Stage set for the opening of explosive eighth IPL

Sudhir Gupta 13:09 08/04/2015
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  • KKR are aiming for a third successive IPL title.

    The World Cup carnival is over. But that doesn’t mean the cricketing world has gone to sleep.

    The confetti had barely stopped drifting around the Melbourne Cricket Ground following Australia’s magnificent win in the final against New Zealand before the best players in the world geared up to fight it out in an eight-team T20 gala known as the Indian Premier League.

    As in 2011, there is barely breathing space between the World Cup and the T20 extravaganza, meaning players won’t have a lot of time to recover from the rigours of their 50-over campaign. But with more than $6 million (Dh22m) in prize money up for grabs, plus some staggering salary figures to justify, every single player across the eight teams will be doubly motivated to put his best foot forward.

    All eyes will be on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders as they look to become the first team to win the coveted title three times.

    Leading the way will be captain Gautam Gambhir, who will be relying on his spin-heavy bowling attack to tie down the opposition. With ace spinner Sunil Narine, back in the fold after having his bowling action cleared, chinaman bowlers Kuldeep Yadav and Brad Hogg and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla in the attack, Kolkata have the right players to make an impact on the slow Indian surfaces.

    Mumbai Indians will once again be one of the teams to beat this season with Rohit Sharma leading a star-studded side with familiar franchise faces like spinner Harbhajan Singh, hard-hitting all-rounder Kieron Pollard and pace king Lasith Malinga. World Cup-winning Australian opener Aaron Finch will be keen to bring that momentum to Mumbai and bolster their title hopes.

    One team that has always looked threatening without managing to go all the way in the tournament is Royal Challengers Bangalore. With India Test captain Virat Kohli at the helm, they will be desperate to end their title drought, especially because they have the undisputed king of T20 – marauding opener Chris Gayle – in their line-up.

    Expectations will also be high for the Rajasthan Royals, who have routinely punched well above their weight with their smart selection policy that relies on bits and pieces players who do their job well rather than star names who can be all flash and no game. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson will captain this spirited bunch that will have fellow World Cup winners Steven Smith and James Faulkner. The rise of Smith in international cricket following last year’s IPL has certainly added star value to the side.

    And who can discount Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings? The men in yellow are the masters of the format and will look to stamp their authority once again.

    There will be other challengers in the form of a revamped Delhi Daredevils, who have Indian veterans Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan in their line-up, Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will try their best to get their hands on the top prize.

    However, there is another narrative to this year’s IPL.

    Controversies have plagued almost all editions of the tournament with instances of spot-fixing (proven in 2012 and 2013) and malpractices by team owners (Chennai official Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan owner Raj Kundra found guilty of betting in 2013).

    The onus will be on the IPL governing council to ensure that this year’s edition is as clean as possible with no possibility of maligning the game. And it’s necessary because the paying public is desperate for some clean fun in the IPL with sixes and wickets galore. But one thing is for sure, whichever way the tournament pans out, there will be no dearth of excitement.

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