5/3/2023 0 Comments Olliolli 2 titan sky impossiblGujarat aren't blessed with deepest pool of overseas fast bowlers and he is the only left-armer of the bunch. The Titans have no English players but Josh Little did make history in becoming the first Irish player ever picked up in the auction. They have match winners in their team but I feel they may have overperformed last year and it might be a stretch too far to do it again. They will be hard to beat yet I don't quite fancy them to go all the way this year, even with the possibility of over 100,000 supporting them at the Narendra Modi stadium. Hardik Pandya has proved a revelation as captain, they have a nicely-balanced attack and Shubman Gill is on the road to becoming an all-format superstar. The newly-formed Titans burst onto the scene last year and were deserved champions. One season, one title - that's how they roll. Image: Australia's David Warner will lead Delhi Capitals in the absence of Rishabh Pant I don't see many runs being scored by the rest! They'll need the top seven to fire consistently, though. They have cover for almost any position and the most difficult thing will be picking the right XI. Matt's XIġ David Warner (captain) / 2 Prithvi Shaw / 3 Rilee Rossouw / 4 Yash Dhull / 5 Mitchell Marsh / 6 Sarfaraz Khan (wicketkeeper) / 7 Axar Patel / 8 Kuldeep Yadav / 9 Anrich Nortje / 10 Chetan Sakariya / 11 Mukesh Kumar Prediction I'd be surprised if Salt doesn't get an opportunity at some point, though. Delhi have plenty of top order options and Sarfaraz is used to batting in the final 10 overs, which is where the keeper may have to slot in. It seems a straight shoot-out between him and Sarfaraz Khan for the wicketkeeping gloves but Sarfaraz may have the edge due to where he bats. Phil Salt's chances of making the XI increased dramatically with Pant being ruled out for the season. The only obvious issues are who will keep wicket and the fact that their tail could be long. Having good Indian seam options means they could pick three overseas batters. Pant is obviously a huge miss but his replacement as captain, David Warner, is an experienced IPL leader from his time with Sunrisers Hyderabad and the squad looks strong and well balanced on paper, with the management doing a really good job at the last two auctions. You'd think the absence of Rishabh Pant would derail most franchises' season but I don't see it that way for the Capitals. Finished in the top three in the previous three seasons. Missed out on the play-offs last year after losing their final match to bottom side Mumbai. Surprisingly, have never lifted the trophy before. Image: MS Dhoni will captain Chennai Super Kings once again in the 2023 IPL Their lack of fast bowling depth could come back to haunt them, though, and I think they will fall just short. Group stage - just! I expect CSK to be pushing for the play-offs this season as there's no way they can be as bad as last year and being back in Chennai should make a real difference. Matt's XI (if all available)ġ Devon Conway / 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad / 3 Ben Stokes / 4 Moeen Ali / 5 Ambati Rayudu / 6 Ravindra Jadeja / 7 MS Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper) / 8 Shivam Dube / 9 Deepak Chahar / 10 Mukesh Choudhury / 11 Maheesh Theekshana Prediction He could also open, but there are two strong opening options in Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The key question is where should they bat? Moeen has looked good at Number 3 for CSK but they may want Stokes to bat there or at four. Stokes and Moeen Ali are both pretty much guaranteed starters, although Moeen's spot could come under pressure on seam-friendly pitches. Their best bet, as ever at Chepauk, is to prepare turning pitches and make Chennai a fortress once again. In what could be Dhoni's last season, they will look to Ben Stokes to explode with the bat - he won't bowl in the first few games at least - but the lack of overseas pace bowling options is a real worry, with Kyle Jamieson out for the season. This year, however, they return to a revamped Chepauk stadium, which is finally at full capacity again, and if any team will benefit from home advantage it will be CSK. Ravindra Jadeja as captain simply didn't work and in the end MS Dhoni had to take up the reins again to steady the ship. Last year was one to forget for the southern powerhouse. Last year they were way off the pace, though, finishing ninth. Mumbai may have won more titles but no team can match CSK for their consistent excellence - they've reached a staggering nine Finals in 13 seasons. CHENNAI SUPER KINGS Historyįour-time winners. Australia's Steve Smith leaves fans guessing what role he'll play in the upcoming IPL season in a bizarre video he posted on his social media.
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