The Biggest Question of IPL 2018- Who will take the trophy home?

It has been over a decade since Indian Premier League debuted in India. The gentleman’s game mixed with Bollywood masala has created an unrivaled experience for any cricket fanatic. Indian Premier League has now become a celebration of sorts for the average cricket loving Indian. In the eleventh season, eight teams will compete in a star-studded tournament to win the coveted IPL trophy. Here’s an analysis of each of the eight teams and our prediction on who will take the trophy home.

The defending champions, Mumbai Indians are keen on repeating history and taking the trophy home for the fourth time. The team boasts of a rock solid batting platform with Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and JP Duminy. West Indies players like Evin Lewis and Kieron Pollard adds to the strength of the batting department. Unfortunately for the team, Harbhajan Singh who spearheaded the spin department in the earlier seasons would not be playing for Mumbai Indians this season.

Sunrisers Hyderabad has a very strong batting lineup with David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson and Yusuf Pathan. The team has also got top spinners in the form of Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan. The only point of concern is the team’s middle order which remains weak despite having Yusuf Pathan and Carlos Brathwaite. The team’s frail middle order can add pressure onto the openers.

Rajasthan Royals are back this season following a 2-year ban. The team has a decent middle order with Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Stuart Binny. Lack of a strong opener and a quality spinner can prove banal to the team. The bowling department would be handled by all-rounders like Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer and D’Arcy Short.

Chennai Super Kings return to IPL with some heavyweights like M.S. Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina. The team has remained the most successful team throughout the history of IPL. The challenge the team currently faces is the absence of a top quality batsman to build the innings.

The only way to see who would take the trophy home would be to wait for the cricket extravaganza to begin. Vivo IPL Season 11 begins on April 7, 2018, with defending champions Mumbai Indians battling it out against Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Hope one which we have ruled out namely KKR, DD, KXIP, RCB do prove the doubters wrong this season.