Cricket’s reputation has taken a bit of a battering in recent weeks and the fallout will be noticed in the Indian Premier League, which gets under way this week.
The two chief protagonists of the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa – Steve Smith and David Warner – were due to captain the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals respectively but both resigned within days of their actions becoming public and they have been subsequently banned from cricket for 12 months by Cricket Australia. It’s unlikely either will be welcomed back into the IPL fold anytime soon after their suspension is lifted and that’s going to hit the pockets of the former Australia captain and deputy hard.
There are still a galaxy of stars lined up to play in the IPL, however. The Indian domestic T20 competition played in India is in its 11th year having first been staged in 2008. Eight teams will play the other sides on a home and away basis with the top four in the points table at the end of the league phase contesting the four-match play-offs. Mumbai Indians are the defending champions while Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals return to the competition after missing the last two years due to suspension.
MUMBAI INDIANS are the most successful side in the IPL history having won the competition four times. On paper, they wouldn’t have the strongest squad but that was also the case last year. They’ve got a good balance of home and overseas players again but look a little short of spin options in their bowling attack and there is a feeling that they’ll have to play to neat full capacity in every game to retain their title so the general 9/2 looks poor value.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE are always popular with punters but the team from the south have yet to win the competition, having lost in the final on three occasions. They again look to have the strongest batting line-up in the competition with Virat Kohli, Brendon McCullum, AB de Villers and Quinton de Kock but have often been let down by their bowlers. However, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Washington Sundar, Tim Southee and Chris Woakes have signed up for this year’s campaign and it would be no surprise if the Challengers finally came good at a general 9/2.
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS have gone for experience on their comeback but there may not be the desire to win a third IPL crown and are only a best 7/1. SUNRISERS HYDERABAD will rely heavily on their pace attack and may lack the all-round strength to go all the way at 13/2 with Unibet, who are also best odds on KINGS XI PUNJAB at 10/1.
Punjab’s squad looks batsmen-heavy and they’ll need to score big in every game to remain competitive but the 10/1 available for DELHI DAREDEVILS with Betbright should attract a few takers.
Delhi have been guilty of not living up the hype is past seasons but they’ve poached the wily Gautam Gambhir from the KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (a general 13/2) and the appointment of Ricky Ponting as coach could prove a shrewd move. They have a wealth of riches ion the spin department and a couple of under-rated signings in Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell as well as potential match-winner Jason Roy.
Ben Stokes was the Player of the Series in IPL last year for the Rising Pune Supergiants and has signed for the RAJASTHAN ROYALS this year. Ajinkya Rahane, Jaidev Unadkat and Rahul Tripathi have also made the journey across to the restored franchise and Stokes will have a familiar face alongside him the dressing room in England’s one-day wicketkeeper Jos Buttler but the Royals can be backed at 8/1 in several places.
IPL 2018 Current Best Odds
Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore 9/2, Sunrisers Hyderabad 13/2, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders 7/1, Rajasthan Royal 8/1, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab 10/1
