IPL 2018 starts with clash of titans

Mumbai, April 6: Defending champions Mumbai Indians and and two-time winners Cheni Super Kings, the most successful teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL), will begin the 11th edition of the Twenty20 cricket tourment with a mouthwatering clash at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.

Hosts Mumbai, who have laid their hands on the coveted crown thrice (2013, 2015, 2017) will be led by India opener Rohit Sharma who is the most successful captain in the cash-rich T20 league having led Mumbai to a treble of titles.

But on Saturday, his wards will be up against a team who will be eager to re-establish their domince after returning to the tourment following a two-year ban.

CSK have a formidable track record in the IPL and have notched up the most number of appearances in the fil. Apart from winning the title twice, they have finished runners-up on four occasions.

Cheni are led by India’s 50-over and T20 World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who will himself have a point to prove in his twilight days. The southern outfit has a formidable batting and bowling line up with the likes of Suresh Rai, back in the Cheni Super Kings yellow jersey, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis adding teeth to their batting.

In the bowling department, England pacer Mark Wood and South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi will lead the pace battery with veteran offie Harbhajan Singh and celebrated South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir taking care of the spin unit.

For Mumbai, apart from Rohit, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, West Indies star Kieron Pollard and Krul Pandya have been retained from last year and are all a force to reckon with.

The Mumbai pace bowling department is also promising this year with the likes of Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Mustafizur Rahman.

This edition will miss the presence of star Australian players Steve Smith and David Warner who are serving a one-year ban due to the ball tampering incident in South Africa.

While Smith has been replaced by Ajinkya Rahane at Rajasthan Royals, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in place of Warner.

This edition of the IPL will see seven Indians captaining their franchises, barring Hyderabad. Virat Kohli, Rohit, Dinesh Karthik, Rahane, Gautam Gambhir and Ravichandran Ashwin will fight against each other to grab the top prize. IANS