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IPL 2021 Predictions: 5 big predictions for the tournament

Charbel Coorey

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April 6, 2021 at 6:44 pm

IPL 2021 Predictions: 5 big predictions for the tournament | Looking at which players and teams will perform best in IPL 2021

As IPL 2020 was held in strange circumstances in September-November in the UAE, one constant remained. The magnificent Mumbai Indians were at it again, arguably playing better cricket in 2020 than they did in 2019.

Fast forward just six months later, and we’re back at it again. This time in India. However, like the UAE edition, the tournament will be played behind closed doors with a strict bio-secure bubble in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From a cricketing perspective, will we see Mumbai Indians winning the title for a third-straight season? Or could we see a brand new champion this time around? Can KL Rahul and Kagiso Rabada successfully defend their Orange and Purple Caps respectively? Who will make the playoffs?

These, among many other questions, will be answered over the next six weeks in T20 cricket’s best league. In this article, I will make five key predictions for the upcoming IPL 2021 season:

Orange Cap winner
Purple Cap winner
Bottom-placed team
The four teams to make the playoffs
IPL 2021 winner

Orange Cap winner: David Warner

IPL 2021 Predictions: 5 big predictions for the tournament | Looking at which players and teams will perform best in IPL 2021 | IPL Predictions for 2021 | Predictions for Indian Premier League in 2021 — IPL 2021 Predictions: David Warner will win the Orange Cap.

No batsman in IPL history has more Orange Caps than Australian David Warner. In a T20 World Cup year, and leading a strong SRH side, Warner is primed for a big IPL campaign. Also, the left-hander has an incredible record of winning the Orange Cap in alternate years since 2014 (Warner won it in 2015, 2017 and 2019), and he has it in him to go big once again this season, and will pick up the Orange Cap.

Other leading contenders: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Ben Stokes.

Purple Cap winner: Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada had an outstanding IPL 2020 campaign, headlined by his ability to bowl well in the crunch stages. There is no doubt that he will once again play a key role for the Delhi Capitals in 2021, where he will prominently feature in the powerplay and death overs. Rabada’s ability to take wickets regularly, particularly at the death, makes him a very strong candidate to win the Purple Cap for a second-straight year. For this reason, I believe Rabada will have the most wickets of any bowler at season’s end.

Other leading contenders: Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rashid Khan

Bottom-placed team: Royal Challengers Bangalore

This is certainly a controversial prediction, and my least-favourite one to make. Given RCB’s incredible batting power, I am prepared to hold my hand up and say that I can easily be wrong here.

However, RCB’s auction performance, where Kyle Jamieson was purchased for 5 crores more than the released Chris Morris, has left them in a tricky situation. Their death bowling looks very thin for the upcoming season, which has been their achilles heel throughout their history, despite possessing the best batsmen in the game.

This season is no different with Kohli and de Villiers again at the helm, with Glenn Maxwell joining them. Add the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammad Azharudeen, and RCB have the lineup to consistently make scores upwards of 200. However, whether they defend those scores is another question, and given their thin death bowling stocks, they may very well fall short on numerous occasions.

4 teams to make the IPL 2021 playoffs:

Mumbai Indians: Superb squad, superb team. The back-to-back and five-time champions have too much depth and quality to not make the playoffs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: The recent form of Bhuvneshwar Kumar makes the SRH bowling attack look even more potent this season. Sandeep Sharma, who was excellent in IPL 2020, will combine with the likes of Kumar, T Natarajan and Rashid Khan to make up an excellent attack. And, when you add the batting prowess of Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey among others, the consistent SRH will be tough to beat again.
Delhi Capitals: The absence of captain Shreyas Iyer is a blow. So, it will be interesting to see if Rishabh Pant can lead the team well throughout the campaign. DC’s strength, once again, is a well-balanced bowling attack with Rabada and Anrich Nortje to lead the way. Also, the excellent form of Prithvi Shaw can see DC setting strong platform for the likes of Pant, Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer to go big.
Rajasthan Royals: Perhaps the most controversial pick out of the four. The Royals, who have been the league’s “nearly men” in recent seasons, will be after a big year. Kumar Sangakkara is now at the helm, and they had a good auction with the addition of Chris Morris, among others. The absence of Jofra Archer for the first part of the season is a factor that RR need to handle well. The batting, comprising of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and new captain Sanju Samson, can enable them to make big scores. Also, this could be a big season for all-rounder Shivam Dube.

Winner: Mumbai Indians

I predicted that the Mumbai Indians will win the IPL the past two years, and I am prepared to say they will win it again.

Some may point to whether this team can maintain such a high level of performance after back-to-back titles. I believe they certainly can, for four key reasons. One, their XI, and much of their squad, will be motivated to maintain top form in a T20 World Cup year. Two, the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have had a taste of international cricket, and will have an even more renewed sense of self-belief. Third, MI possess the depth and quality in the middle order that other teams can only dream of. Fourth, their bowling attack, led by Bumrah and Boult, will be hard to get away at all stages of the innings.

MI is the perfect T20 team, and will be lifting the trophy at season’s end.

So, there are my five predictions for IPL 2021. Are there any you agree or disagree with in particular? Have your say!

5 players who can win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021

Robin Rounder

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April 6, 2021 at 9:08 am

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5 players who can win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021 | Who will win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021? | Who will score the most runs in IPL 2021?

It’s IPL time again as the 14th edition of the biggest league in the cricketing world is upon us. All the franchises have started training while the fans are excited as ever to cheer their favorite teams and players. This is the second IPL season in 6 months after the last edition of the league was organized in UAE in September-October 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the IPL caravan has returned home but at selected venues and without fans due to the pandemic situation.

All 8 teams are very strong with world-class players waiting to show their magic on the field. There is very intense competition among the teams and amongst the players too for the Orange and Purple Caps. Here, we’ll mention the 5 players who can win the Orange cap in IPL 2021.

Virat Kohli

5 players who can win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021 | Who will win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021? | Who will score the most runs in IPL 2021? — Will Virat Kohli win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021?

It’s impossible to not mention Virat Kohli when we are talking about runs and batting; not only in IPL but in international cricket too irrespective of the format. Kolhi has the most runs (5878 runs in 184 innings) in the IPL, including 5 centuries, in which 4 of them came in a single season in 2016.

The last few seasons haven’t been up to his standards, but he has confirmed that he’ll be opening the batting this season. The last time he did that was in that incredible 2016 season, where he scored 973 runs in 16 matches at an average of 81.08, striking at 152.03 with 4 centuries.

Virat is arguably the best batsman of this generation and with him opening the innings, it’s very probable that he’ll be the highest run-scorer this season and can win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul has been the best Indian batsman in the IPL for the last few seasons. He won the Orange Cap in IPL 2020 with 670 runs in 14 games at an average of 55.83. He was the second highest-scorer in 2019 and the third highest in 2018. Rahul has been in excellent touch for some time now, although he struggled in the recently concluded T20I series against England. However, he came back to his best in the ODIs.

He did play a bit slowly in the last edition, but is expected to bat with a higher strike rate this season. PBKS fans will hope that Rahul will lead the franchise to their first title this season, not only as a captain but as a batter too.

David Warner

David Warner is the most successful overseas batsman in the history of the IPL. He has 5254 runs and is the only player to have won the Orange Cap thrice (2015, 2017 & 2019).

The southpaw is very consistent in the IPL. He took SRH to the finals in 2016 and eventually to their first title by single-handedly scoring runs that season. The SRH management will want their skipper to do the same in IPL 2021 and lead them to their second title. With a big T20 World Cup approaching, Warner will be out to have a big season.

Shubman Gill

Predicted as the future superstar by many, Indian youngster Shubman Gill is another contender for the Orange Cap. Gill is a very exciting batsman and his game against both pace and spin bowling is top class. He handled the pace of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc very well in the last BGT Trophy and played attacking cricket against them.

He scored 440 runs in the last season at an average of 33.84 with 3 half-centuries to his name. He’ll surely want to have the Orange Cap to his name coming into IPL 2021.

Rishabh Pant

Man of the moment, Rishabh Pant, is another very exciting player who can win the Orange Cap this season. Pant has been in form of his life since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-2021. He has been scoring runs for fun in all three formats. Pant, who is known for his fearless unorthodox batting, can tear apart any bowling attack on his day.

Pant is appointed as the captain of the Delhi Capitals for the year 2020 after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury. We can expect Pant to bat higher this season which means more chances of him to score more and more runs.

These were our five picks who can score the most runs and win the orange cap in IPL 2021. We hope you guys enjoyed reading it.

Thanks for Reading!

Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on Twitter today.

Will we see a brand new champion in IPL 2021?

Vaibhav Tripathi

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April 4, 2021 at 10:19 am

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Will we see a brand new champion in IPL 2021? | Will Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals or Punjab Kings win IPL 2021?

If you look at the history of the toughest T20 league in the world, then barring 3 current IPL teams, every other team in the current lot has won the tournament at least once. There have been 13 seasons of the IPL and among the eight teams, two have won the trophy eight times (5- MI and 3- CSK) between them. Kolkata Knight Riders have won two, while Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals each have one title to their name. We haven’t got a new champion since Sunrisers’ title triumph in 2016.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, and Kings XI Punjab are the ones without any title. We’ll analyse all three teams and figure out which team has the potential to emerge out as the new winner of the IPL.

Punjab Kings

The newly named side, Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab), with a big purse, made a lot of noise in the IPL 2021 Auction. They had some expensive buys in the form of two Australian quicks – Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, and also the uncapped Indian batsman Shahrukh Khan.

However, out of the two Aussie quicks, one may not even be the first-choice option for the team. Punjab’s strength has been their strong batting group. The top 5 of this team is one of the most dangerous among all teams. The likes of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Dawid Malan, and Nicholas Pooran are all capable of turning the match on their own. The addition of Malan is an interesting one as if they want to rest Gayle then Malan comes in his place at 3 or even a Moises Henriques, who has prior experience of playing at 3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Also for the lower order hitting PBKS have 3 good Indian options in Mandeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, and Sarfaraz Khan. The batting group will keep the opposition bowlers on their toes.

While their batting is their outright strength, the bowling department will be their biggest worry for the 14th edition of the tournament. Apart from Mohammad Shami and Chris Jordan, the bowling lacks experience which might leave them exposed once again. One can see a lot of potential in Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, and Arshdeep Singh, but there’s a lack of experience to go along with that.

With KL Rahul as the captain and their best player, the team would be dependent on Shami, Mayank, Gayle, Pooran, and Jhye Richardson to have a successful campaign. The Team also lacks good all-rounders, which is again a defining area.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

The search for silverware is on for RCB in the 14th edition of the IPL as well. They have made some structural changes for the upcoming IPL in the hope that they can go the distance this year.

RCB made some exciting inclusions in the squad for the upcoming season with Glenn Maxwell being much-talked-about. RCB acquired the services of the Aussie power-hitter for a massive 14.25 crore, while they also bought New Zealand’s all-rounder Kyle Jamieson for a whopping 15 crores. Daniel Christian, Mohammed Azharuddeen, and KS Bharat are the other players who might help RCB to overcome the ghosts of the past.

The overseas combination should see Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, and Kyle Jamieson playing a major role in the team. The top 4 looks solid with Kohli, Padikkal, ABD, and Maxwell playing the role of the floater. However, it is the lower middle-order that is a problem area for RCB. If the top 4 are bundled out for low scores, then RCB could be in a dangerous situation. The lack of good Indian batting options is also an area of concern. Yuzvendra Chahal-led spin department will happily play most of the IPL matches this season at the slow-turning tracks of Ahmedabad and Chennai.

The Play Bold army has a fresh fast bowling attack with some exciting young pacers like Jamieson, Mohammed Siraj, and Navdeep Saini. However, the combination lacks experience. Jamieson has made a name for himself in the New Zealand team but his performances in T20Is have been questionable with an economy of 9.80. But as RCB is going to play five of their league games on a seaming track (Kolkata), Jamieson certainly will enjoy bowling on that kind of track. RCB has some depth in their pace attack this time with Daniel Sams, Harshal Patel, and Kane Richardson, but it still looks rusty in many ways without any solid leader of the pack. Indeed, death bowling is still the team’s weakest link.

How Virat will handle his overseas resources will decide the fate of RCB in the IPL 2021.

Delhi Capitals

Will we see a brand new champion in IPL 2021? Can Rishabh Pant lead DC to the Title?

Delhi Capitals has been the most improved T20 unit since 2018. Undoubtedly, the Capitals has been one of the consistent sides in the IPL in recent times since the franchise rebranded itself ahead of the 2019 season. DC made it to the playoffs in the last two editions of the cash-rich league, including the final in IPL 2020. Unfortunately, DC will be missing their skipper Shreyas Iyer due to a shoulder injury. Rishabh Pant has been announced as the captain of DC for IPL 2021. The franchise has once again successfully formed a strong squad with backup options available in each department.

The sheer quality of Indian players in the squad is the biggest strength of the runner-ups of the last season. Especially their batting department is full of big household names like Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, and captain Rishabh Pant. Most of these players are in good touch with the bat which certainly will be helpful in DC’s hunt for their first title.

The inclusion of big names like Sam Billings and Steve Smith provides further depth to the Delhi Capitals’ batting. Their spin and fast bowling attack is equally potent and gives the opposition batsmen a run for their money.

The captaincy of Shreyas Iyer will be sorely missed this year since Rishabh Pant will have big shoes to fill. The batting line-up also lacks credible finishers barring the in-form skipper Pant and if he does fail to finish the innings, the onus will be on the likes of Stoinis, Hetmyer, and Axar to end the innings on a high.

Conclusion:

Of all the 3 teams, Delhi Capitals, even in the absence of their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer, looks like a complete T20 unit. And we believe they’ve a better chance to emerge as the new winners of the IPL than the other two franchises.

Written by Vaibhav Tripathi. Follow Vaibhav on Twitter today.

How important is Joe Root to England’s ODI team?

Adam Sutherland

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April 4, 2021 at 8:32 am

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How important is Joe Root to England’s ODI team? | Analysing the impact of Joe Root in England’s ODI team of hard-hitters and big strikers

It was Joe Root – a survivor of England’s calamitous 2015 World Cup campaign – that launched Eoin Morgan’s ODI revolution at Edgbaston on June 9 that same year. A superb century set England on their way to amassing 408-9 against New Zealand, their then highest ODI score.

Root’s century, punctuated with trademark cover drives and back foot punches, was brought up off only 71 balls, making it the third-fastest by an England batsman. However, such was the pace of Morgan’s white ball revolution that his century now sits 12th on that list. Indeed, Jos Buttler that very same day ensured Root’s entry into the top three lasted only two hours, registering a century of his own off a mere 66 balls.

To understand Root’s role in England’s ODI team, you have to look at his fellow protagonists in the white ball revolution. England’s top six have amassed formidable strike rates since the 2015 World Cup. Buttler, widely considered the poster boy for the new era, leads the way striking at 123. The bludgeoning opening pair of Roy and Bairstow have amassed their runs at 107 and 106 respectively per 100 balls. England’s middle order left-handers, Morgan and Stokes, at 99 and 98, and the now forgotten Hales striking at a shade under 98.

When it comes to raw power, you can’t look past Roy and Stokes. If it’s innovation, Buttler and Captain Morgan are your go-tos. Few in the world, let alone England, can match Bairstow’s belligerent consistency at the top of the order.

Yet, ask most England fans: who do you want to see coming to the crease in a tight situation? The answer will be Joe Root. That scenario presented itself in what was then the biggest test for the new England – the opening game of the 2019 Cricket World Cup against South Africa. For once the Roy and Bairstow combination failed, as Bairstow edged Imran Tahir through to de Kock first ball. Faf du Plessis threw a surprise in the shape of his 40-year- old leg spinner, and England were a little stunned. As English nerves were frayed, would England fluff their lines yet again on the biggest stage?

How important is Joe Root to England's ODI team? | Analysing the impact of Joe Root in England's ODI team of hard-hitters and big strikers — Joe Root has enabled others in the England team to go big.

Out came Root, who played a characteristically assured innings, finding gaps in the field, running hard and taking the sting out of a buoyed South African attack. By the time he was dismissed, for a well compiled 51 off 59 balls, he had put on over 100 with Jason Roy. The platform was established for Morgan and Stokes to propel England to 311, a lower total than some of the scores they had become accustomed to, but one that proved far beyond South Africa. The stage was set; Root went on to score 556 runs in the tournament – the most for an England player and the seventh most overall in a single World Cup.

Yet Root’s value isn’t just that of providing stability when his belligerent teammates fail. On nine occasions Root has scored 50 or more when England have posted totals in excess of 350. Yet, in contrast to some of his teammates, his exploits sometimes hardly make it into despatches. In 2016 when England set what was then an ODI world record – pillaging 444-3 at Trent Bridge against Pakistan – Root made a fine 85 at a strike rate of 98.84. His contribution however was reduced to a mere footnote as Alex Hales laid waste to the Pakistan attack with a thunderous knock of 171 off 122 balls.

Against the Windies at Bristol in 2017 it was Moeen Ali who took the limelight. A brutal knock of 102 off 57, in which he moved from 50 to 100 in just 12 balls, powered England to 369-9. Moeen in typically self-effacing style played down his knock, commenting “I just had a slog and everything came off”. A fine slog indeed, but one that would have been less likely without a characteristically assured 84 off 79 from Root, who guided them from a perilous 74-3.

Against Afghanistan in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Eoin Morgan launched an assault on the Afghan bowling attack that bordered on gruesome; the England skipper hit a world record 17 sixes on his way to 148 in 71 balls. Root, in contrast, managed only the single six, as he fell for 88 at a strike rate of 107.31 – more than 100 fewer than Morgan’s.

In this context, one can see Root’s overshadowed Edgbaston century at the dawn of the era as emblematic of his entire ODI career. A career that, in most other teams and any other era for England, would take central billing. Since the 2015 World Cup Root has a strike rate above 90, with eight of his 12 centuries in that period coming at better than a run a ball. His career strike rate sits above Kevin Pietersen and Marcus Trescothick – both considered ahead of their time in conservative England ODI setups. Root has achieved these feats while maintaining an average of 50.10 which, among batsmen to have played at least 40 innings, is the ninth best ever and second best for England behind Jonathan Trott. Yet, despite his status as one of the best batsmen produced by England, his contributions are regularly reduced to the supporting act.

It’s not always a glamorous role but what Root does for the England ODI team is valued and appreciated. For all the glitz and glamour of England’s new era, it is built on the most solid of foundations. Root is the glue – a pressure valve allowing the rest of the line-up to play their natural games. For a supposed anchor, he possesses almost all the shots and scores runs all around the wicket. His game is versatile enough to rebuild if the situation requires or drive home the advantage when the team is ahead. His innings might not be what the spectators go home talking about, but his contributions are not lost on teammates and supporters alike.

Written by Adam Sutherland. Follow Adam on Twitter today.

IPL 2021 Favourites: Who are the top contenders?

Charbel Coorey

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April 1, 2021 at 10:09 pm

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IPL 2021 Favourites: Who are the top contenders? | Which team will win IPL 2021? | A look at the teams who have a good chance to win IPL 2021

The upcoming season of IPL is almost upon us, and all eight teams present their cases for lifting the coveted trophy at season’s end. The sheer competitiveness expected in the upcoming season increases anticipation even further, as the successful Mumbai Indians look to make it three straight.

This season, the seven other challengers will be looking to bring the trophy home. Three of those – Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore – have never won the tournament before. So, will this be the year that we see a new champion, or will the likes of Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings reign supreme?

According to the odds, Mumbai Indians are right up there to win the title once again. The Capitals, last year’s finalists, are just behind them in their quest to win the title. Royal Challengers Bangalore, courtesy of their fiery batting lineup, sit in third according to bookmakers.

Note, if you do plan on betting during the IPL, here are some key tips to keep in mind before you do so.

IPL 2021 Favourites: Who are the top contenders? | Which team will win IPL 2021? | A look at the teams who have a good chance to win IPL 2021 — IPL 2021 Favourites: Who are the top contenders?

One of the first things that you can notice over here is that the gap between the teams is pretty narrow. As a result, we can expect tough competition between teams.

Although, Mumbai Indians with 5.00 is the most favorite team to defend their IPL title. But if you look at other teams like Kings XI Punjab or Rajasthan Royals with 10.00, they have a pretty good chance of winning.

The bookies are also expecting Delhi Capitals as the winner. As they beat the finalists last year. Also, there is a chance of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Mumbai Indians (5.00)

There is no doubt that Mumbai Indians is the most favoured team for the IPL 2021 Title. Mumbai Indians have a great history of winning IPL titles, and we might see the same in IPL 2021.

The team has players like Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, and Suryakumar Yadav. These players were among the top seven run scorers last season. This is in addition to the likes of skipper Rohit Sharma, the Pandya brothers and Jasprit Bumrah. Overall, MI have the best all-round players in the team. So, they will be one of the hardest teams to defeat in IPL 2021.

Delhi Capitals (5.50)

Next, there is the Delhi Capitals. It is a team that never won an IPL title. But they were pretty close to the title last year.

The team finished second in IPL 2020. Although, they amazingly defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs, the team lost by 5 wickets in the final. So we can expect that the team is desperate to win the title of 2021, even in the absence of Shreyas Iyer as Rishabh Pant will lead the side.

The team has the south African duo Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje leading the way in the bowling attack, with a number of experienced batsmen to also look towards.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (6.00)

Lastly, there is the Royal Challengers Bangalore who is known as the biggest underachievers in IPL history. They have failed in all the IPL seasons.

However, during the last season, the team managed to make its way to the fourth place with its superior net run rate. But they were knocked out by Sunrisers Hyderbad during the Eliminator.

The team has big players like Virat Kohli as the team captain who is the leading run scorer in the tournament’s history. Also, they have other players like AB de Villiers and Yuzvendra Chahal, who are the best players. Add Glenn Maxwell, and RCB could be looking at massive totals with the bat.

Also, if you look at the team’s past, RCB reached three finals between 2009 to 2017. So they have a pretty good chance of coming in the finals this year or finally get the IPL title, if they can bowl well at the death.

Final Words

So those were some early betting odds that will help you to bet on IPL cricket. However, before placing any bets, make sure you do proper research to prevent heavy losses.

5 IPL debutants to watch out for in 2021

Debashish Sarangi

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April 1, 2021 at 5:10 pm

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5 IPL debutants to watch out for in 2021 | 5 debutants who could be mighty impressive in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League

To the delight of all the cricket fans across the world, the 14^th edition of the biggest festival of Indian cricket, the Indian Premier league, is going to commence from 9^th of April. We will witness some fantastic cricket for a long period of almost 2 months.

There are some exciting players who are expected to make their debut in the IPL this season, and they would like to capitalize on this golden opportunity. In this article, I am going to mention five such debutants who might turn out to be impressive in IPL 2021.

Lalit Yadav (Delhi Capitals)

I'll be damn pissed with DC if they don't give a game to Lalit Yadav this season.

Too good a powerhitter to remain unutilized. A decent bowler too. They can easily make a place for him by promoting Hetmyer to No.3, but they would rather slot Steve Smith there.#IPL2021
— Prasenjit Dey ? (@CricPrasen) March 30, 2021

One of the numerous batting talents in Indian domestic circuit, Lalit Yadav, has a strong reputation of being a dynamic hitter of the ball. In his T20 career, Lalit has scored 560 runs from 28 innings at a very good average of 37.33 and an excellent SR of 149.33.

He provides a bowling option as well. He has picked 27 wickets from 34 innings at a very impressive economy of 6.86. Despite being an allrounder of such a calibre, he didn’t get a single game for the Delhi Capitals last season, which was a bit surprising for me.

Last season, Marcus Stoinis seemed to be the lone warrior for them in the finishing department in most of the games. Although they have Sam Billings this time, the rule of including a maximum of four overseas players might not allow them to include him in the first choice XI. In such a scenario, there is a decent possibility that DC might try Lalit who has the potential to score some quick runs down the order and provide a bowling option as well, thereby bringing the balance into the side. If he is given a chance, he definitely has the ability to play some crucial quick cameos down the order and might thus turn out to be impressive in IPL 2021.

Shahrukh Khan (Punjab Kings):

5 IPL debutants to watch out for in 2021 | 5 debutants who could be mighty impressive in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League — 5 IPL debutants to watch out for in 2021: Shahrukh Khan.

Like Lalit Yadav, Shahrukh Khan also has the reputation of being a fearless striker down the order. In the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shahrukh had the best batting strike rate of 220. He played some really quick cameos for Tamil Nadu, including a crucial knock of 40 runs off just 19 balls against Himachal Pradesh in the quarter final.

Now looking at the Punjab Kings’ squad, they need someone who can start hitting from ball one batting down the order as they lack firepower beyond their top 4. They spent over 5crs to get Shahrukh for this purpose only and therefore he is expected to start as their finisher alongside Fabian Allen. Looking at his ability of hitting sixes effortlessly, I really believe that he can be the shining light for the Punjab-based franchise this season.

Finn Allen (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Out of the park! Finn Allen has six. What a welcome for Taskin. Follow play LIVE with @sparknzsport #NZvBAN pic.twitter.com/YtfCFkrxI8
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 30, 2021

Finn Allen, one of the most promising talents in the world cricket right now, has been signed by RCB as Josh Philippe’s replacement. Statistically speaking, Allen has scored a total of 554 runs from 15 innings at a very good average of 42.61 and a stupendous SR of 182.23. He was the highest run-getter in the latest edition of the Super Smash, where he smashed 512 runs at an extraordinary SR of 193.94.

The young Kiwi batsman is a like-for-like replacement of Philippe and therefore is expected to make his debut this season. Allen might enjoy batting especially on the tracks of Mumbai and Kolkata where the wicket has good pace and bounce, and the ball comes on to the bat nicely as compared to the relatively slower decks of Chennai and Ahmedabad. So, considering his immense potential with the bat, he could prove to be a boon for RCB at the top of the order by providing the best possible start.

R Sai Kishore (Chennai Super Kings)

I m pretty pleased that CSK have Shown faith over the youngsters.

Ruturaj Gaikwad
Narayan Jaagdessan
R. Sai kishore
KM Asif.
— Abhi (@ms_dhoni071981) (@MSDianAbhiiii) January 21, 2021

This tall left arm orthodox bowler is another exciting young talent to watch out for in this IPL, the reason being his immaculate accuracy with the ball. In the 30 innings he has bowled so far in t20s, Sai Kishore has picked 33 wickets at an unbelievable economy of 5.28. In the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he took 8 wickets from 8 games at an economy of mere 4.82 and thus played a key role for Tamil Nadu in becoming the champions. These numbers speak volumes for his capabilities with the ball. He is accurate; also his height can prove to be a big advantage especially on the bouncy Wankhede deck where CSK are going to play their first 5 games. If he gets his lengths right, he has a chance to deceive the batsmen especially with his trajectory as often the tall spinners do. So, his name will definitely be under consideration and if he gets a chance, he definitely has the skillset to bowl some really good spells for CSK.

Jhye Richardson (Kings Punjab)

One of the major reasons for the downfall of the Punjab Kings last season was their death bowling. So, prior to the mini auction, they released Sheldon Cottrell and bought 2 genuinely quick Aussie bowlers Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith in the mini auction.

Richardson took the most number of wickets in the recently concluded BBL, on the basis of which he was picked by PBKS. In the BBL, more than 40 percent of his total wickets came in the death overs.

Overall, Richardson has taken 82 wickets from 67 innings in T20s with a decent economy of 7.92. He can swing the new ball at a very good pace and also possesses the ability of nailing yorkers accurately at the death. Considering his stature, he is definitely expected to start for PBKS ahead of Meredith. He is supposed to be the leader of their attack alongside Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh. Therefore, his performance will surely determine the performance of PBKS in the tournament to a certain extent. Looking at his abilities as well as current form, I won’t be surprised if he takes the precious Purple Cap with him to Australia.

So, this is my list of five debutants who might turn out to be impressive for their respective teams in IPL 2021. Do any others come to mind? Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.

NZ-W vs AUS-W 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey

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March 29, 2021 at 10:58 pm

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NZ-W vs AUS-W 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NZ-W vs AUS-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | NZ vs Australia Key Players | Napier Pitch Report

For a while in the 1st T20I, New Zealand were in the game. In fact, they weren’t just in the game, but ahead. Having reduced Australia to 14/3 with the big wickets of Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes, the White Ferns would have been forgiven for thinking ahead to a possible victory.

However, such is the strength and depth of this Australian side that Ashleigh Gardner came up with the goods yet again. Player of the series against New Zealand in October 2020, Gardener slammed a brilliant 73* off 48 balls to underline Australia’s remarkable depth, where a number of players can deliver on any given day.

So, how do New Zealand overcome such a juggernaut? For starters, they would like to score more runs, of which the onus rests on the top order to set a better platform than they did on Sunday. With the series on the line, they have to get everything right this time around.

NZ-W vs AUS-W 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NZ-W vs AUS-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | NZ vs Australia Key Players | Napier Pitch Report — *NZ-W vs AUS-W 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction: Sophie Devine to deliver?*

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

New Zealand:

Amy Satterthwaite top-scored for NZ on Sunday, with a 31-ball 40. She has the second-most runs for NZ against Australia (692 runs, avg. 21.63)
Given Hayley Jensen’s struggles at the top of the order lately, NZ could be well-served opening with Frances Mackay. She recently scored 75, 42 and 94* for Canterbury in domestic cricket, to go with her bowling ability.
Much depends on Sophie Devine. It was a wicketless outing (0/22) to go with 17 (22) in the first T20I. Can she improve on her batting average of 21 vs Australia?
Amelia Kerr has performed well vs Australia before. She couldn’t quite get going in the first T20I (20 off 29 balls), but time at the crease (plus a wicket with the ball) can work wonders.
Jess Kerr was New Zealand’s most successful bowler in the opening T20I (2/17).

Australia:

Ashleigh Gardner is enjoying playing New Zealand. She was player of the series against them last year, and is coming off 73* off 48 balls in the first T20I.
Ellyse Perry, recognised as one of the top cricketers in the past five years, didn’t bowl in the opening match as she is still easing back to the bowling crease. However, she looked in decent touch with the bat (23* off 16 balls).
Meg Lanning has the most runs for Australia against NZ (588, avg. 22.62). She is coming off a run-a-ball 28 that she will be looking to build on here.
Rachael Haynes had a low score in the first T20I (3). However, she is coming off a superb WCNL campaign, where she struck scores of 60, 15, 109, 69, 139 and 21.
Jess Jonassen continues to take wickets consistently. The superb left-arm spinner is coming off 3/26 in the first T20I, after taking 19 wickets in 14 T20Is in 2020 (avg. 15.00, econ. 5.58).
Georgia Wareham has 12 wickets in nine matches vs New Zealand. Megan Schutt has 23 scalps in 19 games.

Stats and Facts

Head-to-head: Matches 45, New Zealand 20, Australia 24, 1 match abandoned.
Australia have won eight of their past nine matches against New Zealand.
Incredibly, both Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney have poor records vs NZ. Healy has 440 runs in 30 innings at an average of 16.92. Mooney has struck just 187 runs in 14 innings at 15.58.

Possible Playing 11

New Zealand: 1. Sophie Devine (c), 2. Hayley Jensen, 3. Amy Satterthwaite, 4. Amelia Kerr, 5. Katey Martin (wk), 6. Maddy Green, 7. Frances Mackay, 8. Brooke Halliday, 9. Hannah Rowe, 10. Jess Kerr, 11. Rosemary Mair

Australia: 1. Alyssa Healy (wk), 2. Beth Mooney, 3. Meg Lanning (c), 4. Rachael Haynes, 5. Ashleigh Gardner, 6. Ellyse Perry, 7. Jess Jonassen, 8. Nicola Carey, 9. Georgia Wareham, 10. Tayla Vlaeminck, 11. Megan Schutt

McLean Park Napier Pitch Report and Conditions

There have been big scores in the last two men’s T20Is on this ground (241 by England 2019, 173 by New Zealand 2020). Expect an easy-paced surface here, where the batters can get in and score runs.

Occasional showers are forecast throughout the afternoon in Napier. So, it could be an interrupted match where the captain who wins the toss may choose to chase.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

The Australian juggernaut continues to roll on. It’s hard to see it stopping here. Australia to win courtesy of their incredible depth.

Thanks for reading!

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Who should be the Delhi Capitals Captain for IPL 2021?

Sarthak Karkhanis

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March 29, 2021 at 7:50 pm

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Who should be the Delhi Capitals Captain for IPL 2021? | A look at who Ricky Ponting should choose as captain of Delhi Capitals in 2021

Delhi Capitals were dealt with a huge blow ahead of the IPL 2021 after their captain Shreyas Iyer dislocated his shoulder while diving in the 1st ODI between India and England. The Indian batsman has been ruled out of the upcoming edition of the IPL and the franchise will now have to look at options to replace Iyer at the helm.

The 26-year-old took over as the skipper of the franchise in the middle of the IPL 2018, when Gautam Gambhir relinquished leadership duties and dropped himself from the playing XI. In his first full season as the captain of the Delhi Capitals, he led the team to their first playoff finish in 8 years. DC lost the Qualifier 2 to the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2019 but it was an impressive start to Iyer’s captaincy career. In the last edition of the IPL, the Delhi Capitals finished as runners-up in the UAE.

The Capitals will explore the other alternatives who can lead the franchise and we will analyse what they bring to the table.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin was the captain of the Kings XI Punjab in the 2018 and 2019 edition of the IPL, but it didn’t yield much success as the franchise failed to make it to the playoffs in both the editions.

KXIP started off winning 5 out of the 6 matches in the 2018 edition but tapered off towards the end of the campaign and a similar story panned out during the following edition. The off-spinner was traded to DC ahead of the IPL 2020 and he picked 13 wickets in the tournament at an economy rate of 7.66.

Ashwin has shown a lot of potential as a leader and although it hasn’t translated to success on the field, the DC management might take a punt on making him the captain.

Steve Smith

Who should be the Delhi Capitals Captain for IPL 2021? | A look at who Ricky Ponting should choose as captain of Delhi Capitals in 2021 — Who should be the Delhi Capitals Captain for IPL 2021? Steve Smith for the captaincy?

With Ricky Ponting at the helm, Steve Smith could be the front-runner to lead the Delhi Capitals. Smith was roped in at the auction for 2.2 crores by the Delhi Capitals after he was released by the Rajasthan Royals.

Under Smith’s leadership, the Royals finished with the wooden spoon in the previous edition of the IPL. However, in the past, he has done well as the skipper in the IPL. He led the Rising Pune Supergiant to the Final in the 2017 IPL, leading a team which had the likes of MS Dhoni and Rahane in it.

However, Smith as a batsman isn’t a lock for the Delhi Capitals as they already have the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer for the foreign slots. If the team management gives Smith the captaincy duties, the balance of the side might get affected.