The big IPL preview, part two: Sunrisers and RCB primed for glory
While the Mumbai Indians are the team to beat in the 2021 Indian Premier League, they are not the only ones with realistic chances of lifting the title.
There are plenty of huge names taking their spots in other sides eyeing glory and two of Mumbai's nearest challengers, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad, feature in the second part of our team-by-team guide.
We also turn the spotlight on the renamed Punjab Kings and English-laden Rajasthan Royals.
Punjab Kings
Captain: KL Rahul
Head coach: Anil Kumble
Final position in 2020: Sixth
Opening fixture: Rajasthan Royals (April 12)
A new name marks the start of a new era for the Punjab Kings as the franchise previously known as Kings XI Punjab look for their first IPL title.
Chris Gayle takes the headlines in a batting line-up that will want to free skipper KL Rahul, get the best out of the tremendously talented West Indian Nicolas Pooran and may be too strong up top for England’s Dawid Malan to even get a game.
The middle order is where the Kings struggled and Aussie Moises Henriques and another West Indies star in Fabian Allen will look to fill the boots of last season’s expensive flop Glenn Maxwell.
It is in the bowling department where the biggest changes have been made with big money spent on Australia’s death bowling specialist Jhye Richardson and pace merchant Riley Meredith.
Murugan Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi once again lead the spin options and the Kings will hope the bowlers they have added prove good enough to get them to the play-offs for the first time in seven years.
Rajasthan Royals
Captain: Sanju Samson
Head coach: Kumar Sangakkara
Final position in 2020: Eighth
Opening fixture: Punjab Kings (April 12)
The winners of the first edition of the IPL in 2008 will be hoping changes at the top allow them to bounce back from a disappointing and dispiriting 2020 campaign, which saw them finish bottom of the table.
Sanju Samson takes over captaincy duties from the departed Steve Smith and his first port of call will be finding some stability in a batting line-up that has the potential to be deadly.
The Royals used five different opening pairings last year before Ben Stokes made the spot his own and he may continue that role alongside England team-mate Jos Buttler, with Samson at three, although the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra and Riyan Parag are options.
No matter what they do with the bat, the absence of 2020 MVP Jofra Archer for at least the first three games with a hand injury is a hammer blow and heaps even more pressure on the shoulders of South Africa’s Chris Morris, 33, who became the most expensive player in IPL history in the auction, and Mustafizur Rahim.
The Royals also go into this season without a frontline off-spinner, which feels like something of an oversight. Despite their plentiful wrist-spinning options, it could prove another long campaign.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Captain: Virat Kohli
Head coach: Simon Katich
Final position in 2020: Fourth
Opening fixture: Mumbai Indians (April 9)
Royal Challengers Bangalore once again enter an IPL season with their hopes pinned on some of the biggest names in world cricket, as Glenn Maxwell joins Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers on their books.
If all three of them fire it will be a sight to behold, especially with exciting young Indian Devdutt Padikkal coming in off a fine 2020 campaign, where he outscored both Kohli and De Villiers.
The shrewdest addition, though, looks to be that of veteran Aussie all-rounder Daniel Christian, 37, who has won nine T20 titles across the globe and will hit sixes as well as taking valuable wickets.
With well-stocked spin options in Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa, the pressure will be on the RCB seam bowling attack to fill the large shoes of death over supremo Morris, who they surprisingly released.
It has long been their Achilles heel and the signings of Kyle Jamieson and Kane Richardson do not leap off the page, while the likes Mohamed Siraj and Navdeep Saini will have to step up if RCB want to challenge Mumbai Indians for the crown.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Captain: David Warner
Head coach: Trevor Bayliss
Final position in 2020: Third
Opening fixture: Kolkata Knight Riders (April 11)
It is a case of who to leave out for skipper David Warner as he looks to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL play-offs for a sixth successive season.
Warner will open the batting with Manish Pandey at three and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson at four — he just has to decide whether to recreate his blistering partnership with Jonny Bairstow or opt for an overseas all-rounder further down the order.
Jason Holder and Mohammad Nabi are the options if he wants to do that and the six-hitting prowess of both could be needed, with the lack of a genuine Indian finisher the only noticeable hole in the squad.
Thangarasu Natarajan was a breakout star last campaign and with Bhuvneshwar Kumar hitting form and fitness for India against England after only playing four games in 2020, it is a daunting task for any batsman.
And we have not even mentioned Rashid Khan, the best white-ball spinner in the world and one who has performed consistently in this tournament over a number of years.
Sunrisers Hyderabad look well placed to add a first title since 2016 to their trophy cabinet.
