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The cricketer-turned commentator’s first pick is Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner. Aakash Chopra lauded Warner for his ‘unique’ ability to adapt to Indian conditions. Warner was the top-scorer for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season, amassing 548 runs at an average of 39.14. Aakash Chopra expects the left-hander to have another productive campaign this season: Aakash Chopra’s second overseas pick is leg spinner, Rashid Khan. A key member of the Orange Army, Khan, took 20 wickets last season at a brilliant average of 17....

It’s noteworthy that the Chennai Super Kings franchise has not yet named a replacement for the Aussie pacer. Also read: 3 possible replacements for Josh Hazlewood In a statement sent to Cricket Australia, Josh Hazlewood revealed that he is pulling out of the IPL in order to spend more time with his family and be fresh for the T20I World Cup and the Ashes scheduled for later this year....

The Super Kings had just endured their toughest season - their first one not ending in a playoff berth. The IPL being shifted to the UAE, COVID cases in the team, players misfiring, misdirected strategies and MSD himself failing - all played an equally important role in this rare failure of the league’s most consistent team. They had some serious thinking to do before next season - which was less than 6 months away....

The relationship between Maxwell and PBKS is complicated to say the least. After his breakout season with the franchise back in 2014, where he scored 552 runs in 16 games at an average of 34.5 and a strike rate of 187.75, the all-rounder’s IPL career had stagnated. A move to the Delhi Capitals didn’t work out, and a subsequent return to PBKS saw Maxwell perform even worse than he did during his first stint with the team....

It’s impossible to see raining sixes if you don’t have batsmen who have the capability to do it. Fortunately, IPL consists of all the world-class batsmen who have entertained all the spectators with their valuable performances. Overseas batsmen have always added a lot of glamour to the game. From Gayle’s skyscraper sixes to David Warner’s classy mayhem, all have been a great treat to the spectators. Let’s look onto the list of few overseas batsmen who will be up to entertain the spectators with their performances....

The 23-year-old England fast bowler made his international debut in June 2017 in a T20I against South Africa. Since then, the South Africa-born pacer has represented England across all formats. His ODI debut came against West Indies while his Test debut came during the Ashes. Although he only has seven wickets from his six T20Is, he has played over 50 T20s and is the designated death bowler for both his county, Surrey and his country, England....

Heading into a crucial clash against Rajasthan, KXIP would be hoping for a quick turnaround in a bid to solidify their position in the top-four. On that note, let us look at the probable playing eleven that KXIP is likely to field against the Rajasthan Royals #1 KL Rahul (Wicket-Keeper) Opening the batting will be KL Rahul. Rahul, who stroked a 14-ball 51 in the first match against Delhi has been in excellent touch in this season and has already accumulated 268 runs at a strike-rate of 170....

Some players, like Suresh Raina, David Warner and Rohit Sharma, perform in each and every season, but there are some other players who stay out of the limelight but set the stage on fire whenever they get the opportunity to shine. Paul Valthaty’s stint with the KXIP in 2011, Murali Vijay’s exceptional run in 2010 for CSK and Krunal Pandya’s surprising performance in 2016 - these are just a few examples where a rather unknown or less prolific player turned out to be the game changer for their franchise....

Remarkably, Short has only played 25 T20 games in his career but has represented his country on five occasions. Only making his first-class debut in November 2016, his reputation as a destructive one day batsman has been earned quickly. Short’s form in last year’s BBL was good, but nothing compared to this season. In 11 matches in BBL07, he amassed 572 runs at a strike rate of 148.57. He also broke the BBL record for the highest individual score....

Ajinkya Rahane called the right side of the toss and decided to put some runs on the board. It was a call that paid off as the home team made their way to a tough 158 on a wicket stayed on the slower side. Chasing 159 on a tricky surface, it was always difficult for the Kings to come back after losing few too many wickets in the powerplay. However, KL Rahul with his 95* kept their hopes alive as he carried his bat once again but no support from the other end meant a loss by 15 runs for the visitors....

The last three occasions where Mumbai lifted that trophy, were all against the team that featured Dhoni. In 2013 and 2015, it was against the Chennai Super Kings. However, in 2017, it was the Rising Pune Supergiant which was not led by Dhoni but still it was pretty much known as his team. This year, however, defeating them in the first qualifier wasn’t going to be enough. Dhoni and his team made a come back after winning the second qualifier to set up yet another date with the Mumbai Indians in the finals and it was a thrilling ride for everyone who saw it....

3 times IPL champions and the defending champions - CSK and Mahendra Singh Dhoni will try to get a winning start to their IPL campaign while 3 times runners up - RCB and Virat Kohli will try to build momentum from the very beginning with an aim of getting their hands on the ever elusive IPL trophy. Last season these 2 sides played twice and CSK trumped RCB on both the occasions....

RR are second last on the points table with 10 points in hand and have a net run rate of -0.321. They have two games in hand and will surely be looking to win them and maintain their chances of being in the playoffs. That said, a lot depends upon the result of other matches too. Moreover, RR’s poor NRR means that they would suffer in most tie-breakers if there are other teams tied on the same number of points....

What has helped both teams has been the fact that they have not been too dependent on one player to bail them out. If it was the opener KL Rahul and Chris Gayle followed by Mayank Agarwal who ensured KXIP went past a strong MI bowling attack. For DC Prithvi Shaw and Kagiso Rabada came to the party. Ahead of the northern derby tonight, with both sides coming off wins, it would be interesting to see what the team combinations would be for both sides....

RCB registered back to back wins for the first time in this season and now have a real chance of moving off that last position. A win over KXIP will help them move to the 7th position (with 8 points) and just behind Kolkata Knight Riders on net run rate. They’ve had a couple of real scares and if they hadn’t held their nerves, they would still be reeling with just two points....

The IPL Auction this year was just a one-day affair, as most of the franchises had retained a majority of its core players from the last edition, and released or traded just a selected set of players. Among the players that were in the auction this year, the Indian duo of Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy turned out to be costliest buys, as both of them very bought for a huge amount of Rs....

Rajasthan Royals captain Steve Smith won the toss and decided to field first after which rain hit and the match was reduced to 5 overs a side. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers got RCB off to a flying start, piling the pressure on Varun Aaron in the first over by scoring 23 runs. Shreyas Gopal was given the 2nd over and brought RR back into the game by picking the wickets of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis off three successive deliveries....

All-rounders were in high demand during the IPL 2019 auctions as well. Out of the 60 players going under the hammer during the auctions, as many as 25 were all-rounders. It is always a boon to have a couple of players in the team who are handy with both the bat and the ball. It has proven to pay dividends in the past and some of the all-rounders have proven to be bang for the buck....

Kings XI Punjab have the biggest purse after releasing 11 of their players while Chennai Super Kings have just two Indian slots available after retaining most of their players. Some of the expensive 2018 signings like Jaydev Unadkat, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Woakes, Aaron Finch, Brendon McCullum, and Pat Cummins were released by their respective franchises. It is not an unfamiliar sight in IPL where franchises try to sign their former players and the 2019 auction will be no different....

With the franchises and limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma opposing Kohli’s suggestion to rest the Indian pacers from the IPL, conducting the T20 tournament earlier would create a win-win situation among all parties. Even the foreign players, who are sure to participate in the World Cup tournament, could represent their respective franchises throughout the season. Australia and England have requested their players not to play in the IPL after the start of May....