The Cricketer dives into all 10 franchises ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League
Captain: MS Dhoni
Coach: Stephen Fleming
Headliners
MS Dhoni superstar status speaks for itself: he's made over 200 Indian Premier League appearances for Chennai Super Kings, scoring over 4,500 runs, and has helped them to five titles. Fellow CSK favourite Ravindra Jadeja also needs little introduction. The allrounder contributed 190 runs (142.85 strike rate) and 20 wickets last year.
Openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad were in electric form in 2023, scoring 672 runs and 590 runs, respectively, and striking above 135 (Gaikwad's strike rate was a shade under 150). If that wasn't enough firepower, they paid 14 crore (approx. £1.3m) to secure Conway's New Zealand teammate Daryl Mitchell, who averages 31, strikes at around 135 and also offers an additional right-arm pace option to the bowling attack.
With the ball, Sri Lanka international Matheesha Pathirana enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023, taking 19 wickets in 12 matches. Expectations will be high for the 21-year-old right-arm quick.
One to watch
Look no further than Rachin Ravindra, who has been the talk of the town since lighting up Ahmedabad with a knock of 123 not out (96 balls) in the 2023 World Cup opener. Runs have been flowing across the formats ever since and after a brief bidding war, CSK secured his services for 1.8 crore (£170,000).
The 24-year-old allrounder heads to India with 56 T20 appearances to his name, 20 of which have come for New Zealand. He averages below 20 with the bat but does have a strike rate north of 125; with the ball, his left-arm spin has yielded over 40 wickets with an economy under 7.5. The numbers hardly set the room alight but then, expectations weren't especially high prior to the World Cup…
Why they'll win the IPL
CSK retained the majority of last year's champion squad (19 players) but also came out on top of several bidding wars at the auction to secure the likes of Ravindra, Mitchell and Shardul Thakur. The result is an outrageously well-balanced squad, which you'd expect to reach the playoffs.
Their two biggest strengths are their aggressive top-order (Gaikwad, Conway, Mitchell, Shivam Dube) – scoring quickly shouldn't be an issue – and their plethora of international quality allrounders (Jadeja, Mitchell, Ravindra, Moeen Ali, Mitchell Santner), which should provide plenty of flexibility when balancing the XI. Dhoni is unlikely to find himself short of batting or bowling options.
Why they won't win the IPL
CSK's pace attack performed well last year - Tushar Deshpande and Pathirana sharing 40 wickets while Deepak Chahar chipped in with 13 - and they've added Thakur and Bangladesh international Mustafizur Rahman to their roster. However, if we're being picky, this area of their squad is lacking a bit of x-factor quality and experience.
Can Mustafizur stake a claim to one of the four overseas slots given the quality elsewhere? Can Deshpande and Pathirana repeat last year's standout campaigns?
The latter question can also apply to several other members of the squad. Conway, Gaikwad, Dube, and Ajinkya Rahane (who scored 300 runs in an IPL campaign for the first time since 2019), for example, all had coinciding purple patches – will lightning strike twice?
Squad: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Chowdhary, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly
Possible XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana
Rachin Ravindra will represent CSK [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
Captain: Rishabh Pant
Coach: Ricky Ponting
Headliners
David Warner stepped up as captain in Pant's absence in 2023 and while results didn't go Delhi Capitals' way, the Australian couldn't have done much more. The opener scored 516 runs (six fifties) while striking above 130 – no one else on the team passed 300. Similar performances can be expected in 2024, with Warner averaging 41.53 over the course of his IPL career.
South African Anrich Nortje is the marquee name with the ball. He has 53 wickets in 40 appearances for the Capitals (although he had a lean campaign in 2023) and is a quality death option. However, there will be fitness concerns after he missed the World Cup and SA20.
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are among the standout Indian names. The former took 21 wickets in the 2022 IPL and will be keen to rediscover that form while allrounder Axar stepped up his batting contributions last season with a career-best 283 runs (139.40 strike rate) and also picked up 11 wickets.
One to watch
This spot is usually reserved for an up and coming youngster, but all eyes will be on Rishabh Pant.
The Capitals captain hasn't played since December 2022 after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash, including one to his right knee which required reconstruction surgery. However, he's been given the go ahead to return to action in the IPL and will be hoping to impress with a T20 World Cup around the corner.
Pant, a big-hitting middle-order batter, has scored over 2,800 runs while striking at just under 150 during his IPL career and will hopefully bring up his 100th appearance during the 2024 tournament.
Why they'll win the IPL
It would be some turnaround from last year's ninth-place finish if Delhi Capitals manage to lift the trophy and looking at their squad, it feels a bit unlikely.
What you can say is there are match-winners scattered throughout the roster (Nortje, Kuldeep, Axar, Warner, Pant) and on paper at least, their top six has some promise.
Warner was in dynamic touch in 2023 while the return of Pant can only be a positive for the middle order. Mitchell Marsh and Privthi Shaw, meanwhile, are much better than last year's performances suggested (they scored a combined 424 runs). Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs will also want an opportunity to impress. If they can get their top six to click, there may be hope for the Capitals.
Why they won't win the IPL
Delhi Capitals don't bat especially deep – given Marsh is more of a batting allrounder, Axar cuts a lonely all-round figure around No.7; they're carrying a number of players who struggled with the bat last year (Marsh, Shaw etc.); and they may be pinning too much hope on Pant coming back with a bang.
However, it's their pace attack which has the biggest issues. Jhye Richardson is a good overseas option but where does he fit in with Warner, Nortje and Marsh all but certain to take three of the four overseas slots and the top six crying out for one of Fraser-McGurk, Hope or Stubbs.
Their Indian options don't inspire much confidence – Ishant Sharma has never been especially prolific in the IPL while Mukesh Kumar's seven wickets came with an economy of 10.51 in 2023 – and you have to wonder why they didn't address this area at the auction given the likes of Shardul Thakur and Harshal Patel were up for grabs.
Squad: Rishabh Pant, David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Pravin Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi (withdrawn), Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Harry Brook (withdrawn), Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Swastik Chhikara, Jake Fraser-McGurk (replacement for Lungi Ngidi)
Possible XI: David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Sharma
Captain: Shubman Gill
Coach: Ashish Nehra
Headliners
Shubman Gill lit up the competition in 2023, scoring 890 runs, including three centuries, at a strike rate of 157.80. Having scored at least 400 runs in his previous three campaigns, he is a reliable source of runs and with over 60 per cent of last season's runs coming via boundaries, you can expect carnage in the powerplay. The question is how will captaincy impact his batting?
South Africa international David Miller provides yet more oomph with the bat. Though he failed to reach 50 last year, he still contributed over 250 runs. He boasts a career strike rate of just under 140 in the IPL, and that number rises to above 175 in the final four overs.
And then there's Rashid Khan, who has 46 wickets in 33 appearances for Gujarat Titans and troubles batters with his deceptive pace and accuracy. Though he's yet to consistently produce with the bat, last season's 130 runs came at a strike rate above 200.
One to watch
Sai Sudharsan enjoyed a run-laden campaign in 2023, scoring 362 runs, including three half-centuries, in just eight matches – a haul bettered by only Gill and Wriddhiman Saha among his Titans teammates. The 22-year-old No.3, who top-scored with 96 (47) in the final, scored his runs with a strike rate above 140. Not bad for someone only playing in their second IPL season.
Related: Indian Premier League 2024 fixtures: Full IPL schedule, dates, match list
Why they'll win the IPL
Gujarat Titans have an imposing top three in Gill, Saha and Sudharsan. All three players scored at least 350 runs last season, with both Gill and Sudharsan striking above 140. And the firepower doesn't stop there, with the likes Vijay Shankar (who scored 301 runs with a 160.10 strike rate last year), Miller, Kane Williamson and Matthew Wade also at their disposal.
They also have a pair of dynamic spinners in Rashid and Noor Ahmad, with the pair sharing 43 wickets last year, and a quality pace option in the middle and death overs in Mohit Sharma, who finished the 2023 campaign with 27 wickets.
Though they're not as strong as in previous years (for reasons we'll come onto), they still have quality in all departments.
Why they won't win the IPL
They've lost a quality allrounder following Hardik Pandya's departure. However, while his wickets were useful, it's his batting (typically around 350 runs at No.4) which is creating the bigger headache. Matthew Wade, Kane Williamson or Azmatullah Omarzai are the obvious replacements but selecting someone from this trio would take an overseas option away from the pace attack. The alternative is to bump Miller up the order and pop Shahrukh Khan in as a finisher, which would free up an overseas bowling slot but would also leave a lot of experience on the sidelines.
Of greater concern, however, is the absence of Mohammed Shami, who has been ruled out of the IPL due to injury. He took a competition-leading 28 wickets last year, including 17 in the powerplay, and added over 150 matches of T20 experience to the XI. He leaves big shoes to fill and with the likes of Josh Little and Spencer Johnson far from guaranteed one of the four overseas slots, they could have to turn to someone like Umesh Yadav.
Squad: David Miller, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, B Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami (injured, replaced by Sandeep Warrier), Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Josh Little, Mohit Sharma, Azmatullah Omarzai, Umesh Yadav, Shahrukh Khan, Sushant Mishra, Kartik Tyagi, Manav Suthar, Spencer Johnson, Robin Minz
Possible XI: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Vijay Shankar, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Umesh Yadav
Shubman Gill scored nearly 900 runs in the 2023 IPL [Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images]
Captain: Shreyas Iyer
Coach: Chandrakant Pandit
Headliners
Kolkata Knight Riders splurged 24.75 crore (£2.3m) to secure the services of Mitchell Starc and there will be plenty of attention on the Australia quick, who hasn't featured in the IPL since 2015. For that price, they'll be expecting wickets galore and a big impact in the powerplay and death overs.
Varun Chakravarthy will also garner plenty of attention with the ball after topping the wicket-taking charts for KKR last year. The spinner has taken at least 17 wickets in three of the past four seasons.
Among their batters, Andre Russell, a veteran of nearly 500 T20 appearances with a career strike rate above 170 in the IPL, is always box office while Shreyas Iyer returns after missing the 2023 campaign. He has scored at least 400 runs for four of the past five years.
One to watch
Rinku Singh was a pleasant surprise in 2023, scoring a team-leading 474 runs, including four half-centuries, at a strike rate of nearly 150 and developing into a boundary-hitting machine in the middle order.
He has been rewarded with 15 T20I caps for India since August 2023 and has shown flashes of his potential, with two half-centuries and a strike rate above 175. An important couple of months beckons with a T20 World Cup on the horizon.
Why they'll win the IPL
KKR have an exciting batting lineup, with Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer and Singh, all of whom scored 400-plus runs with strike rates above 140 last season, accompanied by Russell and the returning Shreyas Iyer. Phil Salt (who strikes above 150) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will likely fight over the gloves while West Indies international Sherfane Rutherford is another option. The challenge is who to leave out.
There's also a lot to like about their spin attack, with Chakravarthy joined by mystery spinner Sunil Narine, who has over 160 wickets and an economy under seven to show for his IPL career, and Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Why they won't win the IPL
Their pace attack isn't especially inspiring. Last year, none of their pacers took more than 10 wickets and while they've thrown millions at Starc, one player will not solve the issue. Sri Lanka international Dushmantha Chameera (a replacement for Gus Atkinson) is unlikely to force his way into an overseas slot, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora are inexperienced, and they don't have a quality pace-bowling allrounder.
Did they need to go after the likes of Rutherford and Mujeeb? Should they have instead focussed more of their attention on strengthening their pace options, with a number of Indian quicks and allrounders up for grabs? There's a potentially troublesome hole in their squad.
Squad: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer, Jason Roy (withdrawn), Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Suyash Sharma, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gus Atkinson (withdrawn), Sakib Hussain, Dushmantha Chameera (replacement for Gus Atkinson), Phil Salt (replacement for Jason Roy)
Possible XI: Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Chetan Sakariya, Varun Chakravarthy
Captain: KL Rahul
Coach: Justin Langer
Headliners
KL Rahul has captained Lucknow Super Giants from day one, leading them to back-to-back top-four finishes. He has scored over 600 runs in a season three times in his IPL career, most recently in 2022 (616 runs), and has a reputation as a rapid and prolific run-scorer in the competition, averaging above 45 and striking above 130.
Big-hitting middle-order duo Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran headline a stacked overseas contingent. Australia international Stoinis scored a team-leading 408 runs (150 strike rate) last season as well as chipping in with five wickets while wicketkeeper Pooran's 358 runs came at a strike rate above 170.
One to watch
The Super Giants secured Devdutt Padikkal from Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Avesh Khan. It's a move which leaves their bowling a little light but Padikkal is a great addition in the top four. He has scored over 1,500 runs in the IPL, including contributing at least 375 runs in three of his four seasons, while striking around 125.
The challenge will be figuring out where he best slots into the XI. His brightest performances for RCB came at the top of the order but there's plenty of competition for the opener slots at Lucknow.
Why they'll win the IPL
Lucknow Super Giants, who have a 100 per cent record of reaching the playoffs, can be expected to put up a good fight for another top-four finish thanks to embarrassment of riches with the bat.
Most teams would be happy with one or two of Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, Stoinis, Pooran and Padikkal but the Super Giants are instead facing a tricky decision about who misses out given they'll need an overseas slot for a bowler. It could be de Kock (who has nearly 3,000 IPL runs) versus Mayers (379 runs, 144.10 strike rate last season) for a spot in the top four.
Why they won't win the IPL
Bowling is a problem. Last year, spinner Ravi Bishnoi picked up a team-leading 16 wickets while pace trio Yash Thakur, Mark Wood, and Naveen-ul-Haq shared 35 (by comparison, Gujarat Titans bowler Shami and Mohit Sharma took 28 and 27 wickets, respectively).
With Wood withdrawing from the competition (he's been replaced by the inexperienced Shamar Joseph) and little chance of accommodating either the West Indies international or David Willey in the XI given the overseas batting options, they'll be relying on Naveen to lead the way with support from Thakur and Mohsin Khan. They should be concerned about the experience and quality of their pace attack.
Squad: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, K Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Prerak Mankad, Yudhvir Singh, Mark Wood (withdrawn, replaced by Shamar Joseph), Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Naveen-ul-Haq, Devdutt Padikkal, Shivam Mavi, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, David Willey, Arshad Khan
Possible XI: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Mohsin Khan
Mitchell Starc is back in the IPL for the first time since 2015, representing KKR [Cameron Spencer/Getty Images]
Captain: Hardik Pandya
Coach: Mark Boucher
Headliners
In a star-studded roster, Suryakumar Yadav is the headline batter. A quick-scoring boundary fiend (his T20 strike rate is above 150 while around 65 per cent of his runs have come via boundaries), he enjoyed a career-best IPL campaign in 2023, scoring 605 runs, including one century and five fifties, with a strike rate above 180.
Hardik Pandya has returned to Mumbai Indians after two years with Gujarat Titans, who he captained to back-to-back finals (winning in 2022). The hard-hitting allrounder hasn't played since October but at his best, he can be relied upon to score around 350 runs per season and provide an additional right-arm pace option with the ball.
Jasprit Bumrah is closing in on the IPL's top-10 all-time wicket-takers. He missed the 2023 edition due to injury but had taken at least 15 wickets every season since 2016 prior to that. His unorthodox, slingy action and subtle variations make him a handful at both ends of an innings.
One to watch
Nehal Wadhera made a splash during his debut IPL campaign, scoring 241 runs at a strike rate of 145.18 in 10 innings. That haul included a rapid unbeaten 52 (34) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and another half-century against eventual champions CSK. Last year, he yo-yoed up and down the order – he even opened the batting at one stage – but you suspect he's best suited to rubbing shoulders with the likes of Tilak Varma and Tim David in an explosive middle order.
Related: Indian Premier League 2024: All you need to know
Why they'll win the IPL
Mumbai Indians finished third last year without the services of the injured Bumrah. 12 months on, not only is Bumrah back but they've also brought in allrounder Pandya – the sky is the limit.
Their first-choice top four (probably Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Pandya, Yadav) is a who's who of hard-hitting India internationals, and the fireworks continue with Varma, Wadhera, and David, who all scored at least 200 runs and had strike rates above 140 in 2023. It's a batting lineup which should strike fear into opposition bowlers.
Their other major strength is the pace attack, with Bumrah joined by Akash Madhwal, who stepped up with 14 wickets last year, and South Africa international Gerald Coetzee. Though a little raw, Coetzee is a threat in all three phases and unsettles batters with his pace and short balls.
Why they won't win the IPL
The weakness in this Mumbai Indians squad is their spin attack. Last year, Piyush Chawla did a marvellous job, taking a team-leading 22 wickets with an economy of 8.11. However, this was the first time since 2012 that he picked up more than 15 wickets in a single season. Kumar Kartikaya offered limited support last year while Shreyas Gopal and overseas pair Mohammad Nabi and Dewald Brevis may struggle to get in the XI. Chawla may have to fly solo again.
Squad: Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff (withdrawn), Romario Shepherd, Hardik Pandya, Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka (injured, replaced by Kwena Maphaka), Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma, Luke Wood (replacement for Jason Behrendorff)
Possible XI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Luke Wood, Jasprit Bumrah
Captain: Shikhar Dhawan
Coach: Trevor Bayliss
Headliners
Only Virat Kohli has scored more IPL runs than Shikhar Dhawan, who not only captains Punjab Kings but also opens the batting. He has scored over 6,500 runs, including 52 fifty-plus knocks, with a strike rate above 125, and has contributed at least 350 runs per season every year since 2015.
After being released by RCB, the Kings secured Harshal Patel's services for 11.75 crore (£1.2m). At his best, he is a prolific wicket-taker – in 2021, for example, he picked up 32 wickets – and over the past three years, only Shami and Yuzvendra Chahal have taken more IPL wickets than Patel.
A quartet of England internationals are among the overseas contingent: new signing Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, and Sam Curran. Bairstow, who missed last season through injury, averages 35.86 in the IPL and has 10 fifty-plus knocks in 39 innings prior to this year.
One to watch
Young batter Atharva Taide proved an explosive presence in Punjab Kings' top four during his debut IPL campaign. Last season, he scored 186 runs with a strike rate of 144.18, including knocks of 66 (36) and 55 (42) against Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, respectively. Over the course of his fledgling T20 career, he averages just under 30 and has a strike rate just under 140.
Why they'll win the IPL
On paper, Punjab Kings have a strong squad. In their overseas contingent alone, they have the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw and Sikandar Raza in addition to their four England internationals. Veteran batter Dhawan is a reliable run-scorer while Patel adds valuable experience and wickets to a bowling attack which, Arshdeep Singh aside, underwhelmed in 2023.
Their biggest strength is probably their batting, with anchor Dhawan surrounded by a host of explosive options. Taide enjoyed a breakout campaign last year, Prabhsimran Singh scored 358 runs with a strike rate above 150, and in Jitesh Sharma, they have another finisher option alongside Livingstone and Curran.
Why they won't win the IPL
History is not on their side. They've only reached the knockout stages twice in 16 seasons and have only finished higher than sixth once in nine years.
And while their squad looks good on paper, there are question marks hanging over a number of players. Livingstone's form over the past couple of years, for example, has been unreliable and he barely bowled for the Kings last year; Curran and Rabada took just 17 wickets combined last year; Rossouw didn't wow Delhi Capitals in 2023; Bairstow hasn't played a T20 match since September. How long will it take Punjab Kings to figure out their best XI?
Squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Jitesh Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Matthew Short, Harpreet Bhatia, Atharva Taide, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shivam Singh, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Gurnoor Brar, Vidwath Kaverappa, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw
Possible XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh, Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh
Rajasthan Royals batter Yashasvi Jaiswal [Money Sharma/Getty Images]
Captain: Sanju Samson
Coach: Kumar Sangakkara
Headliners
Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler are Rajasthan Royals' experienced backbone with the bat. The former has chalked up over 150 appearances in the IPL and has scored at least 300 runs for the past seven seasons. Buttler, meanwhile, is a naturally attacking opener, who averages over 35 and strikes at just under 150 across his IPL career. He is one of only two overseas players – the other being David Warner – to score over 750 runs in a single IPL campaign, doing so in 2022.
Yuzvendra Chahal is the competition's all-time leading wicket-taker and having taken 20-plus wickets in three of the past four seasons, you wouldn't bet against him taking the 13 wickets he requires to reach 200 in the IPL. He dominates the middle overs with his deceptive variations of flight and pace, and can also be an asset at the death.
One to watch
Yashasvi Jaiswal has enjoyed a fantastic 12 months. He was the Royals' leading run-scorer last season, amassing 625 runs at a strike rate above 160, including a century and six fifties (in the previous three seasons, he had 547 runs in 23 appearances). Since then, he featured for India's Test and T20I sides, terrorising England's bowlers in the former format and earning 17 caps in the latter.
A fearless, fast-scoring batter, he'll know another strong IPL campaign will create selection headaches for India ahead of the T20 World Cup, but how will he handle the weight of expectation?
Why they'll win the IPL
The Royals have an enviable batting line-up. Buttler, Jaiswal, and Samson are a settled top three, each capable of anchoring their side's innings without compromising on strike rate, and with the likes of Shimron Hetmyer (299 runs, 151.77 strike rate in 2023), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag (the leading run-scorer in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) and Rovman Powell fighting for middle order spots, both runs and boundaries shouldn't be an issue.
With the ball, they have one of the best spin attacks in the competition with Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, though Australia international Adam Zampa has withdrawn. Powerplay specialist Trent Boult (105 wickets in 88 appearances) headlines the pace attack.
Why they won't win the IPL
Is their squad star-studded? Yes. Is it balanced? Not really. Rajasthan Royals are crying out for allrounders and will have to choose their replacement player wisely to avoid ending up with a lengthy tail.You have to question whether buying both Powell and Kohler-Cadmore was necessary, or whether they should've spent big money on an allrounder.
Not replacing Devdutt Padikkal with another quality Indian batter may also come back to haunt them as it means they'll likely have to load their XI with overseas batters.
Squad: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Donovan Ferreira, Kunal Rathore, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa (withdrawn), Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Abid Mushtaq, Nandre Burger
Possible XI: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult
Captain: Faf du Plessis
Coach: Andy Flower
Headliners
Virat Kohli is the all-time leading run-scorer in the IPL and whether Royal Challengers Bengaluru have narrowly missed out on the title or been disappointing, he has been consistently excellent. In 2023, he scored 639 runs, including two centuries, at a strike rate just under 140 - the ninth time he has scored at least 400 runs in a season.
Mohammed Siraj was RCB's best bowler by a country mile last year, taking 19 wickets with an economy of 7.5. The right-armer bowls with nice swing and has a good bouncer, and is usually good for a dozen economical wickets per season.
Explosive duo Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell are the headline overseas players. The skipper topped the run-scoring charts for RCB last year (730 runs) and averages 36.90 across his IPL career while Maxwell was striking above 180 for his 400 runs in 2023. He also chips in with the ball, bowling right-arm off-spin.
One to watch
In 2023, Reece Topley managed just two overs in an RCB shirt before injury derailed his season (he dislocated his shoulder while fielding). However, the left-armer, who has over 200 T20 wickets to his name and uses his giant frame to put batters in difficulty, is back with a point to prove ahead of the T20 World Cup. And he'll likely have plenty of opportunities to impress, with RCB's underwhelming attack crying out for his powerplay and death wickets.
Related: Indian Premier League squads 2024: Full IPL player lists for all teams
Why they'll win the IPL
For reasons we'll come onto, it doesn't look like this is the year RCB end their search for their first IPL crown. However, given the batters at their disposal – Kohli, du Plessis, Maxwell, Rajat Patidar (who missed last season through injury but scored 333 runs in eight matches in 2022), and Cameron Green/Will Jacks will likely make up the top five – and a new ball pairing of Topley and Siraj, you never know what could happen. And at least they should be entertaining.
Why they won't win the IPL
RCB's bowling attack lacks quality depth. They have three overseas pacers in Topley, Lockie Ferguson and Alzarri Joseph but there's likely only room for one in an XI given du Plessis and Maxwell are automatic picks and Green/Jacks are needed to strengthen the batting. Siraj, meanwhile, cuts a lonely figure as the standout Indian bowler in their ranks (they didn't retain Harshal Patel while Karn Sharma’s economy was 10.37 last season).
It's far from the only problem – Dinesh Karthik was horribly out of form last year; no one apart from Karthik leaps out as a finisher; beyond the top five, they lack batting depth – but by not replacing Patel with an Indian bowler and committing a big chunk of their purse to trading for Green when they already had Jacks (and Patidar returning from injury), there is a hole in their bowling department.
Squad: Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar (trade), Vyshak Vijaykumar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Lockie Ferguson, Tom Curran, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan
Possible XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Rajat Patidar, Will Jacks, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, Mayank Dagar, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Vijaykumar Vyshak
Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Umran Malik [Noah Seelam/Getty Images]
Captain: Pat Cummins
Coach: Daniel Vettori
Headliners
Sunrisers Hyderabad spent 20.5 crore (£2m) to secure the services of Pat Cummins, who has immediately been installed as captain. His IPL record – 45 wickets in 42 appearances, with a best haul of 15 wickets in 2017 – isn't especially noteworthy but you suspect they were paying for his leadership experience as much as his bowling. Remember, Sunrisers have finished bottom twice in the past three seasons.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is an IPL veteran, with 170 wickets in 160 appearances heading into this season – the most by an Indian pace bowler. An economical right-armer, he can be expected to bookend the innings and collect 12-16 wickets across the season.
Heinrich Klaasen was the standout overseas player for Sunrisers last year, scoring a team-leading 448 runs while striking above 175. The South African gives the XI versatility thanks to his ability to be the backbone of an innings and deliver finisher knocks.
One to watch
Umran Malik was on top of the world in 2022, picking up 22 wickets in his second IPL campaign and being rewarded with ODI and T20I call-ups later that year. However, he couldn't reach the same heights in 2023, taking just five wickets in eight appearances for Sunrisers, and he hasn't featured for India since July. His raw pace helps him dominate the middle and death overs, but who knows which Malik will turn up for Sunrisers.
Why they'll win the IPL
Sunrisers' batting was poor last year, with Heinrich Klaasen the only player to score more than 300 runs. However, both Abhishek Sharma (485 runs, 192.46 strike rate) and Upendra Yadav (301 runs, 172 strike rate) looked in good touch in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which should give the batting a bit of oomph. The addition of Yadav in the middle order also shortens the tail.
On paper, a pace attack of Kumar, Cummins, Malik, and T Natarajan is quite exciting, boasting experience and the variety of a left-armer in Natarajan, while with a raft of allrounders, they should be able to produce a balanced XI.
Why they won't win the IPL
Sunrisers' abundance of overseas players gives them plenty of options but it's also hard to identify their best XI. Cummins and Klaasen will likely occupy two of the four spots, leaving Wanindu Hasaranga, Marco Jansen, and Fazalhaq Farooqi fighting over one spot in the bowling attack and Aiden Markram, Travis Head and Glenn Phillips competing with the bat. Their squad depth comes from their overseas ranks but with restrictions on how many can feature, how helpful is that?
Of greater concern, however, will be the form of many of their players. Mayank Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi, for example, both had underwhelming campaigns in 2023 and didn’t show much form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Likewise, Phillips, Markram, and Malik have plenty to prove after last year.
Squad: Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Sanvir Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Mayank Markande, Shahbaz Ahmed, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan
Possible XI: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Heinrich Klaasen, Upendra Yadav, Washington Sundar, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan
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