IPL 2015: 10 Bold Predictions for Indian Premier League
After the recent World Cup pyrotechnics, attention turns to the 20-over game with the return of the Indian Premier League.
What can viewers expect from this year's competition? Will batting records be obliterated? Will spinners still dominate despite the ICC getting tough on bowling actions? Will David Warner's captaincy debut end in glory or disaster? Who will win?
We've studied the tea leaves and come up with 10 bold predictions for the 2015 IPL tournament.
10. Someone WIll Score a Double Century
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Chris Gayle got close in 2013, smashing an unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune, but nobody has yet scored a double hundred in the IPL.
That will change during this year's competition. The spectacular performances in the recent World Cup showed that the batting mindset has changed. No total is off limits. No delivery cannot be hit for six.
AB de Villiers seems the man most likely to crack 200. Brendon McCullum, Rohit Sharma, David Miller and, of course, Gayle will be eyeing the record, too.
9. Spinners Will Once Again Be Crucial
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There will be more sixes hit than ever before and scoring rates will verge on the ridiculous. Taking wickets will be the key to stemming run rates, so sides with quality spinners will have a huge edge.
There won't be the same quality of spin on show, though, given the ICC has got strict on bowling actions.
Sunil Narine has been one of the stars of the IPL in recent years. Even though he has been given the green light from the action testers, per the tournament's official website, it's hard to see him having the same impact in 2015.
The onus will fall on traditional spinners. Expect big tournaments from Ravichandran Ashwin, Imran Tahir, Piyush Chawla and Samuel Badree.
8. Eoin Morgan Will Have a Big Tournament
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On his past eight visits to the middle, Eoin Morgan has been dismissed for a duck on four occasions. That's not exactly scintillating form ahead of the IPL.
Liberated from the shackles of captaining England, Morgan will play with the freedom that made him one of the most dangerous performers in the shortest form of the game.
While his England colleagues are scratching around in the West Indies, Morgan will get back to his old self in India.
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7. Expect Fireworks from David Warner's Captaincy Debut
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If David Warner's captaincy is anything like his batting, Sunrisers Hyderabad should be well worth watching.
The 28-year-old is never backward in coming forward with bat or mouth. If he gels with big personalities such as Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma, the results could be spectacular. If things go awry early on, the wheels could easily come off the Hyderabad wagon.
It's a shame that Kevin Pietersen won't be joining what looks like being a highly combustible mix.
However it pans out, the Sunrisers are a team to keep an eye on.
6. Someone Will Score a Century in 25 Balls
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The fastest century in IPL cricket was scored by Chris Gayle, who reached three figures from just 30 deliveries for RCB against Pune in 2013. Somebody will beat that record in 2015.
And they won't just beat it, they'll smash it. One free-swinging batsman will scored a century from just 25 deliveries.
Glenn Maxwell gave notice of what he's capable of in the recent World Cup, taking just 51 balls to reach 100 against Sri Lanka.
A rampant AB de Villiers is certainly capable of breaking the record, as is Brendon McCullum. Wear a hard hat in the crowd when they're batting.
5. Ricky Ponting's Coaching Career Will Get off to a Successful Start
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With Darren Lehmann firmly in situ, there won't be a vacancy for Australia's top coaching job in the immediate future.
Still, Ricky Ponting will be looking to put down a marker in his new role as coach of the Mumbai Indians.
The former Australia captain told the tournament's official website: “I think this game is all about taking the positive approach all the time; not sitting back and waiting for something to happen but being proactive and making things happen. That’s how I played and that’s how I’ll be coaching as well.”
With a squad including Rohit Sharma, Corey Anderson, Lasith Malinga and Kieron Pollard, Ponting has plenty of firepower to put that theory into practice.
4. Rohit Sharma Will Win the Orange Cap
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Rohit Sharma will carry his World Cup form straight into the IPL. The Mumbai Indians batsman has been a remarkably consistent performer throughout his IPL career. In 112 matches, the 27-year-old has scored 21 50s and a century.
We expect much the same again in IPL, especially as he'll now be captaining the side.
As his amazing 264 in an ODI against Sri Lanka showed last year, Sharma is more than capable of big hitting. It's his steady accumulation throughout the competition that will lead him to this year's Orange Cap, though.
3. Ravichandran Ashwin Will Win the Purple Cap
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In six of the past seven seasons, the Purple Cap has been won by a seamer rather than a spinner. Pragyan Ojha has so far been the only twirler to be the leading wicket-taker in an IPL season.
He will be joined this year by Ravichandran Ashwin. The Chennai off-spinner was back to his best during the recent World Cup, finding turn and bounce and showing off some nice variations.
That repertoire of off-spinners, arm-balls and even the occasional leggie will bring plenty of success in the IPL this year. We're predicting he'll be modelling the Purple Cap by tournament's end.
2. Money Won't Bring Sucess to Big-Spending Delhi Daredevils
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The only original IPL franchise yet to reach the final is the Delhi Daredevils. That unwanted record will continue in 2015 despite the team spending oodles of cash overhauling the squad.
The team spent an IPL-record sum on Yuvraj Singh and splashed the cash on other expensive signings, but fans in the capital will once again be disappointed.
On paper, the squad looks good. JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Angelo Mathews and Mohammed Shami are potential match-winners.
The ghosts of campaigns past will continue to haunt the Daredevils this season, though.
1. The Winners Will Be...Chennai Super Kings
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The Chennai squad shows no obvious weakness. Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis make a strong top order. The pace attack contains the last two Purple Cap winners in Dwayne Bravo and Mohit Sharma, as well as the improving Kiwi Adam Henry and reliable Ashish Nehra.
Throw in a trio of quality spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Samuel Badree and the Super Kings attack looks hugely impressive.
And we've not even mentioned the inspiration that is MS Dhoni.
After falling in the semi-final last year, the Chennai Super Kings will finally make it a hat-trick of IPL titles in 2015.
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