The Indian Premier League is the biggest domestic cricket tournament in the world. While based in India, it attracts the best limited overs players in the sport. Huge financial backing means that the biggest names all assemble for six weeks at the beginning of April.
In 2022, the IPL was expanded to ten franchises. It’s bigger and better than ever, so who are the teams to follow in 2023?
The Favorites
Gujarat Titans were one of two new sides incorporated in the 2022 edition of the IPL. Under the captaincy of Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, the Titans won the title at the first attempt and they are favorites for a successful defense.
Close behind are the Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Delhi have come close to securing the trophy in recent years and they have a good mix of top-quality domestic talent combined with world class overseas imports, The IPL retained list for next season tells us that Delhi have kept the bulk of their best players including David Warner, Anrich Nortje, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are the underachievers of the IPL, they traditionally field some of the strongest players, but they have yet to win the trophy. In 2023, RCB’s squad will include Virat Kohli, Faf Du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj and Dinesh Karthik.
In contrast, Mumbai Indians are the most successful franchise in the history of the competition with five titles. They will be led once again by the experienced Rohit Sharma, but will they come to regret the release of explosive all-rounder Kieron Pollard?
The Chasing Pack
Anyone interested in IPL cricket can follow their favourite teams via the cricket betting markets. Current Indian Premier League odds from SBO show that the chasing pack includes Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings.
Those markets will react on the back of breaking news relating to the retained list and the IPL auction which traditionally takes place in February. Visitors to the website can assess the new figures as they come in, before deciding whether they want to make a move.
Each of the sportsbooks linked to the Sbo.net website will be ready to accept new customers. Once a secure online registration process has been completed, verification will follow and the account will be confirmed.
A set of funding providers will assist with transferring an initial deposit and a generous welcome package will usually be in waiting. Those who choose to stick around a little longer can enjoy other benefits.
Most bookmakers will publish ongoing promos while the majority will also have mobile betting options, live markets and a choice of other sports. It’s a useful site for IPL and general cricket betting, but could there be a surprise from further down the markets?
Making up Ground
The list of competing IPL teams is completed by the underdogs. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders are also taking part, but it’s clear that nobody expects them to perform well.
In the case of Kolkata, that verdict may be a little premature. KKR have won the Indian Premier League on two previous occasions, and they reached the final as recently as 2021. Last year was less successful, but the Knight Riders may be underrated here.
Sunrisers have also won the IPL, but have struggled in each of the last two editions and are unlikely to make an impression in 2023.
Important Dates
While the exact slots for the 16th edition of the IPL have yet to be confirmed, there are suggestions of a start date of March 25th. That would see the final taking place over two months later on May 28th.
Before all that, the IPL auction will attract huge interest from around the cricketing world. There will be a mini auction in Kochi on December 23rd before the rosters are fully completed next February. The date for the mega auction will be confirmed in the next few weeks.
It’s an exciting time for all cricket fans but who will win IPL 16? The independent verdict is already in, but much will depend on those auctions and on teams putting the final touches to their squads for 2023.
