The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to return in its 17th edition in March 2024 and one of the major discussions among cricket fans is now about which team is going to lift the coveted trophy. In the previous season, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium and won the record-equalling title under MS Dhoni.
In the latest auction of the cash-rich league held in Dubai, all franchises did their best to rebuild their teams, picking up some quality players. Witnessing their squads after the business event, let’s know three teams that are the favourites to win the upcoming competition.
Here are three teams that are favourites to win the 2024 IPL edition
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
After witnessing their performance in the last three seasons, the SRH team management acquired some quality players to extract the desired results in the upcoming event. The franchise splurged INR 30.80 crore in the auction and added illustrious names such as Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and Wanindu Hasaranga to its squad.
With the addition of Cummins, there might be a change of guard as the Australia speedster has proven his captaincy skills in recent years. Sunrisers look formidable after the auction as they have a completely balanced squad. In the batting department, they have experienced names such as Mayank Agarwal, Travis Head, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, and Heinrich Klaasen.
Their bowling unit consists of exceptional pacers such as young Umran Malik with veterans Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pat Cummins, who will form a superb pace battery. Spinners Mayank Markande and Wanindu Hasaranga also have the potential to ask tough questions to batters. The 2016 champions also have all-rounders Marco Jansen and Washington Sundar, who can deliver magnificent numbers to the team in all three departments of the game.
Also Check: 3 Players who can replace Aiden Markram as SRH Captain in IPL 2024
2. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will look to defend the title successfully under MS Dhoni and become the most successful side of the league again. The Yellow Army spent INR 30.40 crore from their purse and bought six players at the auction held in Dubai. Their notable buys were Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shardul Thakur.
The addition of Mitchell will strengthen Chennai’s batting line-up while Mustafizur’s experience can also prove vital for the five-time champions. CSK’s strength is their batting which has some exceptional names such as Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, and MS Dhoni. All-rounders such as Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rachin Ravindra also make them dangerous.
Also Check: Top 3 CSK batters to watch out for in IPL 2024
1. Mumbai Indians (MI)
Mumbai Indians (MI) haven’t looked confident in the last three seasons but they will look to be at their best in the upcoming edition of the league and bring cheers to the faces of their fans. After the 2024 IPL auction, MI traded Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans (GT) and appointed him the skipper of the team.
MI’s 2024 squad is looking ferocious as they have a lot of lot of eminent figures who can deliver match-winning performances to them. Former skipper Rohit Sharma has regained his form while Suryakumar Yadav has been showing no mercy against bowlers in the T20 format for a long time. Tim David is capable of serving the side as a finisher efficiently.
Hardik’s addition might provide effective leadership results as the 30-year-old is known for leading from the front. The fast-bowling unit will be led by Jasprit Bumrah, who will get assistance from South African speedster Gerald Coetzee and Australian quick Jason Behrendorff. Veteran Piyush Chawla might also make batters dance to his tunes with his leg-break bowling talent. Youngsters Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma will look to produce huge knocks from their bats and prove their batting mettle.
Also check: Top 3 MI batters to watch out for in IPL 2024