Impact player, final XI after toss, exciting new talent: What IPL 2023 has in store this year

The new cycle and new broadcasting battles will also feature commentators and teams trying to make the most of two major new rules for the field of play — the Impact Player substitute rule, and naming starting lineups after the toss.

The off-field battle is continuing in the form of advertising from both parties promoting their coverage, but the hype around the tournament itself appears relatively muted. The volume of cricket being played to make up for broadcasting revenue lost during the Covid pandemic is often cited as a factor of both fan fatigue and player injuries in recent months.

As such, the expected absence of some Indian stars like Jasprit Bumrah, as well as the continued scheduling clashes with international cricket in an ODI World Cup year, are likely factors.

With many teams still scrambling for last-minute replacements, a look at where the 10 teams stand.

Gujarat Titans boast firepower, depth to defend title

Barely a year ago, many voices in the media and in the cricketing world considered Gujarat to be closer to wooden-spoon contenders than the champion side head coach Ashish Nehra and captain Hardik Pandya oversaw.

The top order was solidified by Shubham Gill, the middle by Pandya and the death over batting by David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan star also contributed with his exemplary wrist spin alongside a potent pace attack led by Mohammad Shami.

This year, they’ve opted to add some more depth in the form of experienced players, which could mean reduced game time for younger players like Abhinav Manohar and Sai Sudharsan, but playing an extra all-rounder like Sai Kishore will add even more balance.

Potential XI: Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha/KS Bharat (wk), Kane Williamson, David Miller/Matthew Wade, Rahul Tewatia, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Shami, Alzarri Joseph/Josh Little, Shivam Mavi/Yash Dayal.

Mumbai Indians to rely on Archer-Behrendorff pace battery 

The most successful IPL franchise and the inaugural WPL champions was wooden spooner last year, as they used the mega auction to let go of the majority of their big names and rebuild from the ground up.

However, the team management led by Mahela Jayawardene, Zaheer Khan and new head coach Mark Boucher have seemingly hamstrung themselves in two consecutive auctions and sacrificed short-term results.

After missing Jofra Archer last season, they will be without their lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah and new signing Jhye Richardson this edition. Mumbai Indians are yet to announce official replacements for either. While the batters pick themselves, the inexperienced bowling attack will rely heavily on Archer and Big Bash League champion Jason Behrendorff to lead the way.

Potential XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Arjun Tendulkar, Jofra Archer, Hrithik Shokeen/Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal/Arshad Khan.

Also Read: Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan cements position as spin king in T20 internationals

Rajasthan Royals can go better with retained core, all-rounder

Riding the coattails of Jos Buttler’s monster Orange Cap season, Rajasthan Royals consistently remained in the top two last year but had a soft middle order. A lack of quality all-rounders got exposed on multiple occasions, including by Gujarat in the final.

Head coach and director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara attempted to rectify that issue by purchasing the West Indies’ ever-present seamer Jason Holder for Rs 5.75 crore at the auction after he was released by the Lucknow Super Giants. Holder will now be expected to split lower order duties with spinner R. Ashwin.

The biggest absence for the Royals is medium fast bowler Prasidh Krishna but they have enough options on the bench, including Kuldeep Sen and Navdeep Saini, to fill that void.

Potential XI: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Jason Holder, R. Ashwin, Kuldeep Sen/Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult.

CSK put forward signature seniority for Dhoni’s fitting farewell

Champions, runners-up, second-last, champions, second-last — such has been the roller coaster ride that fans of Chennai Super Kings witnessed over the last five years, as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s perennial playoff team underwent wild inconsistency.

The veteran wicketkeeper has, on numerous occasions, alluded to the goal of retiring in front of home fans at the Chepauk ground, and after three seasons of Covid-induced bio bubbles, he may finally have the chance to go out on his own terms.

Alongside Dhoni will be head coach Stephen Fleming and many of the other senior heads that have won titles for CSK over the years, as well as England’s Test captain Ben Stokes, who may be tipped to take the leadership mantle in the post-Dhoni era.

Potential XI: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius, Deepak Chahar, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Tushar Deshpande.

RCB forced to rejig top order again after Rajat Patidar’s injury

The star of the 2022 IPL’s Eliminator playoff was a relatively low-key no. 3 batter who had come into the Royal Challengers Bangalore side as a midseason injury replacement — Rajat Patidar.

In the time since his blistering century that knocked out Lucknow from title contention and stands as one of the best innings of 2022, Patidar also won the Ranji Trophy with Madhya Pradesh and been named in India squads, though he has yet to make his international debut.

However, on the eve of the tournament, he was advised three weeks of rest due to a heel injury, forcing director of cricket Mike Hesson and head coach Sanjay Bangar to re-strategise RCB’s top order once again. Moreover, last season’s Purple Cap holder Wanindu Hasaranga will be unavailable for at least the first game due to international duty.

Potential XI: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Michael Bracewell/Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Reece Topley/David Willey, Mohammad Siraj.

Also Read: India need not prepare extreme turning pitches to maintain home dominance in cricket. Here’s why

Another era beckons Sunrisers Hyderabad after 2022’s false start

After finishing at the bottom in 2021, Sunrisers Hyderabad attempted to bring the band back together through Tom Moody’s return as head coach and Kane Williamson as captain for the first time since 2018.

But the captain’s disastrous performances with the bat and the departures of David Warner and Rashid Khan meant that all SRH could manage was a 5-match winning streak in the first half of the competition before falling away to eighth place.

Last year’s batting coach Brian Lara has since assumed head coach duties, and Aiden Markram, who led the ownership group’s SA20 team Sunrisers Eastern Cape to glory this January, was named the new captain. The result of the auction has been an Indian top order and an Indian bowling attack, either side of an explosive foreign middle order.

But the team’s South African contingent, including Markram, will be arriving late from international duties. For the opening games expect a vastly different lineup to Lara and Markram’s preferred eleven and team balance issues.

Available XI for early games: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (c), Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips (wk), Washington Sundar, Akeal Hosein/Adil Rashid, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan/Kartik Tyagi.

Best XI: Aiden Markram (c), Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Harry Brook, Heinrich Klaasen/Glenn Phillips (wk), Washington Sundar, Marco Jansen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T. Natarajan/Kartik Tyagi.

Lucknow’s busy auction risks hurting established team balance

While Gujarat made the biggest splash of all by winning the league in their debut season, the other IPL newcomer Lucknow Super Giants did well in their own right, finishing in 4th place after losing the Eliminator.

But the coaching staff and management, featuring Andy Flower and Gautam Gambhir, appeared dissatisfied enough to release some experienced players, including Evin Lewis and Jason Holder.

Subsequently, they bought 11 new players at this year’s auction, including a whopping Rs 16 crore spent on former West Indies white ball captain Nicholas Pooran, who is high in potential but low in consistency. As a result, they lack reliable enough domestic all-rounder options aside from Krunal Pandya.

Although they will not face too many availability issues barring the early season absence of Quinton de Kock and the late season departure of Mark Wood, the likes of Jaydev Unadkat and Avesh Khan will need to step up their game to fill the chasm left behind by their best bowler last year, Mohsin Khan. Rahul or Pooran can assume keeping duties until de Kock arrives.

Potential XI: K.L. Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk)/Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni/Krishnappa Gowtham, Mark Wood/Romario Shepherd, Jaydev Unadkat, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi.

Injuries to captain, pacer leave KKR deep in mire 

Chandrakant Pandit will have his work cut out in his first major head coach assignment of the much maligned former champions Kolkata Knight Riders since leading Madhya Pradesh to Ranji Trophy glory in 2022.

The SRK-owned franchise were criticised for spending a significant chunk of their purse on trading in Shardul Thakur and Lockie Ferguson. Ferguson as well as captain Shreyas Iyer are expected to miss the majority of the tournament due to injuries.

Caretaker captain Nitish Rana has prior leadership experience with Delhi in domestic cricket, but has struggled at IPL level in recent years, as did top order all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer in 2022.

The circumstances have thus added extra pressure on veterans Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee to perform, with Namibia’s David Wiese waiting in the wings to fill in when needed. But all is not lost for KKR as several younger players could well have breakthrough seasons under Pandit’s tutelage.

Potential XI: Nitish Rana (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz/Litton Das (wk), Mandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell/David Wiese, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.

Also Read: Aggressive white ball opener, 2022’s ‘most improved’ Test batsman — who is Litton Das

Delhi Capitals hurt by Pant’s loss but have enough options 

For all intents and purposes, many have tried to argue that the Delhi Capitals’ season ended the moment the team’s captain, wicketkeeper and franchise face Rishabh Pant suffered significant injuries in a car accident just weeks after the auction took place.

Head coach Ricky Ponting and director of cricket Sourav Ganguly took until earlier this week to select Pant’s replacement in Abhishek Porel after a series of trials. Realistically, however, either Sarfaraz Khan or Welshman Phil Salt will be expected to take the gloves for the season, and the lineup combinations will be impacted accordingly.

With 2016 champion David Warner named as the new captain as well as the form of Mitchell Marsh, Rovman Powell and Kuldeep Yadav, the Capitals have more than enough proven winners to make the best of a bad situation.

However, they will have to field an all-Indian bowling attack for the opening games due to scheduling clashes with South Africa and Bangladesh matches in early April.

Potential XI: David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull/Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan/Phil Salt (wk), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Chetan Sakariya, Anrich Nortje/Ishant Sharma.

Will Punjab Kings rue not spending at auction table?

Punjab Kings raised a few eyebrows at the auction in December, not only for shelling Rs 18 crores on the T20 World Cup’s best player Sam Curran, but also for opting not to spend the remaining Rs 12.2 crore in their purse or fill up the maximum overseas squad slots.

Having already released captain Mayank Agarwal and replaced him with Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab seemed to be a massive show of confidence in their best starting lineup. But they will never get to field it this year as top order wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow is yet to fully recover from a broken leg he suffered in a freak accident in 2022.

Although the consistent Big Bash batter Matthew Short was swiftly named as Bairstow’s replacement, Punjab will also miss other crucial options in Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Kagiso Rabada and Liam Livingstone early on in the season, because of international duties and knee injury rehab, respectively.

Potential XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short/Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza/Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan/Raj Angad Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis/Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh.