GUJARAT TITANS
Not many would have bet on the Titans winning the IPL title on debut. Now they are the most-marked team and opponents will try to exploit the chinks intheir armour.
STRENGTH: With the presence of Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan and David Miller, the team’s core is very strong.
WEAKNESS: Lockie Ferguson’s departure means support bowlers to Pandya, Shami and Rashid look a bit thin on experience.
OPPORTUNITY: Like last year, they will be keen to prove they don’t need a superstar overseas player to take them over the line.
THREAT: Who opens with Gill among Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson and KS Bharat? And can they strike from the word go?

KEY PLAYERS
Hardik Pandya: Was a revelation in 2022 as skipper and batter. Titans will hope he carries on in that vein and takes even more bowling responsibility.
Shubman Gill: The opener will look to build on his international success. His form will be key to how they start at the top.
Mohammed Shami: Every time his ability to be an all-format bowler has been questioned, the pacer has responded with a bucketful of wickets. Can he go full tilt all season?
NEW PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Shivam Mavi: With his inclusion for Rs 6 crore, Titans have added some experience to their domestic bowling contingent.
Kane Williamson: While his T20 form has slipped over the last few years, he can still add value. A good buy to have on the field to help out with decisions, especially
in crunch situations.
Joshua Little: Titans spent Rs 4.4 crore for the 23-year-old Irish leftarm pacer and must have seen some spark in him. Took a hat-trick in the 2022 T20 World Cup against New Zealand.

INJURY WATCH
No injury issue yet. David Miller will miss the first match due to commitments with South Africa. Joshua Little won’t be available in the second week of May as he will travel to play Ireland’s two ODIs against Bangladesh.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS
Having finally got rid of the image of ‘perennial underdogs’, last year’s runners-up Rajasthan Royals will be riding high on confidence. At the same time, they will be under pressure to match last season’s performance.
STRENGTH: The squad has a good balance of experienced and promising players. They have some powerhouse foreign signings in Joe Root, Jason Holder and Adam Zampa.
WEAKNESS: Middle-order is slightly fragile. Shimron Hetmyer, although ideal for handling the back-end pressure, is inconsistent.
OPPORTUNITY: Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag are coming into the tournament after a successful domestic season and will look to replicate that success on the big stage.
THREAT: Pace spearhead Trent Boult needs an ally, but with Prasidh Krishna out with back injury, can Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini or Sandeep Sharma fill the void at the
other end?

KEY PLAYERS
Jos Buttler: The England captain will be expected to play a match-winning role more than once.
Sanju Samson: The Royals captain has been associated with the team since 2013 and is now considered their batting mainstay.
Yuzvendra Chahal: The leggie has added teeth to RR’s bowling department with his ability to turn things around.
NEW PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Joe Root: It will be interesting to see how the Test stalwart adapts to the IPL’s challenges.
Donovan Ferreira: The South African wicketkeeper-batter has no international experience but was hot property in the recent SA20 league.
Adam Zampa: His addition adds an extra dimension to the ChahalAshwin combination and gives the Royals more options in the spin department.
INJURY WATCH
Seamer Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out with a lower-back surgery. Medium pacer Sandeep Sharma has been named as replacement.

LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS
Led by KL Rahul, Lucknow Super Giants finished third in 2022. Can they go one better this time?
STRENGTH: Excellent group of allrounders in the form of Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Romario Shepherd and Marcus Stoinis. In Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul, they have a reliable and explosive opening pair.
WEAKNESS: Spin-bowling stocks seem to lack strength. Besides Ravi Bishnoi, there is the ageing Amit Mishra in the team.
OPPORTUNITY: Power-packed batting lineup means they can chase a big score as well as set one.
THREAT: Seem to lack wickettaking thrust in the middle-overs, which might be exposed by powerful batting lineups.
KEY PLAYERS
Quinton de Kock: The form man after a successful series against West Indies will be key in terms of quick starts, but will miss the opening game.
KL Rahul: The skipper, usually among the top run-scorers in the event, will again have a point to prove.
Mark Wood: Known to clock speeds in excess of 150kmph, his blistering pace is an asset.

NEW PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Nicholas Pooran: The hard-hitting West Indies middle-order batsman played for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season and is known to be brutal against spinners.
Romario Shepherd: In the Andre Russell mould. Bowls at a decent clip and can be devastating with bat in hand.
Prerak Mankad: Pace-bowling allrounder from Saurashtra has a batting strike-rate of 142.60 and an assortment of slower deliveries.
INJURY WATCH
Mohsin Khan: The young left-arm fast bowler who impressed in the previous season is nursing a shoulder injury and will miss a majority of the season.
MUMBAI INDIANS
After a forgettable 2022, which saw them lose their first eight matches and finish at the bottom of the standings, MI will look to bounce back with a vengeance.
STRENGTH: One of the best batting lineups, boasting the likes of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan.
WEAKNESS: In Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, Jofra Acher is the only genuine pacer in their ranks. The spin department wears a weak look as well.
OPPORTUNITY: New recruits like Cameron Green and Duan Jansen will aim to seal their places.
THREAT: Lack of depth. If the big guns fail to fire, like last season, they may find themselves in trouble.

KEY PLAYERS
Rohit Sharma: Had a below-par 2022 but with the amount of experience under his belt, still remains Mumbai’s most potent batter.
Suryakumar Yadav: May have struggled in the recent ODI series against Australia but no one can take ‘Mr 360’ for granted in this format. His contributions in the middle will again be key.
Tim David: The Australian gave a glimpse of his abilities with some fiery knocks last season.
NEW PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Jofra Acher: Bought in the 2022 auction despite some injury problems, he will be hoping to go full tilt this time.
Cameron Green: A perfect replacement for Kieron Pollard. The 23-year-old has pushed himself into the list of best allrounders in the world.
Duan Jansen: The 22-year-old South African left-arm quick is another newbie MI have up their sleeves.
INJURY WATCH
Jasprit Bumrah (back surgery) and Jhye Richardson (hamstring surgery) will both miss the entire season.
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
When Chennai Super Kings splurged Rs 16 crore on Ben Stokes in the auctions, it showed desperation. A team that normally never goes for more than Rs 10 cr for an international player broke the bank for Stokes, because MS Dhoni is likely to retire after this season. The future begins now for the franchise.
STRENGTH: Experienced players who know what it is like to deliver on the big stage. Plus the leadership skills of MS Dhoni.
WEAKNESS: Pace-bowling pool looks slightly weak. Deepak Chahar is coming back after a long lay-off and the attack lacks a hitthe-deck bowler who can consistently bowl at speeds of 140-plus kmph.
OPPORTUNITY: Pitches at Chepauk can be tailor-made for their spinners like Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theeksana to weave their magic.
THREAT: They might struggle to match the firepower of some of the teams who tend to play a high-tempo game.

KEY PLAYERS
Ben Stokes: Explosive batter, brilliant fielder and a leader. If he bowls, Stokes will be a complete package.
Ravindra Jadeja: The most crucial player in thev CSK lineup with his allround abilities.
Deepak Chahar: No. 1 pacer of the team. Has to deliver to help CSK make an impact.’
NEW PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Matheesha Pathirana: Sri Lankan slinger with a lot of promise. Can be used as an impact substitute.
Simarjeet Singh: The Delhi pacer has shown promise and is rated highly by the CSK team management. Can he deliver?
Subhranshu Senapati: Odisha right-hander who can shape up into a useful middle-order batsman.
INJURY WATCH
Pacers Kylie Jamieson and Mukesh Choudhary have been ruled out.

(Text by Rajesh Pansare, Mandakini Shalya, Hindol Basu, Dwaipayan Datta)