Less than two weeks after the climax of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, the 20-over version of the game will take prominence with the start of the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League. The annual event, which begins on Wednesday, is the most watched and most lucrative of the Twenty 20 domestic competitions, and has again attracted stars from around the world.
The Kolkata Knight Riders begin IPL 8 as defending champions after beating Kings XI Punjab in a thrilling final last June. And Kolkata have kept the basis of their victorious lineup in place, with a team centered around domestic talent added to by Australians Brad Hogg and Pat Cummins. The hopes of Gautam Gambhir’s side have been given a boost by the news that key spinner Sunil Narine has been given the green light after his bowling action was tested for its legality.
But the team they beat in last year’s final also remain strong. Captained by the man who led Australia during Michael Clarke’s absence, George Bailey, Kings XI can also count on the big-hitting of Glenn Maxwell and the experienced bowling of another of Australia’s World Cup winners, Mitchell Johnson. And Bailey has said that he and his teammates are now fully focused on the IPL and the task of going from a surprise package to one of the known contenders.
“We obviously enjoyed the success [in the World Cup] but most of the guys have shifted their focus to IPL and we will be coming across each other as opponents now,” he told Indian news agency PTI. “The big change this season will be about meeting the standards we set last year. In our first year, we surprised a lot of other teams. This year, we are one of the hunted teams.”
It is the most successful team in IPL history, with two wins and three other final appearances, Chennai Super Kings, who begin the tournament as favorites, however. And it is easy to understand why, with the team led by India’s limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and boasting the firepower of the man who just took New Zealand to the World Cup final Brendon McCullum.
Also read: Black Sticks beat India 2-1 at Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
The most eye-catching batting lineup, though, is surely possessed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Along with captain and India star batsman Virat Kohli, they can again call upon South Africa captain AB de Villiers and the man who holds the record for T20 centuries around the world, the West Indies’ Chris Gayle. But Kohli believes it is the improved support around the star trio that could be key.
“This season is pretty different for us because for the last three or maybe four years myself, Chris and AB have played under a lot of pressure because the batting revolved around the three of us,” he said, reports the Indian Express. “We had to be cautious and at the same time look to score runs which sort of put us under pressure at times but this time around we have got Dinesh Karthik, Darren Sammy, [Subramaniam] Badrinath and youngsters like Mandeep Singh coming into the batting lineup.”
Among the rest, 2013 winners Mumbai Indians will be captained by India’s Rohit Sharma and feature Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga. The man who was so instrumental in Australia’s World Cup triumph, Steve Smith, is back for the Rajasthan Royals, alongside compatriots Shane Watson and James Faulkner. After a last-placed finish a year ago, the Delhi Daredevils will hope for better with a team featuring India’s leading wicket taker during the World Cup Mohammed Sami as well Yuvraj Singh and Angelo Matthews. Rounding out the eight sides, the Sunrisers Hyderabad boast an opening pair of Australia’s David Warner and India’s Shikhar Dhawan.
The IPL will feature the eight teams each playing each other twice in a round-robin format, with the top four then qualifying for the playoff rounds.
TV channel: For viewers in the United States, Dish and Mediacom will offer pay-per-view coverage, with subscriptions available through your set-top box or contacting your provider.
Live stream: ESPN Cricket will provide live-streaming coverage of every match via a subscription costing $79.99.
Also read: Continuity key for champs
Source: ibtimes.com
