NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League's new season kicks off in Chennai on Friday with a clash between defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and fan favorites
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
(RCB). The star-studded opening match features MS Dhoni leading CSK against
Virat Kohli
and RCB.
Kohli makes a comeback after a two-month break from international cricket, missing India's recent series against England due to the birth of his second child.
All eyes are on Dhoni, who returns to action after 10 months following Chennai's fifth IPL title win last year. He had previously announced his plan to retire at the end of the upcoming season.
Faf du Plessis, the Bengaluru skipper, praised Dhoni's leadership, calling him the greatest-ever captain and highlighting the impact of his time at Chennai on his own growth as a leader.
"He (Dhoni) is the greatest-ever captain, and I am very lucky that I have spent some time with him over the years," Faf told host broadcaster Star Sports. "That's probably the biggest thing in my career, my years at Chennai. It shaped me from a leadership perspective, just observing MS. As a young leader, it was special to my growth."
Bengaluru, despite being three-time runners-up, have never clinched the IPL title, a surprising fact given the presence of record-breaking star batter Kohli. The franchise's women's team recently broke their trophy drought by winning the 2024 Women's IPL trophy.
In a significant move, Mumbai Indians have appointed all-rounder
Hardik Pandya
as their new skipper, following a high-profile player trade with Gujarat Titans in 2023. Pandya, who previously played for Mumbai from 2015 to 2021 before captaining Gujarat to their maiden title, takes over from
Rohit Sharma
, under whom Mumbai secured all five of their IPL titles.
Sharma's departure has stirred controversy among Mumbai's fan base, marking the end of an era. However, Pandya expressed confidence in carrying forward Sharma's legacy with the support of the former captain.
"This team has achieved all its glory under him (Rohit), so it won't be any different because he will always be there to help me out if I need his help," Pandya said at the pre-season Mumbai conference. "From now on, it will just be me carrying forward what he has started. I know he will have his hand on my shoulder all through the season."
Shubman Gill will lead Gujarat Titans in his first major leadership role. Rishabh Pant, the star wicketkeeper-batter, has been cleared for high-level cricket after recovering from knee and back injuries. Pant, who was out of action since December 2022 due to a car accident, will resume his captaincy for Delhi Capitals, having led them to the IPL 2020 final.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, fresh off an impressive performance against England, will partner with Jos Buttler at the top for Rajasthan Royals.
Australian pace duo Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins emerged as the top two expensive players in the IPL auctions, with Starc returning to the league after six years to join Kolkata Knight Riders for a record fee. Cummins, on the other hand, was acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a significant sum and will lead the franchise this season.
The IPL final is scheduled for May 26.
(With inputs from AP)
English (US) ·