MI Preview IPL 2024

Mumbai Indians recovered from a dire 2022 to get within touching distance of the final in 2023. Can they go one better in IPL 2024?

With a very strong core of Indian players that is boosted by the return of Jasprit Bumrah from injury and Hardik Pandya who has been named captain on his homecoming, then MI surely have to be considered one of the favourites for the IPL 2024 title.

MI Review of 2023

Despite reaching the later stages of the tournament, the stats below show that MI didn’t really excel in any single discipline or phase of the game in IPL 2023.

As a result, they were largely reliant on individual brilliance, particularly from their batsmen and particularly at home, to get them wins.

Suryakumar Yadav had an absolutely incredible tournament, passing 600 runs despite the fact that he generally batted outside the top 3 and scoring those runs at an eye watering strike rate of 181. He also received good support from the likes of Tilak Varma although the young left-hander’s season was interrupted by injury and Nehal Wadhera who played 14 times in his debut season.

Cameron Green also had his moments including a century in his debut season in the IPL but that clearly wasn’t quite enough to stop MI taking the opportunity to trade him to RCB for the returning Pandya.

The opening pair continues to be a bit of an issue for MI. Rohit Sharma has been underperforming for a while now. He did at least add 2 half centuries in IPL 2023 (having scored none in the previous campaign) and finished with a higher strike rate than he’s managed in the last 4 campaigns.

Still, Rohit’s relatively meagre strike rate of 130 in the powerplay coupled with his inability to bat deep into the innings did continue to put MI’s middle order in position where they had to bat out of their skin to get competitive totals on the board!

Mumbai’s middle order also needed to play well to compensate for the lack of senior bowlers that the side had available to them in IPL 2023.

With Bumrah missing the whole tournament and Jofra Archer only fit enough to play 6 games during which he looked like a man who has played virtually no cricket for 2 years, the onus fell largely on Jason Behrendorff to lead the attack and he performed admirably in taking 14 wickets in 12 appearances.

In fact, the only frontline bowler who appeared in all 16 of MI’s matches in the IPL was veteran Piyush Chawla which was a surprise given that he’d made just 1 IPL appearance in the 2 seasons prior. That however didn’t stop the wrist spinner from taking 22 wickets making him the second most prolific slow bowler in IPL 2023.

Later on in the season, Akash Madhwal burst onto the scence finishing the season with 14 wickets including an incredible 5 for 5 against LSG in the first eliminator, an IPL record at the MA Chidambaram.

Speaking of records at stadiums, MI were the only team to win more matches at home than they did away in IPL 2023.

IPL records at the Wankhede last 10 matches

As the stats above show, that was largely achieved by the fact that MI were capable of chasing pretty much any score that the opposition set them.

MI IPL 2024 auction

With the deal to sign Hardik Pandya completed ahead of the auction, MI were generally left looking to sign bowlers to replace the overseas quicks who Behrendorff aside, had all been released.

In that regard and given MI’s fairly limited budget you’d say that they have recruited well with Gerald Coetzee, Nuwan Thushara and Dilshan Madushanka. All 3 offer something slightly different and they are joined by Romario Shepherd who was also an off-season acquisition, to give MI plenty of fast bowling options.

MI did put in a bid for Mitchell Starc but acquiring the Aussie would have cost them all their available funds and while the prospect of Bumrah and Starc bowling in tandem would have been awesome to see, MI have learned from last season that depth is a necessary consideration particularly with your fast bowling stocks.

MI squad strengths and weaknesses IPL 2024

Career T20 records v types of bowling and in phases of the game

The MI batting line-up certainly looks formidable on paper.

Freed from the captaincy, can this be the season that Rohit Sharma finally cuts lose? Given the spluttering form that the opening combination has shown over the last couple of years then MI will certainly being hoping for more and you can see from Rohit and Ishan’s career strike rates in the powerplay that neither has historically gotten the side off to a flier in that part of the game.

For the most part, you’d expect Hardik Pandya to bat at number 3, a role that he played very well particularly in his first season at GT. However, it could well be that the MI middle order remains very fluid given the talent that they have available.

Tilak Varma for example could easily be brought in higher up the order and in fact when you look at his match-ups against all types of bowling then MI would do well to ensure the youngster is given as much time at the crease as possible. I say youngster but you have to remember that while still only 21-years of age, Tilak has played 20 times for India in white ball cricket and will be looking at IPL 2024 as the chance to cement his place in the T20 World Cup squad.

If he does go to the World Cup then it’s highly likely he’ll be playing in the middle order with his MI teammate Suryakumar Yadav. Sky is arguably pound for pound the best T20 batsmen in world cricket. He’s batted in every role for MI over the years but more recently has been floating around the number 4/5 spots. Will that be where he bats again this season or might MI spring a surprise on us and push him higher?

The reality is that MI have the depth in their batting line-up to chop and change as the match situation unfolds. For example, you wouldn’t want to leave the likes of Rohit, Ishan or Hardik together against certain spin match-ups as their stats above show. However, when you have the 2 Rolls Royce options of Tilak and Sky in your middle order plus Wadhera whose performances last year showed how effective he can be, particularly against slower bowling, then opposition sides should struggle to expose those weaknesses.

MI also look well set at the death not only if one of the 6 batsmen we’ve mentioned already gets in and set because as the stats above show, they’ve all got the power game to really up the ante late on, but also with Tim David sitting in at 6/7 as the finisher.

The big man has had 2 largely successful seasons at MI playing that very role and is more than capable of clearing any boundary and then some in those all important death overs.

Where MI have also strengthened for this season is that they’ll likely have a player at number 8 who can swing the bat if needed. Romario Shepherd is certainly capable of striking a long ball in those last few overs and Gerald Coetzee is also no mug with the bat.

While you’d assume that the likes of Brevis and Nabi are there as back-up players, the fact that MI’s top 6 are all home grown talent also gives them great flexibility in deciding which overseas players to bring in or there may be times they don’t play 4 overseas players.

Career T20 bowling stats by phase of the game

The fitness of Bumrah is absolutely key for MI. If they can have him available for the entirety of IPL 2024 then their chances of winning it improve dramatically. If Sky is the best T20 batsman in world cricket then Bumrah is the best bowler full stop.

However, as we saw in the 2022 season he will need support and this time it looks likely that he’ll get it! The problem that MI have had in previous years is when to bowl Bumrah’s 4 overs because he’s brilliant across all phases of the game. Ideally, you’d want to go for 2 overs upfront because you know he’ll put pressure on the opposition top order in a key phase of the game and then have 2 up your sleeve for late in the innings where his economy over a very long career is an incredible 8 an over.

I would expect that first choice alongside Bumrah will be Thushara who is similarly effective at both ends of the innings. Another Sri Lankan quick in the mould of his now mentor at MI Lasith Malinga, Thushara’s impact in the powerplay comes as a result of him also being able to bowl away swing with the new ball (much like Malinga used to) while still being able to deliver those toe crushing in-swinging yorkers at the death.

The fact that Thushara went off to play for MI Cape Town under the watchful eye of Malinga feels like he is being primed for a big part in this Mumbai Indians attack in IPL 2024. If he can continue the form he showed in that tournament here in the IPL then watch out – those 2 deliveries to the right handers are close to unplayable!

MI could then opt to play a left-armer in the form of Madushanka or Behrendorff. Both are ideally suited to bowling in the powerplay but Behrendorff showed last season that he has added enough variety to be effective in later phases of the game too although if Bumrah and Thushara are in the side he’s likely to be able to focus on swinging the new ball which has always been a strength.

Alternatively Gerald Cotzee is another bowler capable of being effective in multiple phases of the game. However, having missed all of the recent SA20 through injury he may need to prove his fitness before getting his chance. That then leaves Madwhal and Romario Shepherd both of whom are seen as more effective options in the 2nd half of the innings if selected.

Spin always seems to be something of an after thought when selecting an MI squad but Mumbai do have some very experienced operators who can do a job when required. Chawla who was so successful last season remains on the books, although his form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy since then was poor. MI also brought in Shreyas Gopal who had a stint with the franchise back in 2014. He was Kerala’s leading wicket taker in the same tournament with 12 victims.

At the time of writing, Kartikeya is attempting to lead Madhya Pradesh to the Ranji Trophy final and perhaps this can be the season that he brings his domestic form into franchise cricket.

The final big question as to the balance of this MI side and attack, is the ability of Hardik to bowl. It would appear that the prospects for that happening are looking positive for now with Hardik at least bowling in the nets but you’d imagine that MI will look to manage his workload. Still, having him as a 5th/6th bowling option only serves to strengthen this already excellent MI side.

MI IPL 2024 Predictions

For me, Mumbai Indians are the favourites to win a 6th IPL title. Their batting line-up looks to have most bases covered and if the opening pair can hit the form we all know they are capable of then coupled with the strenght of their middle and lower order, you’d say they have the best batting unit in the competition.

With the ball, things are looking so much better than at the same time last year. Their fast bowling stocks look particularly strong with MI possessing multiple bowlers who are effective throughout the innings.

Spin has never been a strong point for MI and while that might not be as much of an issue at home, there will be a few venues that they travel to through the tournament that could expose that weakness.

It will of course be interesting to see how the side adapts to a new captain. While Pandya is certainly not new to the MI set-up, Rohit has been in charge for such a long time that it may require some adaptation. At the same time, Hardik looked like the ideal T20 leader while at GT and taking some of the workload away from Rohit whose responsibilities obviously extend beyond the IPL and into the national team is perhaps a change that is long overdue and could reap significant benefits.

Predicted finish: 1st

LSG Preview IPL 2024

LSG made it 2 playoff appearances from 2 attempts in IPL 2023 and come into the 2024 tournament with one of the least changed squads from last season. Will that stability help them to progress and go one better this time around?

There certainly seems enough quality across the squad to suggest that they can be there or thereabouts come the end of the season but they’ll have to overcome the difficult home conditions with the Ekana Stadium having the lowest average score in the IPL last year at just 148.

LSG Review of 2023

In fact, those same home conditions are important to factor in when assessing LSG’s performance across key phases of the game in IPL 2023.

Run scoring, in particular, was really not easy easy in Lucknow last year whether the match was played on red soil or black soil pitches, although it was the former that provided the toughest conditions with 4 LSG totals under 130.

The LSG line-up is not particularly well suited to those kind of conditions as we’ll examine in further detail below and so it was crucial that the Super Giants were strong on the road winning 5 matches on their travels and only losing away to the 2 sides who ultimately finished above them in the league (GT and CSK).

However, LSG did struggle with the ball, particularly in the powerplay where they claimed just 14 wickets. Their cause wasn’t helped by an injury to Mohsin Khan who managed just 5 games last season and the form of Avesh Khan who having been one of the most effective powerplay bowlers over recent IPLs went wicketless from his 12 PP overs in 2023.

In terms of individual performances, Avesh Khan wasn’t the only Super Giant to struggle last year. Deepak Hooda suffered a nightmare season scoring 84 runs at an average of 7.63 and strike rate of 94 in the 12 matches he played.

The top order chopped and changed quite a lot, firstly due to QdK arriving late alongside most of his South African colleagues. That gave Kyle Mayers an opportunity to open and he looked very good in the early stages of the tournament. Then an injury to KL Rahul plus the lack of runs from Hooda prompted another rethink of the top order and LSG’s batting unit never really hit its full potential.

With ball in hand, Ravi Bisnoi lead the wicket taking stakes with 16 victims across the season and LSG shuffled a very long list of bowling options to good effective helped by the fact that they continued to have plenty of all round options in Krunal Pandya, Stoinis and Gowtham.

Young Yash Thakur was the stand out seam bowler finishing with 13 wickets. He was particularly effective at the death where he claimed 8 of those dismissals at an economy of under 10 runs an over.

LSG IPL 2024 auction

Given that LSG had the smallest available pursue coming into the auction, it was always likely to be a case of them flirting around the edges rather than going in for the big names.

Having traded Avesh Khan to Rajasthan in the off-season, an Indian seam bowler was a priority and LSG picked up Shivam Mavi to fill that role. With 6 fairly recent caps for India in T20 cricket, Mavi is a bowler who has failed to really live-up to expectations in the IPL since he debuted as a teenager in 2018. He didn’t feature at all for a strong GT side last season and so perhaps has a point to prove at a new franchise where opportunities look more likely to be afforded to him.

Coming the other way from the Royals was Devdutt Padikkal who struggled in his middle order role at Rajasthan but is likely to have to bat in a similar position in this LSG team as well.

Elsewhere, LSG picked up David Willey who could prove a shrewd signing given his ability to pick-up wickets in the powerplay not to mention that he adds yet another batting option to their long list of all-rounders.

LSG also brought in Ashton Turner who hasn’t played in the IPL since 2019 when he suffered an infamous string of ducks (3 in the IPL, 5 in total across all T20 matches). He is likely to provide back up to Marcus Stoinis.

LSG squad strengths and weaknesses IPL 2024

Career T20 records v types of bowling and in phases of the game

The key words that could be used to describe most areas of the LSG squad for IPL 2024 are “options” and “depth”.

An opening combination of KL Rahil and QdK is one of the strongest in the league and in Mayers and Padikkal LSG do have better alternatives than many sides can muster in that position.

Number 3 was a big problem for LSG last season and an area they’ll defintely want to improve on. Hooda does at least come into IPL 2024 with a bit of form including scoring a magnificent 180 off 128 balls for the Rajasthan side that he captained in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year.

Devdutt Padikkal has been in similarly good form in domestic cricket earning him a call up to the India A squad and no doubt he’s been in conversations about making his Test debut against England (he may yet get that chance in the final match of the series). It could be that LSG go with him and Hooda at 3 and 4, rotating them to maintain a left/right hand combination at the crease.

LSG can then call on their powerful middle order of Stoinis, Pooran and Badoni to get the runs flowing. While they’ll also have players like Krunal Pandya, Willey and Gowtham floating around at numbers 8 and 9 providing hitting power throughout the 20 overs.

It is however essential to LSG’s success in IPL 2024 that they don’t leave too much for that middle and lower order to do especially in the challenging home conditions. While their powerplay performance from last year can be excused to some extent due to the conditions at the Ekana Stadium, the career strike rates of several of their top order players in that phase of the game need to be improved upon to avoid LSG having to chase the game later on particularly where conditions make that very challenging.

Career T20 bowling stats by phase of the game

In bowling terms, it looks most likely that LSG will pick between 1 of their 3 overseas seamers to feature in the XI. All 3 provide something slightly different with David Willey an excellent exponent of swing compared to Naveen-ul-Haq who will look to bowl his variations off the pitch and yorkers later on.

Shamar Joseph came in to replace Mark Wood and give the side a genuine pace option and while his performances in the Test arena are certainly worthy of attention his lack of experience at any level in T20 cricket is a concern.

LSG will be desperate to get Mohsin Khan fit and firing for IPL 2024. When he’s on the pitch he is a proven wicket taker across all phases but it’s difficult to imagine that a player with his injury record will be able to play every game.

That means that Shivam Mavi and Yash Thakur will need to perform alongside and at times in the absence of Mohsin. Both have the potential to be effective players for LSG particularly through the middle and death over phases of the match.

Finally, LSG continue to have plenty of depth in their spin bowling department. You’d expect Bisnoi and Krunal Pandya to be first choice picks again in IPL 2024 and while they do an excellent job of controlling the scoring during the middle overs, they aren’t the prolific wicket takers that some other franchises can call upon.

Amit Mishra rolled back the years and did look an effective weapon particularly in home games for LSG last season. He offers a more classical and aggressive wrist-spin option to play alongside Bishnoi and Pandya while the selection of Gowtham would mean that they have all bases covered and allow KL Rahul to exploit potential match-ups against opposition batsmen.

LSG IPL 2024 Predictions

LSG have a settled squad with no major weaknesses present. Every player knows their role and if they can execute that role then there’s no reason to think that they won’t make it to a 3rd consecutive knockout phase.

What happens after that is anyone’s guess!

If there is one weakness that has developed over the franchise’s relatively short existence it’s been winning the matches that really matter.

They lost twice to Gujarat Titans last year and were well on their way to being beaten home and away by CSK as well before rain intervened to spare their blushes. They were then thrashed by Mumbai Indians in the eliminator and that does mean that beyond the often impressive stats their players can boost across the T20 format, we do have consider that there is a psychological weakness for this squad to overcome before they can be considered potential title challengers.

Predicted finish: 3rd

KKR Preview IPL 2024

KKR were certainly value for money as far as neutral fans watching last season’s IPL were concerned. However, their lack of consistency particularly in the top order meant that they were never a realistic prospect for reaching the playoffs.

As we preview their 2024 IPL squad, it will become clear that they still possess plenty of star quality in their side but can they marry that with more of a killer instinct and general match intelligence to make it to the later stages this time around?

KKR Review of 2023

As alluded to in the introduction above, KKR were a little all over the place in IPL 2023.

At the top of the order, they chopped and changed throughout the season seeking a combination that could get them off to fast and consistent starts. However, as the stats below show, they lost more wickets in the powerplay than any other side, regularly putting a strong middle order and fairly long tail under huge pressure.

In fact but for a few truly magnificent innings from the likes of Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer and Shardul Thakur, KKR’s season could have been a total disaster!

Those poor starts were particularly costly at home, with Eden Gardens offering up plenty of runs generally in the form of 4s and 6s as opposition sides feasted on a very average seam attack and exploited the fact the KKR so often put themselves behind the 8-ball with their early innings collapses.

With ball in hand, KKR were particularly poor in the powerplay with the worst economy in the league and then again at the death where they went for the best part of 11 an over.

That lead to a complete overhaul of the seam bowling options over the close season with Southee, Ferguson, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur all released.

On pitches that offered some turn, their tripple spin threat look very effective. Varun Chakaravarthy returned to form after a difficult 2022 season to pass the 20 wicket mark for the first time and Narine and Suyesh Sharma were the only other 2 KKR bowlers whose total wickets haul for the tournament made it to double figures.

Still, a few of their big name players including Narine and Andre Russell continued to show that they are no longer the force that they once were. KKR stalwarts they may be but baring an incredible turn around in their form, IPL 2024 will surely be their final season at the franchise as we head into the mega auction at the end of the year.

KKR IPL 2024 auction

With the entirety of their capped fast bowling attack shown the exit door over the closed season then it was obvious that KKR’s first priority at the auction was to bring in fast bowlers and they did so by smashing the record fee paid to a player to acquire the services of Mitchell Starc.

Outside of that they initially purchased Gus Atkinson as a back up option before England decided it’d be better if he returned to play some county cricket rather than carry the drinks in Kolkata. He’s therefore been replaced by Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera who was at LSG last season.

Other squad players in the form of Sherfane Rutherford (back-up for Russell) and Mujeeb Rahman (back-up for Narine) followed while KKR also acquired Indian keeper KS Bharat, a move that might give them a bit more flexibility in their top order selections should they opt not to play Gurbaz.

One area where there was a surprising lack of activity was in bringing in Indian seamers to help bolster their stocks. As we’ll see later on, KKR are relying on a relatively small group of uncapped quicks who don’t have great records in the IPL.

KKR squad strengths and weaknesses IPL 2024

Career T20 records v types of bowling and in phases of the game

On paper, KKR have a very strong batting line-up if they can get the combinations right and stop putting themselves in difficult match situations by starting so badly with both bat and ball.

It’s likely that KKR will need to choose between one of Roy or Gurbaz at the top of the order given that 3 of the overseas spots will almost certainly go to Russell, Narine and Starc.

Roy ended up being one of KKR’s more consistent performers last season with 285 runs from the 8 matches he played. He has the potential to get this KKR side off to a very good start if he’s in form. That might seem like an obvious statement to make but Roy is one of those players who is either very good or very poor so KKR will no doubt be monitoring his performances in the current PSL to see which Jason Roy they are getting in IPL 2024.

The return from injury of Shreyas Iyer is a major boost for the franchise. Not only will he captain the side but he will be able to shore up an otherwise wobbly top order and could potentially open the batting.

In the middle overs, KKR have plenty of good hitters of spin in the likes of Venkatesh Iyer and Nitesh Rana. Similarly, KS Bharat may not be seen as a T20 batsmen but his underlying stats show that he is effective against slow bowling and could do a good job in the middle order slotting in between those left handers if required.

That top and middle order should then set things up nicely for the power hitters in Russell and Rinku Singh to come in and finish things off at the death.

Career T20 bowling stats by phase of the game

With ball in hand, it does feel a little bit like KKR have thrown all of their eggs into a Mitchell Starc shaped basket especially as far as seamers are concerned.

Starc does possess the quality to take wickets throughout the innings but how his 4 overs are managed both by Iyer as captain and the opposition will be crucial. As we’ve seen throughout his career, Starc is a wicket taker in all formats but he can also go for runs.

The pressure then falls onto one or two of KKR’s less heralded quicks in the form of Arora, Harshit Rana or Sakariya. Harshit Rana actually performed fairly well in the powerplay last season taking 4 wickets at an economy of 7.8 (certainly a lot better than many of his team mates managed). However, it was also evident that the KKR management were concerned about his abilities towards the end of an innings. He bowled just one over at the death last year and it went for 21!

With Sakariya and Arora also struggling to restrict scoring at the end of an innings, it would mean that KKR would probably have to hold Starc back for 2 overs at the death and then rely on Andre Russell to finish things off.

While not a bad option at the death, Russell is hardly in the same league as some of the specialist bowlers in that phase of the game that other franchises possess. It’s also high-risk for any team to really trust that his body will hold up for the duration of a season – he managed just 15 overs in IPL 2023.

It also means that once again, KKR will be very reliant on their spinners in IPL 2024 which perhaps gives an indication of the kind of pitches we might well see produced at Eden Gardens this season. While the venue generally saw some very high run scoring, there were occasions (for example the match against RCB) where the ball spun a lot. I’d expect to see similar surfaces produced again where KKR continue to play 3 frontline spinners.

However, for any spin attack to be successful, they need the opposition under pressure. If KKR continue to leak runs at the start and end of the innings in the manner that they did last season then teams can afford to play in a risk free manner against the likes of Narine and Varun safe in the knowledge that they can make up the difference later on.

Having said that, teams were far more aggressive against Narine last year than they have been in the recent past. He finished IPL 2022 with an economy of slightly under a run a ball but in IPL 2023 he went for 7.98 an over, his highest economy rate in an IPL career spanning 12 seasons to date.

KKR IPL 2024 Predictions

KKR are a bit of a tough one to predict because on paper they have a batting line-up that on their day could be unstoppable and enough star power with the ball to think they can trouble any side.

However, consistency has been a problem for the past couple of seasons and it remains to be seen whether they’ve fixed the issues with the top order that hampered any progress last year or plugged the gaps in their bowling attack that saw them conceed heavily at both ends of the innings.

KKR could well continue to be one of the most watchable teams in IPL 2024, capable of both winning and losing games out of nowhere.

The return of Shreyas Iyer both as captain and the glue to hold their top order together will be key while KKR are banking heavily on Mitchell Starc alongside the ageing Narine and Russell to give them one last hoorah in IPL.

Given how tight the fight for that last playoff spot usually is then I wouldn’t completely rule them out of making it to the knockout phases but I think things will go wrong more than they go right for KKR in IPL 2024.

Predicted finish: 8th

Gujarat Titans Preview IPL 2024

Two seasons as an IPL franchise and two finals! Who said this was the most competitive T20 league in the world?

No side won more matches in the 2023 season than Gujarat Titans but they did lose the one that matters most in an epic final against CSK.

Can they overcome that defeat and the loss of their captain and star player in Hardik Pandya and make it 3 finals in a row?

GT Review of 2023

As with CSK, Gujarat Titans were strong in every department and every phase of the game last season.

With the bat, their real points of difference were the 3 centuries scored by Shubman Gill and the power hitting options that they always seemed to have at the end of the innings.

Gill finished as the leading run scorer in the tournament some 160 runs clear of his nearest rival. Not only that but he got those runs at a very impressive strike rate of 157. No other batsman who faced over 400 balls accumulated runs as quickly as he did.

As you can see from the stats above, GT’s weakest area was run scoring in the powerplay with Saha struggling to really support Gill in getting the innings off to a flying start. He played all 17 games for GT but had the 2nd lowest strike rate in the powerplay of any batsmen who faced more than 200 balls in that phase of the game. Add to that the fact that he only went on to record 2 half centuries and that is an area that GT will need to look at for IPL 2024.

Why it didn’t generally cost them last season was due to the strength of the middle and lower order, at least one of whom always seemed to come up with some big hits towards the back end of the innings. Vijay Shankar, Miller, Manohar, Tewatia and Rashid Khan all played match winning knocks at times throughout the tournament.

With ball in hand they were similarly excellent across all 3 phases led by Shami up front, Rashid Khan through the middle and then Mohit Sharma at the death. Those 3 ended up fighting their own intra-club battle for the purple cap with Shami just pipping the other 2 at the end although Mohit Sharma can point to the fact that he bowled significantly fewer deliveries than the other 2 ending with the incredible strike rate of a wicket every 9 balls!

GT also had a very useful supporting cast of bowlers with Noor Ahmed being used more frequently as the season progressed and forming a very effective partnership through the middle overs with his fellow Afghan Rashid Khan.

All of this was of course stitched together by a very strong coaching and management team who seem to work well together in getting the most out of the group of players they have as well as the on field captain in Hardik Pandya who looks like the perfect leader for a T20 side.

GT IPL 2024 auction

The big change for GT occurred pre-auction with the decision of Hardik Pandya to leave the franchise and head back to Mumbai as their new captain.

That does represent a significant loss for GT given the way that Hardik had lead this side, helping to forge a sense of purpose and identity almost immediately for a new franchise and group of players.

It did mean that GT entered the auction with a decent chunk of money to spend but by in large, they stayed away from getting involved in some of the really big bidding wars with the exception of Mitchell Starc who they ultimately missed out on. As a result, they snapped up an alternative Aussie left-armer in Spencer Johnson whose stock is certainly been on the rise throughout 2023.

They also signed Shahrukh Khan to add to their already impressive list of hitters at the back end of the innings as well as young left-handed keeper batsman Robin Minz of whom a lot is expected. As noted above, his addition could be particularly significant considering Saha’s struggles last year.

GT Squad strengths and weaknesses IPL 2024

Career T20 records v types of bowling and in phases of the game

As the stats above show, GT still lack a first choice player who can really assert themselves in the powerplay. That means their tactics will once again revolve around the likes of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan batting through large portions of the innings and setting it up for the battery of hitters to do some damage at the end.

Despite playing in just 8 matches last season, Sai Sudharsan finished as the team’s 2nd highest run scorer and having made his ODI debut for India in 2023 you’d expect that he will be given plenty of opportunities to establish himself further in IPL 2024. Beyond that, India are crying out for some left-handed options in their batting across all formats so watch this space …

If GT choose to fast track Robin Muniz into their middle order then it’s quite possible that Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill will open the batting. Both these players strength against all forms of bowling means that if they do get themselves in they can make significant scores just as Gill did in IPL 2023.

The alternatives at the top of the order would be for GT to use one of their experienced overseas players in Wade or Williamson. Wade played 10 matches in the 2022 season for GT and struggled to the extent that he didn’t feature at all last year despite Saha’s indifferent form. He’d certainly be the most aggressive powerplay option that they have on their books. Meanwhile, Kane Williamson was injured on his IPL debut for GT and didn’t feature again. He could play an important role as a leader to support new captain Shubman Gill but he lacks the power to really trouble opposition either during the powerplay or against spin in the middle overs.

In fact, GT’s batting options versus slower bowling are something of a concern. Vijay Shankar and David Miller will need to use their significant experience to assist Gujarat during that middle over period and attempt to set things up for their big hitters at the death.

Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Manohar and Rashid Khan can all cause significant damage particularly against pace bowling in those last few overs but you wouldn’t want them at the crease much earlier than that given their collectively poor records againsr spin.

Career T20 bowling stats by phase of the game

The return of Mohit Sharma from the cricketing wilderness was a massive part of GT’s success last season. If he can continue to deliver at the death then it allows the Titans to fully utilise Shami’s ability with the new ball while simultaneously giving GT the option of brining in Noor Ahmed rather than using one of their overseas quicks.

The additions of Umesh Yadav and Kartik Tyagi as back up to Shami and Mohit respectively suggests that GT would like to continue with the twin wrist-spinners where possible booked ended by Indian pace bowling specialists.

Of course Johnson and Little also provide a useful left-arm option and they could be particularly well suited to pitches in Ahmedabad if there is a bit of movement on offer.

Perhaps the biggest concern for GT is their lack of a genuine all-rounder. Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl a huge amount last year (25 overs across 11 innings) but he did offer that 6th bowling option when fit.

GT do have a number of batsmen who can bowl including the likes of Tewatia (once a frontline wrist spinner in the IPL), Vijay Shankar and a few others who bowl at regional level but who haven’t been given the chancec in the IPL yet.

With the new substitute rules, the lack of a genuine all-rounder has become less of a concern but it does still require your top order to bat very well and for you to be confident that your frontline bowlers will deliver their 4 overs.

That was certainly the case for GT last season but as we saw with Rajasthan Royals (another side lacking a genuine all-rounder) last season, if your top order’s form falters or 1 or 2 of your bowlers have a bad day then that lack of depth can cost you.

GT IPL 2024 Predictions

I think this season could prove to be more challenging for Gujrat Titans than their first 2 years in the IPL have.

The loss of Hardik Pandya is damaging both from the point of his leadership and the balance he offers the squad. Shubman Gill is a talented player but will have to learn very quickly how to continue being the side’s star batsman and now their on field leader. At 24-years-old, he will be the youngest captain in IPL 2024 going up against guys who have been doing the job for decades.

Last season, the Titans had arguably 4 players in the tournament’s best XI. Carrying that kind of form from year to year is incredibly challenging and so GT will need a few others to step up if they are to make it through to a 3rd consecutive final, a feat achieved only once in the tournament’s history (CSK managed 4 in a row 2010-2013).

There are also some fitness concerns for Rashid Khan who withdrew from both the recent SA20 and PSL tournaments and did not play for Afghanistan on their tour of India. While Mohammed Shami has also not played in the current Test series against England due to injury. The loss of either for some part of the season would be a massive blow.

There is still enough quality in the side to suggest that they can make the playoffs but I don’t see them being quite the force they have been over the last couple of seasons.

Predicted finish: 5th

Delhi Capitals Preview IPL 2024

Last year’s IPL proved a challenge for a DC side that struggled across most departments. The individual performances of David Warner and Axar Patel stood out against the back drop of the remainder of the squad who were average at best.

The resulting 9th placed finish meant that changes were inevitable but the Capitals failed to get a lot of bids over the line in what turned out to be a bit of a frenetic auction.

Rishabh Pant looks set to return following 18 months away from the game due to the injuries sustained during a horrific car crash. Are DC fans pinning too much hope on him being able to make a significant impact after such a long break?

DC Review of 2023

The IPL 2023 stats further illustrate the comments above that no area of DC’s game functioned well last season.

Powerplay bowling was their stronger suit but the economy rate in particular can be taken with a pinch of salt when considering that opposition teams were routinely chasing below average scores when playing DC and therefore had no reason to take risks while the field restrictions were in place.

David Warner was responsible for 6 of the 14 x 50+ scores DC made last season but to be honest he looks like a player past his best, struggling to really dominate attacks in the way that other premium top-order batsmen did.

Still, the platforms he did lay were not exploited by the Capitals middle and lower order and it’s no great surprise that the likes of Roussow and Powell have been cut from the squad when you consider that DC had the worst run-rate during the last 5 overs of any side in IPL 2023.

Prithvi Shaw was retained although it’s perhaps difficult to see why given his poor returns over the last couple of seasons and what appears to be a personality clash between himself and head coach Ricky Ponting.

On that front, it was perhaps a surprise that Ponting kept his job at DC and the Capitals appear to be yet another IPL franchise with so many managers, coaches and directors that it’s difficult to really know who is calling the shots and what the vision for the team is. Ganguly also retains his role coming into IPL 2024 but his former India teammate Ajit Agarkar has received a promotion which only serves to muddy the water further.

On the bowling front, penetration was DC’s major problem but when your batsmen are so consistently failing to put runs on the board then it does become an issue for any team to apply scoreboard pressure.

Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel were steady in the middle overs going at under 8s but only managed 20 wickets between them across the 14 games.

Meanwhile none of DC’s many seam options played the full quota of matches as they chopped and changed in the hope of finding success. The Capitals were ultimately left with Mitch Marsh as their top wicket taker (12) and Ishant Sharma as the leader of their attack which tells you all you need to know about their struggles in IPL 2023….

DC IPL 2024 auction

My assessment of Delhi Capitals auction at the time was that it represented an unmitigated disaster and my opinion on the matter hasn’t softened.

They bid on a huge number of players (19 by my count) including many of the names who ultimately went for big money but didn’t end up securing any of those star names. That fact becomes even more confusing when you consider that come the end of the auction they still had 9 Crore in their back pocket and instead of getting the premium players early in the auction they were left picking at the scraps that no one else wanted at the end!

They did acquire the likes of Harry Brook, Tristan Stubbs and Jhye Richardson but whether these 3 are capable of filling the obvious gaps in their squad from last season remains to be seen.

Brook for example scored an IPL century in his debut season for SRH last year but generally struggled to dominate slow bowlers. It’ll be interesting to see where he slots into the side because top 3 looks like his preferred position at the moment. It was also not great news for DC when the Englishman returned home from the current Test tour of India due to personal reasons.

Elsewhere Stubbs has a huge amount of talent but it will be a big ask for him to pull DC’s middle order around following the shambles that we saw in IPL 2023.

Meanwhile, Jhye Richardson looks like the latest in a long line of Aussie cricketers who can rely on Ponting for an IPL contract even where they seem ill suited to the conditions they will regularly find themselves playing in.

DC Squad strengths and weaknesses IPL 2024

Career T20 records v types of bowling and in phases of the game

The obvious problem once again for the Capitals continues to be who is going to dominate the middle overs for them particularly against slower bowling?

The only players who have consistently shown across their careers that they are capable of doing so are Warner and Pant. The former then has an incredible amount of responsibility resting on his shoulders to not get out in the powerplay and that in itself can limit the Capital’s attacking intent while the field restrictions are in place.

Last year, we saw Phil Salt come in and play (as he always does) with a very attacking mindset during the powerplay, allowing Warner to take on that anchor role. Will we see something similar this year and if so who will be tasked with going hard in the first 6 overs? DC certainly have plenty of potential options in Brook, Dull, Hope and Marsh although none of them have really played in that position for any significant period.

The only man who has done it successfully is Prithvi Shaw who has the best career strike rate in the powerplay amongst DC’s batting options. His fall from grace in the last couple of seasons has mirrored that of the Capitals more generally. In his last 18 IPL innings Shaw has continued to score at a strike rate of 144 but is averaging just 21. He and DC will need more than a few nice little cameos in IPL 2024.

As is the case with other franchise, at least half of DC’s established batting options are better suited to playing in the top 3. That is likely to mean that at least one of them will be shunted down the order into a position that does not favour their skills while beyond the likes of Pant, Stubbs and Axar Patel their middle order options look very limited. If 1 or 2 of those players don’t hit form then what do DC do?

The finisher role is also a problem for the Capitals. Axar Patel was often pencilled in to perform it last season and coped admirably but in comparison to the kind of hitting power that most other sides can muster in those final 5 overs then he is like a peashooter coming up against a full battery of cannons.

Career T20 bowling stats by phase of the game

Bowling wise, lets start with the positives. The Capital’s spin options continue to look strong with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in the side. It’s no great surprise that they were the only 2 front line bowlers to play in all 14 matches last season and you’d imagine they’ll be the first names on the team sheet again in IPL 2024.

We know that Axar Patel is not a massive turner of the ball and his role is more to contain teams particularly during that middle over phase. However, DC would be hoping for more penetration from Kuldeep who managed just 10 wickets last season. To a large extent, that is less to do with his personal performance and more to do with the shortcomings of a team that just cannot put their premium spinner into match situations where he is on top.

Outside of the spin department, DC’s options look thinner and weaker.

Anrich Nortje missed the World Cup and the more recent SA20 due to injury and as the only bowler really capable of contributing during any phase of the game he would be a massive miss for them.

In Ahmed, Richardson and Sharma, DC do have plenty of seamers suited to bowling in the powerplay but their weaknesses later in the innings are likely to be exposed again if 2 or more of them feature in the same team. Mukesh Kumar also did a lot of bowling in the powerplay for DC last season but his 12 overs in that phase of the game went for 103 runs and resulted in just a single wicket.

DC had the 2nd worst bowling economy at the death last season and if Nortje is not fit to play in all their matches this year then I’d expect that this will be an area of the game they struggle in once again.

The final point to consider is Rishabh Pant who is set to return and captain the team. They will certainly need his leadership qualities not to mention his run scoring if they are set to improve on last season.

What we do know is that Pant has recently begun a series of ‘match simulation activities’ (whatever that means) in a bid to be ready for the start of the IPL next month but that so far that has not included him keeping wicket. Given that he has not played any competitive cricket since December 2022, it may well be that Pant starts IPL 2024 as a specialist batsmen to at least remove the immediate physical and mental burden of playing as a keeper/batter/captain.

With a limited group of senior players and a few selection/injury problems already presenting themselves then Pant could also be key to helping some of the younger Indian players who’ll need to be brought into the side this season.

DC IPL 2024 Predictions

It’s difficult to see how Delhi Capitals are going to improve much on last season’s results and worryingly for them is the fact that several sides who finished in the bottom half of the league in 2023 appear to have gotten stronger over the close season.

A very confused auction is perhaps symptomatic of a franchise that is struggling to find an identity something which is not helped by the very complex management structure they have in place.

With question marks over how much of the season key players like Pant, Nortje and Brook can take part in, a squad that already had a few noticeable weaknesses is beginning to look threadbare before a ball has been bowled.

It’d take a miracle for DC to make the playoffs but you never know, they might come away with the wooden spoon…

Predicted finish: 10th

CSK Preview IPL 2024

Chennai returned from the lows of the 2022 season to win their 4th IPL title in 2023, displaying strength across pretty much every facet of the game. An already impressive squad has been added to in the off-season making CSK one of the firm favourites as we head into IPL 2024.

CSK Review of 2023

CSK’s season was neatly bookended by 2 games in Ahmedabad. They were at the huge Narendra Modi Stadium for the opening fixture against GT which they lost to what looked a far superior side but they returned there against the same opposition to win a thrilling final.

Like all great tournament teams they seemed to get stronger as the season progressed and with the vast experience not to mention quality that they had available in their squad, once they had made the play-offs they were always likely to be a major threat.

The stats above show how the CSK squad had no obvious weaknesses in IPL 2023.

Their top order scored at not only the 2nd fastest rate in the powerplay but in doing so lost the least number of wickets. When considering the options they possess in the middle and lower order, this led to them being able to consistently post competitive scores or chase them where necessary.

Similarly with ball in hand, they took regular wickets in the powerplay allowing them to dominate the middle overs and consistently use their plethora of slow bowlers to strangle the opposition, all under the careful management of MS Dhoni whose return to the captaincy had a major impact on the transformation of a team that looked lost at times in 2022.

Home advantage was always likely to be a key factor on the slow and often turning pitches in Chennai but CSK demonstrated that they had the options to win away from home as well.

As for individuals, Conway and Gaikwad were excellent at the top of the order while Ajinke Rahane was probably the surprise package of the tournament. Most observers would have thought that he was at Chennai as back-up in an injury crisis and a good man to have around the squad. Not many would have predicted that a player whose IPL career looked over would end up hitting at a S/R of 172+, the 4th best of any batsmen who faced over 100 balls last season.

Elsewhere Shivam Dube had by far his most effective season in the IPL striking 35 sixes in total, a feat only bettered by Faf du Plessis who hit 36 maximums but faced over 200 balls more than Dube.

With ball in hand Deshpande lead the wicket taking with 21 and was highly effective in the powerplay. Ravi Jadeja moved back into the ranks and put his horror show season in 2022 behind him to claim 20 victims himself. Meanwhile at the back end of the innings it was the slingy action of Pathirana that so often got CSK over the line. Of the 19 wickets the Sri Lankan took in IPL 2023, 18 of them came in the final 5 overs while despite bowling almost exclusively at a time in the game where runs usually flow, he maintained an economy rate of 8 an over!

CSK IPL 2024 auction

CSK love allrounders and therefore it was no great surprise to see them go in for players who can offer something with both bat and ball. Kiwi pair Mitchell and Ravindra, fresh off successful World Cup stints come in to join fellow New Zealander and long term head coach of CSK, Stephen Flemming.

Similarly CSK welcome back Shardul Thakur, a player whose most recent appearance in the yellow jersey saw him out LBW to the the last ball of the IPL 2019 final as Mumbai Indians clinched a thrilling victory.

Young Sameer Rizvi also came in and will offer yet another option to the hitting power of the middle order.

CSK Squad strengths and weaknesses IPL 2024

CSK will once again be packed with all-rounders and a range of batting options will ensure left-hand right hand combinations throughout the innings, an area the team management continues to believe is key to success.


Career T20 records v types of bowling and in phases of the game

Of the batsmen above, only Gaiwkad and Rahane don’t bowl or keep wicket and the fact that every other player can contribute in multiple facets of the game gives whatever XI they choose to field great depth with bat and ball in hand.

If there is a potential weakness for both openers then it is very early on with the moving ball. Gaikwad is vulnerable against a ball angled across him from a left-armer while Conway has a technical deficiency against the ball that nips back. However, with the white ball offering very little movement and for the most part that movement only lasting a couple of overs, then these may remain weaknesses that sides struggle to expose. Both players have excellent records against spin which also means they are very capable of batting through the innings and well into the death overs where their scoring rate only increases.

The above stats for Rahane who batted at number 3 for most of last season are somewhat misleading as his performance in IPL 2023 was nothing like what we’ve seen over his long career prior. Having a number 3 that can take full advantage of the powerplay should an early wicket fall is a must for any side hoping to make the later stages of the tournament. Can Rahane play that role again?

In the middle order CSK have plenty of options and they will be guided by conditions and match-ups as to who they pick and who bats where in any given match.

Mooen and Dube are ideally suited to hitting spin but are equally adept at clearing the boundary off any bowling during the death overs. Meanwhile Jadeja and Dhoni will play the role of finishers largely coming to the crease in the final 5 overs of matches to exploit their head to head records against pace.

Ambati Rayudu’s retirement opens up a spot in the middle order for a right-hander and it seems likely that it will go to either Mitchell or Sameer Rizvi. The former would require a rethink of the overseas spots if we assume that Conway, Moeen and the 2 Sri Lankans are first choice picks.

Sameer Rizvi meanwhile hit a majestic century in the UP T20 league at the back end of 2023 mixing brute power with languid timing. In many ways he looks like a right-handed version of Dube but will he take as long as Dube did to really stamp his authority in the IPL? It’s worth bearing in mind that despite playing in all 16 of CSK’s matches last season, Rayudu only faced 113 balls suggesting that whoever gets the nod will have a chance to ease themselves into an otherwise settled team.

With the likes of Thakur and Chahar potentially coming in as late as number 9, CSK have a strength and depth in their batting that can be matched by few if any of the other franchises in IPL 2024.


Career T20 bowling stats by phase of the game

CSK have a huge number of bowling options to choose from and a good number who specialise in certain phases of the game.

Upfront, you’d assume that Deepak Chahar will take the new ball and look for any movement on offer while at the other extreme of the innings, Pathirana will be there main operator.

Spin wise, CSK are very well catered for with the slow-left arm of Jadeja, the off-spin of Moeen and the mystery spin of Theekshana. The Sri Lanka also offers considerable flexibility with when he can deliver his overs, regularly coming on in the powerplay when the situation requires it.

Depending on how they choose to balance the team, it’s likely that CSK will then pick from 1 or 2 local seamers. Tushar Deshpande was the leading wicket taker for CSK last season improving on what had otherwise been a disappointing IPL career to that point. He had a happy knack of picking up wickets, perhaps as opposition teams looked to target him ahead of others but he was expensive at times particularly when bowling at the death.

Shardul Thakur has returned to the franchise and will be looking to restart his career as a bowler in this format. He bowled just 21 overs in total during IPL 2023 playing for a KKR side which regularly found themselves on the receiving end of some big scores, particularly at Eden Gardens. Thakur’s stats show his flexibility throughout the innings with his % total balls bowled split almost equally across all 3 phases. That kind of flexibility could prove very useful in a side whose frontline pacers are specialists.

CSK IPL 2024 Predictions

CSK retained the core of their title winning squad from 2023 and made some smart acquisitions in the auction, bringing in players that you can see fitting into their style of play with ease.

They’ll have plenty of batting depth, bowling options and experience in whatever XI they choose to field and we know that they are very effective in home conditions where Dhoni’s on-field captaincy more than makes up for his diminishing returns with the bat.

In that regard and with a mega auction due ahead of IPL 2025 this could well be Dhoni’s last season in a CSK shirt. There were some raised eyebrows when CSK retained him in 2022 before he then stepped down as captain only to return a year later and lead his team to yet another title. It would be a fitting end to a magnificent career if he were to do so again.

I would expect CSK to reach the playoffs again and there is no reason to suspect that they can’t claim one of the coverted top 2 positions allowing them an easier route to the final and perhaps another title.

Predicted finish: 2nd

Who were the winners and losers at this year’s IPL auction?

The auction ahead of IPL 2024 took place on Tuesday with all 10 franchises looking to make the necessary additions to their squads that will take them to the playoffs and potentially beyond.

source shared under a CC license

One of the great things about the IPL is that the 10 teams are so closely matched and so a piece of good business at the auction can really help to swing the advantage, even for sides who have struggled in the recent past.

The Players

Big earning Aussies

With a number of Australia’s big name stars opting to sit out the 2023 version of the IPL, it was no great surprise to see them coming back into the competition for hefty sums of money particularly off the back of their recent World Cup victory in India.

Pat Cummins broke the record for the most expensive player in IPL history when he was signed by SRH earlier in the auction (approx $2.5 million) only for fellow fast bowler Mitch Starc to then go for even more when he joined KKR (approx $3 million).

Travis Head, hero of the World Cup final last month, will join Cummins at SRH (approx $800k) and the pair will be key to the Sunrisers avoiding another wooden spoon.

While it was expected that Cummins and Starc would comfortably breach the million USD mark, the somewhat surprise package was young Spencer Johnson who attracted a lot of attention during the accelerated auction including from the likes of DC and Gujarat Titans who had both missed out on Starc earlier on but were happy to settle for an equally quick if not lesser known Aussie left-armer.

Other overseas millionaires

Darryl Mitchell went to CSK for just shy of $1.7 million while Alzarri Joseph joined RCB for 1.4million.

As noted in my previous blog on players to watch at this year’s auction, Mitchell is one of the most improved cricketers in the world game over the last couple of years and while not perhaps being the glamour signing that you might get from other names, he is certainly going to add even further depth to an already impressive Chennai squad.

Meanwhile Joseph was somewhat unlucky not to feature as heavily for the Titans last season having been a key bowler for them in their championship side of 2022. RCB will be looking to him to lead their attack in the 2024 season.

Salt left salty

Of all the big names that were sold at auction, there were of course plenty who didn’t find a home. While the likes of Cummins, Starc and Head can celebrate massive increases in their respectively bank balances, the same can’t be said for Aussie teammates Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood who failed to attract any bids despite having ample IPL experience.

Phil Salt can also count himself unlucky given that he performed reasonably in a poor DC side last year and had scored a T20i hundred a couple of days prior to the auction. He followed that up with a stunning 119 just hours after the bidding had concluded and perhaps a few franchises will be left wondering what might have been …

Life changing sums for the local talent

Lots of young Indian players were also hoping to attract bids from the 10 franchises whether for just a few thousand dollars or as in the case of a lucky few for truly life changing sums of money.

Shubham Dubey, Sameer Rizvi, Kumar Kushagra all atrracted bids of $700k and upwards to join the IPL for the first time. While the likes of Harshal Patel, Shahrukh Kahn, Shardul Thakur and Yash Dayal also benefited from generous bids having been released in the off-season.

The Franchises

A full analysis of each squad will follow in the new year but for now this is how the franchises performed at the auction, where they managed to get their business done and where they’ve left themselves short.

CSK

Funds available: 31.4 Crore
Notable signings: Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Sameer Rizvi, Daryl Mitchell
Missed out on: Head, Cummins, Coetzee, Joseph and Robin Minz

CSK do love an all-rounder! Most of their fairly substantial pursue went on signing them and middle order batsmen with the intent of replacing Ben Stokes and Ambati Rayudu from last year’s championship winning side.

No doubt Stephen Flemming knows his fellow Kiwis Ravindra and Mitchell very well and despite the high price tags, both will be able to slot into a squad in which every player knows their role and more often than not executes it to perfection.

Similarly Shardul Thakur is returning to a franchise and environment that he knows well and indeed thrived in. Meanwhile Samir Rizvi is a young cricketer of tremendous promise and certainly a long term replacement for the recently retired Rayudu.

CSK did miss out on a few big names but you do wonder how serious their bidding was for the likes of Cummins, Coetzee and Joseph and whether instead they were just looking to push the price up to hurt the squad building of their rivals.

DC

Funds available: 28.95 Crore
Notable signings: Harry Brook, Tristan Stubbs, Jhye Richardson, Kumar Kushagra
Missed out on: Pretty much everyone else!

Not a great auction for DC. There weren’t many areas of the team that didn’t need strengthening for the Capitals and that was evident from their scattergun approach.

I was keeping a tally of which team was bidding for which players and I ran out of room in the column marked ‘DC’. By my calculations, they bid on 19 players and ended signing just 9 of them including several young squad players.

They did manage to get Harry Brook in early and that does help fill one of the batting spots that needed cover but they also missed out on the likes of overseas stars Ravindra and Mitchell as well as young Indian talent in Shubman Dubey and Sameer Rizvi. Similarly they went in for quick bowlers including Starc, Joseph and Johnson but ultimately ended up signing Jhye Richardson.

All in all, it feels like a group of players with little to no experience or indeed prior success in Indian conditions and that plus the fact that they left over 9 crore unspent could well come back to bite them come game time.

GT

Funds available: 38.15 Crore
Notable signings: Shahrukh Khan, Spencer Johnson, Robin Minz
Missed out on: Starc, Harshal Patel, Sameer Rizvi, Kumar Kushagra

Coming into the auction with the largest pursue of the 10 franchises, you would perhaps have expected GT to make a bit more noise but instead they played it fairly cool and given the success they’ve achieved in such a short period of time, why wouldn’t they.

It was clear that GT had a very definite plan of the type of players they wanted to bring in and although they missed out on the likes of Starc they do appear to have gotten the next best thing in young Spencer Johnson who if he can stay fit might just be a superstar in the making.

Shahrukh Khan joins a squad who already seem to have an abundance of finishers, 1 or 2 of whom always seem to come off for the Titans. Meanwhile Robin Minz comes in to offer a left-handed option and competition to Saha for the keeper role, something that GT desperately needed to get from this auction.

KKR

Funds available: 32.7 Crore
Notable signings: Mitchell Starc, Gus Atkinson, Sherfane Rutherford, Mujeed Rahman
Missed out on: Powell, Woakes, Johnson

KKR splurged big on Mitch Starc to help cover their lack of fast bowlers while also bringing in Gus Atkinson late on although how he’ll fit into the XI remains to be seen.

The fact that they weren’t really able to bring in experienced Indian seam bowlers to back up Starc and the plethora of spin options they have is a cause for concern. In fact, the only Indian seamer they really went after (and failed to get) was Kartik Tyagi so perhaps they know something about the youngsters they have in their squad that we don’t?

With the return to fitness of Shreyas Iyer, their batting looks stronger and the addition of KS Bharat as a back-up keeper does mean they could potentially shuffle the line-up if Gurbaz doesn’t come off.

LSG

Funds available: 13.15 Crore
Notable signings: Shivam Mavi, David Willey, Ashton Turner
Missed out on: Coetzee

With the smallest pursue coming into the auction LSG were really there as spectators as much as anything. They did bid for a couple of big names including Harshal Patel and Alzarri Joseph but once the sums for those 2 got beyond 10 Crore it essentially ruled out Lucknow as a destination.

Shivam Mavi offers depth to the Indian bowling options while David Willey and Ashton Turner are likely to be back up for the overseas stars that LSG retained.

MI

Funds available: 17.75 Crore
Notable signings: Gerald Coetzee, Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka
Missed out on: Starc

Having done their main piece of business pre-auction with the return of Hardik Pandya, MI were left looking to strengthen their fast bowling options and in doing so have acquired 3 decent young bowlers to compliment the likes of Bumrah and Behrendorff.

Coetzee can certainly bowl through the middle to late portion of the innings while it’s no great surprise to see MI recruit from Sri Lanka when considering that they have Lasith Malinga as part of the coaching set-up. Nuwan Thushara is a Malinga clone in his action can he deliver MI the same kind of success in the IPL?

PBKS

Funds available: 29.1 Crore
Notable signings: Harshal Patel, Rilee Rossouw, Chris Woakes
Missed out on: Ravindra, Joseph, Shahrukh Khan, Mitchell

Harshal Patel certainly adds depth to their fast bowling but otherwise Woakes and Rossouw will be in direct competition with the high value overseas players they’ve already retained.

They tried to get Shahrukh Khan back in, presumably at a lower price than they’d released him for, but ultimately lost out to GT. That could hurt them if they persist with playing Livingstone in the top 4 and/or continue with their gung ho approach to batting – you really need greater depth than PBKS look likely to have to pull that off!

The Kings also managed to provide the comic relief to proceedings by buying a youngster called ‘Singh’ only to attempt to change their mind after the hammer came down. To be fair, with the number of ‘Singhs’ on their books, it probably does get a little confusing as to which ones you want and which you don’t. Still, it’s going to be an awkward first net for the unfortunate young man in question.

RR

Funds available: 14.5 Crore
Notable signings: Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey
Missed out on: Brook

Rajasthan came straight out of the traps and secured Rovman Powell as the first signing of the auction and then went in hard for Harry Brook who was ultimately the only player out of the 6 that they bid on that they didn’t get over the line.

Shubham Dubey was their other big signing. Rajasthan certainly needed a left hander to replace Paddikal but Dubey generally bats down the order on the domestic circuit which does raise questions as to who will come in at 4?

Rajasthan also failed to buy an all-rounder who might have given their XI more balance. Much then will depend on the top order to put up big runs once again!

RCB

Funds available: 23.25 Crore
Notable signings: Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Lockie Ferguson
Missed out on: Cummins, Nuwan Thushana

Went in big for Cummins but were ultimately gazumped by an SRH side with deeper pockets. Still, the signing of Joseph might prove to be better after all based on recent showings in the competition.

However, RCB lack a really high quality spinner and there are question marks over who will bowl the death overs. Joseph and Ferguson who was brought in late on are both very aggressive, wicket taking bowlers but they might go for a few runs particularly in high scoring home matches. Do RCB have the batting firepower to offset that?

SRH

Funds available: 34.0 Crore
Notable signings: Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins
Missed out on: Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav

The revolving door in Hyderabad always means they are worth a watch at any auction and they didn’t disappoint by going in big for both Travis Head and Pat Cummins.

Head adds a much needed left-hand option to the batting while SRH will hope that Pat Cummins can offer more control than they’ve managed to exert in the middle overs in recent seasons.

Cummins may also prove a useful signing in as far as leadership is concerned with Aiden Markram looking a little lost at times in charge of a sinking ship.

You could see from the reaction of the SRH contingent that they were delighted to get Hasaranga at his base price. A high quality wrist spinner was a must buy for the Sunrisers and a few other franchises might be ruing the fact that they didn’t go in for one of the bargains of the auction. How exactly SRH get him into the XI with Markram, Cummins, Head and Klassen in their ranks remains to be seen.

10 Players to watch in the IPL auction and which sides might bid big for them

The IPL mini-auction is due to take place tomorrow on 19 December and despite the name we can expect to see a few cricketers become overnight millionaires or in the case of a quite a few others, add to their existing fortunes.

In total, the 10 IPL franchises will be looking to fill 77 places in their squads (30 of which are for overseas players) from a list of 333 cricketers who have put their name forward for consideration.

In a previous blog, I summarised how each franchise is shaping up after the off-season having released and traded players. Here are a list of players who are likely to attract the biggest bids and the teams who could be chasing their services.

Travis Head

Purveyor of one of the most awful looking techniques I’ve ever seen in a top order batsman but that hasn’t stopped Head’s star rising considerably over the last year, peaking with a century in the World Cup Final to break Indian hearts. That of course won’t stop several of the IPL franchises bidding big money to acquire the Aussie’s services.

The problem for Head or indeed any batsmen with aims of playing in the top 3 at an IPL franchise is that the competition for spots is fierce!

The most obvious candidates to chase Head would be Delhi Capitals who after all already have his Australian teammate’s in David Warner and Mitch Marsh not to mention Ricky Ponting as the head coach. Having ditched a lot batsmen from their 2023 squad they certainly need reinforcements but one player who did stay is Prithvi Shaw and that might temper DC’s interest if they see Head as an opener.

Other potential bidders could include Gujarat Titans as they look to rebuild their top order following the departure of Hardik or Sunrisers who could do with a left-hander to help balance what was a very right-hand dominant line-up.

Mitchell Starc

It seems strange to consider that the big-Aussie left-armer hasn’t played in the IPL since 2015! He has put his name into the auction hat a couple of times since then but after being brought opted not to play. That pattern might put off a few teams from risking a big bid for a player that never materialises but Starc is doing his best to convince all that he will be there come March!

A return to RCB where he last played wouldn’t be a massive surprise but whether the Challengers can get the deal over the line with their limited budget might depend on the interest of other parties who have deeper pockets.

KKR are another team that is likely to be involved in bidding for most of the big name seamers on offer while Mumbai Indians too are very much in the market for quicks. Again, MI may ultimately be gazumped by teams who have a bigger war chest.

Rachin Ravindra

Another player whose stock is very high following the recent World Cup and whose all-round abilities could make him attractive to pretty much every franchise out there!

It would be fair to say that Ravindra, while still relatively young at the age of 24, hasn’t really found his way yet in T20 cricket with just a solitary half century in 45 innings including 16 innings in international T20 cricket. While his success in the 50 over game has come batting in the top 3, he has more often than not been used lower down the order by New Zealand in the shorter format. Again that kind of flexibility might appeal to franchises who can’t gurantee a spot in the top order.

CSK with their New Zealand connections, love of all-rounders and flexible players might not be a bad destination for the young Kiwi to end up at although the squad is already stacked with similar players including Jadeja, Santner and Moeen Ali.

DC again might be interested from a batting point of view although they too have plenty of left arm spin options. GT increasinly opted to play 2 frontline overseas spinners last year but the need to find an all-rounder to replace Hardik Pandya might force them to reassess that and make Ravindra a realistic prospect.

The Rajasthan Royals certainly do need a left-handed batsmen and ideally a player in their top 6 who can offer them overs. With Chahal and Ashwin guaranteed starters, you’d have thought that they’d prefer a fast bowling all-rounder but those seem a little thin on the ground and the Royals regularly played Adam Zampa alongside their 2 domestic spinners suggesting they aren’t adverse to going heavy on the slow bowling front.

Again SRH are likely to be in the mix for a left-handed batsman and as far as they are concerned, Ravindra would offer at least part of the solution to their ongoing spin bowling problems.

Darryl Mitchell

It’s difficult to think of many, if any, batsmen who have improved so much across all formats of the game as Darryl Mitchell has these last 2 years. He does have a bit of IPL experience but primarily that involved carrying the drinks for Rajasthan whereas this year teams might be more inclined to look at him as a genuine middle order pick who can bowl a bit of medium pace if required.

Delhi Capitals certainly have the room in their squad to accommodate a player of Mitchell’s talents. The player is known to the staff at Rajasthan but the Royals would ideally want a left-hander in their squad for this campaign.

CSK or Gujarat Titans might also test the water with bids for a batting all-rounder to replace the players they’ve recently lost.

Harry Brook

Brook’s talent was clear for all too see last year when he smashed an IPL ton after just a handful of matches. On the flip side, his limitations against slower bowling were also quickly exposed.

Interested sides will have to consider whether firstly they can give him the opening role that he looks best suited to at this point in time and have him attack the fast bowlers while potentially pairing him with a player more adept at taking on the spinners. Alternatively, he could he be used in more of a finishing role. His incredible display of hitting against West Indies on Saturday where he smashed 41 from 7 balls was proof enough that he has both the talent and temperament to do so!

Rajasthan love an Englishman and having just released Joe Root they might fancy swapping one Yorkie for another although Brook is likely to require a much more aggressive and early bid to secure than Root did. Once again, Brook will undoubtedly be a player that is on the long list of considerations for DC to fill a batting role.

Pat Cummins

The jury is still out on Cummins’ ability and role in T20. He doesn’t really swing it up front, he could play the enforcer role in the middle overs but there’s doubts over his ability at the back end of the innings.

However, his stock is certainly on the rise after captaining his nation to a 50-over World Cup win in India where his change ups did appear to have improved from the last time he was seen in the IPL in 2022. Recency bias suggests that franchises will focus on that World Cup success rather than the previous failings.

RCB will of course be in the market for a seamer but they just ditched one hit the deck style Aussie bowler in Josh Hazlewood who struggled in their home conditions. In fact, Mumbai and the pitch at the Wankhede might be more to Cummins suiting but of course he does have history with KKR too.

Wanindu Hasaranga

The number 3 bowler in ICC T20 rankings and number 7 in the all rounder stakes, Hasaranga is likely to be a sort after asset for sides who need a match winning spinner in their side.

He missed the first part of last season’s IPL and he is struggling with a hamstring injury at the moment too but I doubt that will stop sides putting in some serious bids for a player ideally suited to this format of the game.

SRH were in for Hasaranga at last year’s auction before RCB won the tussle and they would be the most obvious side to need the Sri Lankan’s wicket taking abilities during the middle overs. However, PBKS were also very interested in him and it’d be fair to say that Hasaranga would be an upgrade on the likes Rahul Chahar who has struggled to take the number of wickets that any team would ideally like from their wrist spinner.

Gerald Coetzee

Announced himself on the international stage with an excellent World Cup performance for South Africa in Indian conditions but has also been playing well in the new SA20 League for Jo’Burg Super Kings, the franchise associated with CSK.

CSK certainly have the available funds and places in their squad to bring the South African in should they wish to and his excellence in the middle overs would certainly bring an added dimension to their seam bowling stocks.

There are of course other franchises with very strong links to South Africa, not least of all RCB whose captain Faf du Plessis knows Coetzee’s strengths having also been a part of the Super Kings franchise back home. We know RCB are in desperate need of an almost entirely new bowling attack so it’d be very surprising if they weren’t in the bidding for Coetzee who looks like an ideal replacement for Harshal Patel.

Shardul Thakur

Having looked exclusively at overseas talent that will be available in Tuesday’s auction, it’s worth following up with a couple of the India stars who will be up for grabs.

Since leaving CSK, ‘Lord Thakur’ has floated around at Delhi and KKR where he’s struggled to make any substantial impact particularly with the ball. However, his batting has improved as demonstrated by a memorable 68 off 29 balls last season and given the right attack around him, his bowling could still be a very useful asset.

If nothing else, he can add balance to a side and he doesn’t take up an overseas slot, something that could make him a very attractive proposition to almost all the franchises out there!

You wonder if CSK might fancy bringing him back in to help fill the Stokes role. After all they do love an all-rounder in Chennai! Alternatively, PBKS could be tempted to look at Thakur first and foremost as the finisher that their squad needs who just happens to offer a few useful overs too. While he’s certainly not a straight replacement, GT are in the market for players who can fill a Hardik shaped hole in their squad.

Harshal Patel

2023 was a difficult season for the man who won the 2021 purple cap by taking 32 wickets. There’s no doubt that Harshal fills the toughest role in T20 cricket by bowling almost exclusively in the 2nd half of innings and that with the new substitute rules that came into play from last year, it essentially lengthens each side’s batting line-up by 1 and ensures that in most innings, sides have plenty of firepower with which to attack at the death.

That being said, there was an element of predictability in Harshal’s bowling last year so potential buyers will be keen to understand what new variations he might have been working on in the off-season that could help in the ongoing arms race between him and some of the biggest hitters in world cricket.

DC and KKR both released a whole host of Indian quicks in the off-season and could both really do with strengthening their death overs options.

IPL 2023 CSK vs GT Preview – The Final

Key match stats

IPL records at the Narendra Modi Stadium

Average first innings score: 193
Average first innings winning score: 197
Average powerplay score: 50
Win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 63% / 37%

Team form CSK vs GT

CSK: WWLWW
GT: WLWWL

Recent matches: CSK won by 15 runs, GT won by 5 wickets

Preview CSK vs GT

Click on the link below to get full CSK vs GT head to head stats where we discuss…

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Shubman Gill contribution to GT’s last 6 IPL matches

As brilliant as he’s been, are GT overly reliant on Shubman Gill?

Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill partnerships IPL 2023

Could Sai Sudharsan be the unlikely hero of the Titans’ season?

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Moeen Ali IPL bowling and batting stats in May 2023

Will we see a bit more of Moeen Ali in the final of IPL 2023?

Statistics by bowling type at the Narendra Modi IPL 2023

Will CSK need to rethink the balance of their bowling attack for this venue?

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Gaikwad’s IPL stats at the Narendra Modi Stadium

Can Ruturaj Gaikwad de-throne Shubman Gill here at the Narendra Modi?

Shami vs Conway T20 head to head

Can CSK survive the new ball threat of the Titans?

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Rahane IPL 2023 powerplay stats

Will Rahane be a key batsmen in conditions here in Ahmedabad?

Mohit Sharma IPL record at the Narendra Modi Stadium

Who will win the battle of death over specialists?

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IPL 2023 GT vs MI Preview – Qualifier 2

Key match stats

IPL Records at the Narendra Modi Stadium

Average first innings score: 187
Average first innings winning score: 188
Average powerplay score: 49
Win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 57% / 43%

Team form GT vs MI

GT: LWWLW
MI: WWLWW

Recent matches: GT won by 55 runs, MI won by 27 runs

Preview GT vs MI

Click on the link below to get full GT vs MI head to head stats where we discuss…

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Shubman Gill T20 record at the Narendra Modi Stadium

Can Gill continue his fine form at this venue?

GT middle order stats in May 2023

Can MI take advantage of GT’s loss of form in the middle order?

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Piyush Chawla T20 head to head vs current GT squad

Can Piyush Chawla continue to cause this GT line-up problems?

MI bowling vs GT batting at the death in IPL 2023

Can GT target this MI bowling attack at the death again?

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GT’s 3rd seamer bowling stats since injury to Hardik

Will MI be looking to target GT’s 3rd seamer in this match?

Rashid Khan vs Rohit Sharma T20 head to head

Can Rashid Khan be the defining factor for GT yet again?

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