middle order – Surya Kumar Yadav handles the business end of the innings with the upcoming star Tilak Varma. The right-hand/left-hand combination works well down the order. Eyes will be set on Nehal Wadhera as well, who showcased his class in the previous season. Hardik Pandya and Tim David add even more depth to the enviable batting line-up.
New-ball bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah will lead the new ball attack most likely with Dilshan Madushanka or Gerald Coetzee. Both Madushanka and Coetzee can help in adding further support to Bumrah, who has been MI’s spearhead bowler over the years.
Quality spinners – The experience of Piyush Chawla will come in handy along with the youthful exuberance and talent of Hrithik Shokeen and Kumar Kartikeya, who were both impressive last season.
Death bowling – Jasprit Bumrah once again will be the spearhead in the death overs with his vast experience, alongside Akash Madhwal who bowled with good pace and control last season.
Captaincy – The Mumbai Indians will be going into the season with a new captain, Hardik Pandya. Rohit Sharma who had led the side marvelously over the years won’t be captaining them any further. The responsibility now lies with Hardik to ensure that he captains the side with the same spirit. MI fans all over the world have mixed opinions on the same but would be hoping Hardik pulls off the goods, similar to what he did for the Gujarat Titans.
Also Read: Dhoni and Gill at Opposite Ends of Experience Spectrum – IPL Squads Reviewed
Vaibhav Tripathi
Lucknow Super Giants
Gun Batters – In KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, LSG have two reliable batters. Both possess different gears in their game and have been highly successful for the franchise since its inception. Joining them for the upcoming season will be Devdutt Padikkal, acquired in a trade deal from Rajasthan Royals. Padikkal, currently regarded as one of the finest young batters in the country, can prove to be a great asset for the team, but only if he bats in the top three. He can complement Rahul and de Kock effectively.
Middle/Lower-order Finisher – Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis are players with all the attributes to fulfill the role of finishing games. While Pooran excels against both spinners and pacers, Stoinis, an unreliable player against spin, can be counted on to score quick runs at the backend when spinners are hardly in operation. Additionally, Ayush Badoni strengthens the lower middle-order.
These two will be accompanied by Ashton Turner, LSG’s new recruit, who also plays a similar finishing role for Perth Scorchers in the BBL. If Krunal Pandya doesn’t bat at 4, then he will join Stoinis, Pooran, and Badoni as one of the finishers.
New-ball bowlers – Mohsin Khan can bowl with the new ball, as can Mark Wood and Naveen-ul-Haq, but David Willey’s addition will please them the most. In Lucknow, against India, Willey bowled a terrific new-ball spell in which he dismissed in-form Kohli for a duck. Willey is a specialist powerplay bowler, unlike the aforementioned names. Shivam Mavi, another new recruit, will be filling in the hole left by Avesh Khan in the pace department. Mavi is a very good option with the new ball as he can seam the ball both ways.
Quality spinner(s) – Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya will start as the first-choice spinning options. While Bishnoi is a proven wicket-taker, Pandya is more of a restrictive bowler, maintaining control and picking one or two wickets in the process. A legend of the league, Amit Mishra, is an option too.
Gowtham is another off-spinning option. Uncapped M Siddharth completes the spin attack. This attack will succeed in all conditions given the variety they have in their spin department. Having said that, there will be over-reliance on Bishnoi to bag most wickets in the middle overs.
Death bowling – Wood, Mohsin, Naveen-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur — these four pacers shouldered the responsibility of bowling the tough overs at the backend last season, and no wonder they’ll be doing it again in the next season. Wood and Mohsin’s pace, combined with Naveen’s changeups and Thakur’s hard length deliveries, make death bowling certainly LSG’s strong suit.
Captaincy – KL Rahul will return to captain the side after being ruled out halfway through the competition last time out. His stature as a leader has grown in the last couple of years. The 31-year-old cricketer has plenty of experience leading in the IPL, having continuously donned the captaincy hat since 2020. Rahul leading from the front will be crucial to LSG’s chances of making it through to the final for the third time this season.
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Gargi Raut
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Gun Batters – Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell. No surprises there for RCB. The top 3 batters have always been RCB’s biggest strength. Combining Faf’s aggression, Virat’s stability and Glenn’s spontaneity result in a formidable top order that not everyone can get through. Kohli will be in the spotlight after an extraordinary World Cup campaign where he was the ‘Player of the Tournament’.
Middle/lower order finishers – Rajat Patidar, Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik. Middle order has always been RCB’s Achilles heel. When the top three batters fail to perform, the middle order is exposed. But this time around all eyes will be on the trio of Patidar, Lomror and Karthik to come good and take the team through the line.
New-ball bowlers – Mohammed Siraj. RCB’s leading fast bowler, Siraj, has turned into a dangerous bowler in recent years. Reece Topley, the tall pace bowler, could be his partner-in-crime.
Quality Spinners – Mayank Dagar and Karn Sharma. Ever since RCB let go of Yuzvendra Chahal, they have had a hard time in the spin department and relied on their fast bowlers to do most of the job. Considering the pacy wicket at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, it seems like the think-tank is not too worried about bolstering their spin department. But the responsibility lies on Mayank Dagar and Karn Sharma’s shoulders to get the team some breakthroughs in the middle overs.
Captaincy – After Virat Kohli let go of captaincy, it was Faf du Plessis who stepped up as the frontman for RCB. Although Faf has been a superstar with the bat, questions arise as to whether the same can be said about his captaincy. After the auction, du Plessis spoke about how he wants the team to focus on doing better at home. Hence their strategy in the auction to get players who would be suited to do well at their home ground.
Also Read: Cummins Leads Sunrisers’ Revamp and can Starc Step up for KKR?
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Ishaan Shahane Mumbai Indians Gun Batters – Mumbai Indians have some very good attacking batters who can change the course of the game – the experience of Rohit Sharma, fearlessness…
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