The VIVO IPL is back over the weekend when season 11 of the Indian Premier League kicks off in Mumbai on Saturday and after an auction which had almost every player in the competition up for grabs we are set for an intriguing campaign.
With sides returning and events elsewhere in the cricketing world having an impact on who is and is not available there is a really open feel to the season which will make for exciting cricket throughout and some great betting opportunities for us.
Recent Winners
2017 – Mumbai Indians
2016 – Sunrisers Hyderabad
2015 – Mumbai Indians
2014 – Kolkata Knight Riders
2013 – Mumbai Indians
2012 – Kolkata Knight Riders
2011 – Chennai Super Kings
2010 – Chennai Super Kings
2009 – Deccan Chargers
2008 – Rajasthan Royals
The Format
Nothing has changed in the format from last season which means that all eight sides play each other home and away in the regular season which gives each franchise 14 matches. At the end of that spell the top four move into the playoffs.
The top two meet for an immediate place in the final while third meets fourth in a knockout match. The loser of the top two clash faces the winner of the knockout match in the semi-final to face the winner of the top two clash in the final. This year the final will be held on May 27 in Mumbai.
The Favourites
There is a growing band of people who believe that this will be the year of the Royal Challengers Bangalore. They have let Chris Gayle go and decided to bring Brendon McCullum in but it is with the ball where they need to improve. With that in mind they have made some significant additions such as Chris Woakes, Tim Southee and Washington Sundar but you still wonder if they have the inner steel to bounce back from a horrible campaign last year where by the end even their batting was all at sea. They are the 4/1 favourites to win the title but I’m not convinced.
The defending champions Mumbai Indians are next in the betting at 9/2. Things have changed at Mumbai where the likes of Jos Buttler, Mitchell Johnson, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Nitish Rana and Lasith Malinga have all moved on. In their place have come a number of all-rounders such as Ben Cutting, JP Duminy and Pat Cummins but if Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav get going they certainly won’t lack for firepower. Too much emphasis is being placed on the Pandya brothers delivering the goods for my liking and if one of them doesn’t Mumbai could struggle.
The 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad are the third favourites to win the tournament at 13/2 but they were dealt a massive blow when Dave Warner was banned from the competition for this campaign. Kane Williamson doesn’t lack captaincy experience but Warner was so much more than a captain. Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh, Moises Henriques and Mustafizur Rahman were all big players for them and they have left. If the Afghan pair of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi have big seasons the Sunrisers could make the playoffs but they look vulnerable to me.
The Contenders
Chennai Super Kings are back in IPL after their ban and they are 7/1 to win the tournament. They have loaded the batting with veterans and their bowling is full of spin which will serve them well on their own patch but you wonder if they have the bowling resources to compete on the road. That said, experience can never be a bad thing and they have that in spades so if they can make the playoffs they can’t be ruled out.
Kolkata Knight Riders have seen plenty of changes made to their squad and they have loaded up to keep hold of Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Chris Lynn and they really need those three to have big tournaments if they are going to push for the playoffs. The big loss for the Knight Riders would appear to be their captain Gautam Gambhir while Shakib-al-Hasan and Chris Woakes could be missed too. Mitchell Starc’s injury has not helped either but if Mitchell Johnson can still deliver the goods and Karthik leads well Eden Gardens could still be a tough place to visit.
The Outsiders
The Rajasthan Royals are the other side who are back in the competition this season. They have also been hit by the absence of Steve Smith who was going to captain them. Ajinkya Rahane will now lead the side which could actually be a blessing in disguise. The Royals traditionally went for underrated and good value signings but this year they have rolled the dice and spent big on some exciting imports. They could well be dark horses for this thing.
Delhi Daredevils will see Gautam Gambhir returning home and all of a sudden they have an exciting looking side with the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Rishabh Pant offering some real explosion along with the likes of Jason Roy and Colin Munro at the top of the order. They have some good spinners but a lack of Indian seamers could be their undoing. That said they look overpriced at 8/1.
Kings XI Punjab have been the worst side in the competition in recent seasons and as such they have ripped up the manual and started again. The likes of Glenn Maxwell, Hashim Amla, Shaun Marsh and Eoin Morgan have gone as have Murali Vijay and Sandeep Sharma. Andrew Tye and Chris Gayle are high profile additions as is Aaron Finch. If everyone performs to their best they should be better than recent seasons but that is not saying much.
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Betting
You can make a case for most of the sides in this competition but at the same time you can find weaknesses in many of them too so it is imperative we get some value when betting on the market. The good thing of course is that we only need to find a side to make the top four to have a chance of winning the tournament.
As the season goes on some better value might present itself but for now I’m happy to indulge in the 9/1 about the Rajasthan Royals. I did have a couple of issues with them with the first being that I don’t like sides who have overseas captains as it restricts the personnel options dramatically but Steve Smith being banned makes up for that. Now their only weakness is in the spin department but with Shane Warne on board in the coaching staff I would not be surprised if he can find a gem or two to nurture. A side that can include the likes of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jaydav Unadkat have the spine to do some real damage. We know they are strong at home and with the firepower they possess they should be bang there this season.
Tips
Back Rajasthan Royals to win IPL 11 for a 2/10 stake at 10.00 with Unibet
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