I'm predicting the Delhi Daredevils will finally come good and win the Indian Premier League this year (I’ll bet my house on it but i am not going to give my house to you as that house belongs to my landlord). Still, expect a highly competitive tournament given the fantastic quality of cricketers involved.
Here’s a look at the nine teams and some of the players likely to have a big impact on IPL 5:
It’s obvious, but the main man to watch in this team is India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who thrives in the short forms of cricket. Dhoni is the IPL’s most successful captain, and he leads a team that has retained its core players over the years. Chennai Super Kings will be looking to make it three in a row after winning the IPL in 2010 and 2011, and Dhoni will get good support from his wingman Suresh Raina – the top run-scorer in IPL history – and new signing Ravindra Jadeja. Expect Dhoni and his team to be challenging for the four qualifying spots for the final, when home advantage, like last year, could play a part given that the second qualifier and the final will be played in Chennai.
Hot Shot: Dhoni loves the paddle sweep but his specialty is “The Helicopter” – a wristy uppercut wallop.
The top batsmen often overshadow the best bowlers in the IPL; the crowds love to see big sixes more than anything, after all. But there are a few bowlers who can light up a match, notably Lasith Malinga of the Mumbai Indians. The Deccan Chargers have a bowling star in their ranks with South Africa’s Dale Steyn, the world’s No.1 Test bowler who was signed by the franchise for $1.2 million last year. While T20 is a world away from Test cricket, Steyn has enough nous – and fierce pace – to upset any opposition. The Chargers will be relying on the South African for wickets, especially now that Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the IPL with an ankle injury.
Hot Shot: The Box Breaker. Just ask New Zealand’s Kane Williamson
After ending IPL4 at the bottom of the table, the Delhi Daredevils have recruited extremely well and finally look a major force to be reckoned with. Captain Virender Sehwag had some spectacular innings last season, but his solo efforts were in vain. He’s always one to watch, as is opening partner David Warner. Kevin Pietersen is a marquee signing, though he continues to struggle with spin in the Subcontinent, and Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene – who incidentally scored the two millionth run in Test cricket history on Tuesday (one for the stats fans) — is on fire in the current Test series against England. But keep an eye out for the relatively unsung Aaron Finch. The 25-year-old Australian, who has played just a handful of T20s for his country, has been in fine form in Delhi’s practice matches leading up to this year’s IPL. The only problem is, with so many international stars in the squad, will he always get a game?
Hot Shot: The Hotel Golf Chip
Adam Gilchrist’s best cricketing days are behind him, but boy can he still play. The Australian is arguably the best wicket-keeper batsmen in history, a ferociously good stroke player capable of single-handedly lighting up a game. He has extra responsibility this year after being appointed Kings XI’s player-coach, and his boundless enthusiasm – whether from behind the stumps when keeping wicket, or in front of them when bashing deliveries high into the Dharamsala sky – should prove inspirational to the team. The franchise may rue that all-rounder Stuart Broad has been ruled out, as the England T20 captain would’ve been a welcome addition to the team that won the IPL in 2009, when the tournament was shifted to South Africa.
Hot Shot: The Six – Gilchrist has hit more in the IPL than anyone else.
Surprisingly enough, Shah Rukh Khan isn’t Kolkata’s key player, though he appears to think so given the amount of time he spends mugging in front of the cameras with cricketers in tow. Calling the Bollywood actor a horrendous cricketer would be an understatement, as this clip shows around 50 seconds in. KKR captain Gautam Gambhir is far easier on the cricketing eye. In 2011, Gambhir went one better than local hero and former captain Sourav Ganguly had ever managed, guiding Kolkata to the play-offs for the first time. Gambhir moved from Delhi to Kolkata last year after being signed for $2.4 million at auction. Let’s see if he can live up to that record price tag. Also keep an eye out for new signing Brendon McCullum, one of the most prolific batsmen in T20 history.
Hot Shot: Gambhir has plenty. But not the one that got him out three short of a century in the World Cup final last year.
Sachin Tendulkar, fresh from his 100th international century, has decided to step down as the Mumbai Indians captain so he can concentrate on his own game, and probably enjoy it more. Good move from the Little Master, who is obviously worth keeping an eye on. Rest assured, you won’t be the only one watching him. It will be fascinating to see how new skipper Harbhajan Singh, pretty much the forgotten man of Indian cricket after being dropped from the national team last year, takes to IPL 5. He has much to prove and is a big character, so he’s the man to watch for the Mumbai Indians, the winners of the Champions League T20 last year. Also watch for Malinga, the most exciting bowler in the tournament and IPL 4’s “purple cap” winner after he topped the bowling charts with 28 wickets.
Hot Shot: The Angry Trout Pout. Bhaji is a master of this look.
This franchise has experienced more upheaval than any other, but it has made possibly the most interesting signing for this season in Australian captain Michael “Pup” Clarke, who has decided to finally join the IPL party after sitting out the first four seasons. Nobody can dispute Clarke’s credentials as a Test and ODI player – he is No.1 in the International Cricket Council’s Test batting rankings and No.8 on the ODI list – but T20 cricket is relatively unfamiliar territory for him. Still, a classy player and one who will bring valuable guidance to a team sadly missing last year’s captain Yuvraj Singh, who is battling cancer. Clarke, however, won’t be available until after Australia’s tour of the West Indies finishes on April 27. In the meantime, there’s West Bengal’s hero Sourav Ganguly, who shifted south last year after being let go by Kolkata Knight Riders. The former India captain has spent most of the past two years in the commentary box, but has he got a few big innings left in him? It’s doubtful, but let’s wait and see.
Hot Shot: Clarke has plenty, but his girlfriend Kyly Boldy seems to be the most popular. Even Ricky Ponting’s wife says so.
No more Shane “Warney” Warne, but the Rajasthan Royals are still hanging on to Rahul Dravid, the Indian cricket legend who officially retired from the sport last month with the caveat that he’d stay on for this year’s IPL. T20 cricket isn’t Dravid’s forte – his classiness has never quite matched the brash nature of the shorter form of the game and its pursuit of instant gratification – but who won’t be interested in seeing how he finally bows out? Just imagine the scenes if he scores a century or leads his relatively not a fancied franchise to the title this year? Nobody would begrudge him such a fairy tale, not even his opponents.
Hot Shot: He’s not called “The Wall” for nothing. (He’s also called Jam or Jammy, fyi.)
Sorry Virat Kohli, but there’s a clear stand-out performer in this team — last year’s losing finalists – and that’s Chris Gayle. Incredibly Gayle wasn’t picked up at auction last year and only arrived mid-way through IPL4 as a replacement. He then electrified the tournament with some terrifyingly brutal innings, and ended as the leading run-scorer, earning himself the “orange cap.” The big Jamaican is a genuine joy to watch. If you follow one player from any team in the tournament this year, make it Gayle. This man can send the ball soaring handsomely into the air, which is more than can be said for the planes belonging to his boss, Vijay Mallya, the owner of Kingfisher Airlines. Pow!
Hot Shot: The “Gayle Force” armory is full of them. Here’s an over from last year’s IPL, in which a record 37 runs were scored when Gayle was at the crease. Spare a thought for the bowler.
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