The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) commences on March 22. With all 10 teams ready to roar, cricket aficionados eagerly await the battle royale. The opening match will pit Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Faf du Plessis' Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22 at 8 PM.
This season, the cricketing mettle of three captains - Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Shubman Gill - will be on trial. Rishabh Pant will lead Delhi Capitals (DC), Shreyas Iyer is set to take charge of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while Shubman Gill is slated to captain Gujarat Titans (GT).
First up, Rishabh Pant's comeback story is heartening for Delhi Capitals, with the recent medical clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It was feared that Pant might need close to two years to recover and could miss the IPL 2024, but he has made a remarkable recovery in just 14 months.
After surviving a near-fatal road accident near Roorkee, Uttarakhand, on December 30, 2022, Pant has been absent from cricket action. Now, he must reignite his competitive cricket spirit. It remains to be seen how effective Pant's return will be. Delhi Capitals, who have yet to claim an IPL title, are pinning high hopes on Pant's shoulders.
Shreyas's Fitness Under Scrutiny!
Middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer has recently grappled with a back injury. During the Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Vidarbha, he was absent from the field on the fourth and fifth days. In Mumbai's second inning, Shreyas scored 95 runs, where his back issues surfaced.
There have been reports suggesting that Shreyas might miss the initial matches of the IPL. If he is unlucky enough to sit out a few games, Nitish Rana could be stepping in as the captain for Kolkata Knight Riders, which would be a major blow. Even if Shreyas is fit for the entire IPL season, questions linger over how impactful his return will be.
Last year, Shreyas was sidelined from the entire IPL season due to a back injury. In April last year, he underwent back surgery and missed out on the World Test Championship final. Thus, there's no telling when his back issues might flare up again.
Will Captaincy Weigh Heavy on Gill?
Shubman Gill has been appointed to lead Gujarat Titans after Hardik Pandya returned to the Mumbai Indians. Under Hardik's leadership, Gujarat Titans clinched the IPL title in 2022 and were runners-up in 2023. Now, Gill faces the challenge of replicating Hardik's formidable performance as the new captain. Last IPL season, Gill was the top scorer with 890 runs, securing the Orange Cap. However, he was free from the pressures of captaincy. This season, he will have to shoulder some leadership burden. It will be interesting to watch if his batting prowess is affected by captaincy responsibilities.
Shubman Gill recently showcased splendid form in the Test series against England. In the India-England series, only Yashasvi Jaiswal scored more runs than Gill. He scored 452 runs in 5 matches, averaging 56.5. Gill's bat roared with centuries in Dharamsala and Visakhapatnam against England.
IPL Stats for Shreyas, Pant, and Gill
Shreyas Iyer - 103 matches, 2776 runs, 31.55 average, 19 fifties Shubman Gill - 91 matches, 2790 runs, 37.70 average, 3 centuries and 18 fifties Rishabh Pant - 98 matches, 2838 runs, 34.61 average, 1 century and 15 fifties
