New teams, new format and rejigged teams will make IPL Season 15 unpredictable and exciting
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NewsTranscript
00:00The 15th edition of the IPL is just about to start in a couple of days.
00:03And the big news coming out is that MS Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of CSK.
00:17Hello, everyone. This is the Trade Mad with Gulf News and Mr. Cricket UE, Sunny Sajan.
00:24With me today is Gautam Bhattacharya, Gulf News Senior Associate Editor and
00:29a cricket enthusiast, Sahil Sajan. Today we talk about IPL and there's plenty to talk about.
00:36Let's head over to Aniz and get a load on from him.
00:41Hi, Shyam. Hello, Mr. Gautam. Hi, Sahil. Well, the 15th edition of the IPL is just about to start
00:49in a couple of days. And the big news coming out is that MS Dhoni has stepped down as the
00:53captain of CSK. And more importantly, apart from CSK, we need to discuss about the two other teams,
01:01which is Gujarat, as well as Lucknow, and how they are going to cope up in this first season
01:05of their IPL. It's going to be a very exciting 70 games, lots to play for and can't wait for
01:11the IPL to begin. Gautam, let's hear it from you. Yes, it's a very intriguing season ahead
01:21with two new teams. And there's a new format, two-group format where, you know, there are a lot
01:28of ifs and buts. I mean, teams have to maintain their consistency to go all the way. Yes, looking
01:33forward to it, Shyam. Sahil, what are you looking forward to this year, IPL? I mean, to be honest,
01:42like, you see now new teams joining, new players joining different franchises. You won't see the
01:46same old franchises with the same players. Now it's all new. Like you would ever imagine,
01:51Hardik Pandya playing for another team other than Mumbai Indians, like, for example.
01:55So it's going to be new for these guys also. So I'm looking forward to it.
02:00Yeah, the first of the new things, yes, new team, new format,
02:05rigid teams, plenty. So I think we are in for a completely different scenario, at least in the
02:11early phase of it. And right of the block, the big news coming out of India is MS Dhoni has
02:17stepped down and Jadeja has taken over the reins of Chennai Super Kings. And I'm sure we can't
02:24escape that news. Aniz, what's your take on it? Totally surprised by the decision coming just
02:31one day before the tournament starting, rather a couple of days before the tournament starting. We
02:36all knew that he is going to make way for somebody else. But the fact is that it's not going to be
02:43easy for Ravindra Jadeja just to take over the mantle, even though he's been playing for this
02:47franchise for a long, long time. But CSK without MS Dhoni captaining, I'm not sure how the fans
02:56are going to accept it and how the team is going to cope up. My feeling is that there is a
03:02probability that he might not play all the games. He might start in the beginning just to give
03:07Jadeja the cushion. But the idea of him not being the captain is to ensure that he gets another
03:12player because we have noticed MS Dhoni not in his prime form with the bat in the last two seasons.
03:17And that is the reason I believe this decision has been taken.
03:22Sahil, you're a massive, massive Dhoni fan. How do you react to this news?
03:28To be honest, I didn't even expect this to come. I was like, oh, 26, the opening game,
03:33yeah, we'll see Dhoni captaining Chennai. And suddenly I see this and I'm like, what?
03:37So it's shocking, you know, like you don't expect to see it. But I guess he wants to pass on now
03:43the captainship to Jadeja. He's thinking about Chennai Super Kings, the franchise for future,
03:49because if he leaves, then who's going to captain? It's going to be someone else, obviously. So he's
03:54already now passing the experience to Jadeja. So he's thinking about the franchise. So it's
03:59a good gesture by Dhoni. And what mentioned earlier that he may not play all the games. So
04:05let's see what happens. I hope he plays all the games. Obviously,
04:07maybe this might be his last season, maybe not, you never know. But it's a good gesture by Dhoni,
04:12I guess. Gautam, how will this decision impact CSK?
04:19Well, I think, you know, as Anish has also indicated, it is definitely a succession plan.
04:25I mean, this is what we are getting out in the public. We don't know if this was a discussion
04:30going on ever since they were in quarantine and then they got down to practice. It's, you know,
04:38sometimes a personality tends to get bigger than the team. This is what had happened in
04:44the case of Dhoni. But then, you know, in Jadeja, you've got a readymade customer and the best
04:52suited customer is going to take over. If Suresh Rana was in the good books, maybe he could have
04:58been the guy but Jadeja has got a few more years left in him. And I don't see the basic ethos of
05:05Chennai changing with this. And they are the only team who's got around seven to eight players from
05:11the previous, you know, 2021 squad, the champion squad. So I don't see much changing really.
05:18And Dhoni is getting enough time to groom Jadeja. That's there.
05:23And as you said, CSK will not be the same without Dhoni. So how do you see
05:29impacting their performance in the future?
05:32When I mentioned Shyam, CSK would not be the same without Dhoni, the captain.
05:37That is what I was trying to say. And now, we haven't seen Jadeja captaining any side. I can't
05:43recollect Jadeja doing a captaining any side. So, you know, T20 is such a fickle format.
05:48Just taking over the captainship and getting into the big shoes of MS Dhoni is not going to be easy.
05:54And imagine if MS is not playing the games and he's not behind the wickets,
05:58what's going to be the status of the team? With due respect to CSK and all the Star Wars,
06:04like Gautam mentioned, they have seven players who are the guns who have been playing.
06:08But without MS Dhoni behind the stumps, it's going to be tougher. So I believe the initial
06:13matches, we'll play as a wicketkeeper just to give Jadeja the cushion, give him that good start
06:18and give him that confidence. But with MS Dhoni, you don't know what comes up next.
06:22You know, he keeps on throwing these bounces all of a sudden. And we are all taken aback today.
06:26Sahil, how good a captain will Jadeja be? And he said that he doesn't remember Jadeja captaining.
06:36Neither do I. I don't think he even captained a straight side. So what do you expect of him
06:40as a captain? Honestly, I like the guy. He's a great player. One of the finest all-rounders.
06:48I don't know how he will be a captain though. It's really confusing that he's the captain.
06:55Again, why Dhoni chose him? Because he may play for CSK for another 7-8 years, Jadeja.
07:00You never know. That's why he's chosen Jadeja as a captain. There are many more experienced
07:04players in that team. DJ Bravo is also in that team. But he has to choose Jadeja obviously because
07:09Jadeja will be the future for CSK. So now or never. That's why he's chosen Jadeja.
07:16So we can't comment how he's going to be as a captain. So let's see how it goes.
07:21KL Rahul came for Punjab. He did not the best job. He was alright.
07:26But now it's new times for Jadeja. So let's see how it goes.
07:31Gautam, like Sahil said, he might grow into that role. But as a player, he would never
07:40fault Jadeja. He lives the game every minute. He's there to take action all the time.
07:46So for somebody like that, who is such an influence,
07:51won't he be like a colleague figure in the team?
07:55Yes, Shyam. Very much. See, Chennai, for one, given the philosophy which they run,
08:01they would have always gone for an Indian player as a captain. Number two, he is a certainty for
08:08all the games unless there is a fitness issue. And he will grow into the game. As I said,
08:16Suresh Rana had been around. I mean, he would have been an automatic choice.
08:20But here he can build influence. And in a T20 setup, what happens? They'll form a nice
08:25leadership group with him, Dhoni in whatever number of matches that he's playing. Moeen Ali,
08:32don't forget, Moeen had captained the England T20 team a number of times.
08:36So they'll form a leadership group. And I don't see their performance getting impacted.
08:42Yes, Chennai will be Chennai. And like you said earlier, the core of the team is still there,
08:48perhaps the only team to retain such a bigger core of players from the previous season. I think
08:55Chennai, that's his top step. Now let's moving on. Okay. One of the biggest things impacts on
09:01this tournament is there will not be no home and away matches. Of course, we didn't have home and
09:05away matches last time around also. But how much will that be an influence this season?
09:12A big, big difference. Trust me, Shyama, there is always an advantage for home teams,
09:17whether it is KKR, whether it is Chennai, whether it is RR. Anybody who plays at home
09:24mainly dominates. It's like a fortress for them. Now the advantage what Mumbai will gain out of it,
09:30because all the matches are happening in Mumbai. And obviously, the other stadium,
09:33the Brebon and the D.Y. Patil, they're all in the vicinity of Mumbai. So they know the
09:38conditions well. So that's a big advantage for Mumbai bearing the other teams. Because if you
09:43talk about CSK, they love the spin pitches, which they will not get in Mumbai, where there's lots
09:47and lots of dew coming. If you talk about KKR, they also like the slow wickets and the turning
09:53tracks of Kolkata. So I'm not sure about the guys like Punjab, because Punjab, I believe last year
10:00also, they did not play at their home ground. I'm not talking about last year, about the last
10:04two tournaments. Before that also, there was an issue in that ground. One of the grounds,
10:08I think there was an issue. But having said that, the biggest advantage Mumbai will have,
10:12because they know the conditions well. So there is an advantage for Mumbai and there is
10:18not so much advantage to the other teams.
10:22Mumbai surely will have a huge advantage of the knowledge of the conditions and grounds.
10:26And but Chennai seems to make a light of all these things. So how good will be Chennai's
10:35prospects this time, Sahil?
10:39I mean, see, now they're all... Be it Chennai or be it any other franchise, they have to adapt
10:46no matter what now. So I don't think... I mean, yes, you can say fans, wickets, it's going to
10:52be different. But in the end, mostly for the Indians, they should adapt to it. They should
10:56adapt to it. They're from India. So they got to play in every pitch. So I don't think it should
11:00be a huge issue. And eventually, there are how many? Three grounds or how many grounds, guys?
11:05Three, four. Three in Mumbai and one in Pune.
11:08Yeah. No, total three, Shyam. One at Wankhede, one at Brabham, and one is at D.Y. Patil,
11:13which is Navi Mumbai.
11:15And 15 other matches in Pune, MCA Stadium.
11:20Actually, there is the fourth stadium also?
11:22Yes, that's in Pune. 15 matches will be held there in the league.
11:28So I don't think it should be an issue at all. They have to adapt. They're all professionals.
11:33And I don't think it will be an issue.
11:35Yes, they are professionals. They are in most of the other internationals. And they have been
11:39playing in all leagues around the world. Yes, I pretty much agree with you there.
11:43But Gautam, over to you. There's a bigger problem for Chennai. They are actually a
11:50strike bowler who has done a lot of good work for them over the last couple of seasons.
11:55There's Deepak Tahar, and his injury is a body blow for them. So how do you think they will deal with that?
12:02Yes, that's a major problem, Shyam, for them. Because I remember that, if I recall correctly,
12:09last year, Chennai were playing their matches in the first leg of IPL in Bombay. And Tahar was
12:15really making the difference. Because at Wankhede, as well as in Brebon, that's the perception that
12:23I have, there is a fair amount of bounce and carry early on in the season, on the weekends.
12:29So he's a guy who will be missed. They've got a decent pace attack in…
12:35You know, Chris Jordan is there in the team. I mean, he's a T20 veteran. You've got Adam Milne.
12:40Depends on how many… You know, the combination of all of them.
12:47Let me stop you there. You're right there, Chris Jordan. What happens is, if Chris Jordan comes in
12:52for Deepak Tahar, what happens is, their four-player overseas balance will be upset.
12:58Yes. Because you can't drop Moeen Ali. Then you've got, if their opening combination is
13:11Conway and Ruturaj, then two guys are going there. So there is a bit of… And then there is Adam
13:21Milne. But you can only play four. And there is no Indian seamer who can really measure up to
13:30Deepak Tahar in that squad. So to that, it's definitely going to impact their chances.
13:35Because he's now out for the season.
13:38That is very unlike CSK. But just moving on from CSK to Mumbai. Anish, I know you've been a huge
13:46Mumbai fan. You are from Mumbai. So, I'm sure you will be fancying Mumbai chances. And Mumbai
13:51has an advantage which none of the other teams have. All the four matches are played in Maharashtra.
13:56Three of them in Mumbai grounds. So, will they be able to change things around?
14:02Especially after missing the cut last year?
14:07Well, Shyam, you know, one thing which I remember, we all discussed when the auction happened.
14:11And we said that the squad were a lot of surprises when we picked the other players.
14:15Like they picked Jofra Acha, who is not even available and spent such a huge amount.
14:20Apart from Rohit Sharma, Jaspit Bhoomra, Pollard and Suryakumar Yadav, you know,
14:26we can look forward to this new guy called Tim David, Singapore-born, who seem to be doing well
14:32in PSL. But IPL is a different cup. You know, it's not that easy. Whenever we talk about players
14:38who have done well, whether it is a big bash or the PSL or any other CPL, they have not done well
14:45when they have come to IPL. So, if this boy can perform and take up that role of Ishan Kishan,
14:50even though he is not a wicket-keeper, but he can take that, score that big runs,
14:54it will help Rohit Sharma and his team. When it comes to their bowling, to be very honest,
14:59again, they will be depending heavily on Tamil Mills as a broad fast bowler. I am not sure about
15:06how much Rayal Mehdith will contribute. But in the Indian fast bowlers, they have Jaydev Unadkar.
15:14And in the spinners, again, to be very honest, when I look at this squad, I can't remember any
15:19spinner. Maybe Gautam can give me some insight about their spinners, apart from Fabian Allen,
15:25whom I don't regard as a spinner. He is more of a part-time bowler.
15:29Yeah, it's true.
15:32What does actually happen to the spinners?
15:34Gautam, I will pass that question to you about the spinners. What Ani says is a very,
15:40very valid point, because they are thin on spin here. What I can see from the list is,
15:44Murugan Ashwin is a leg-spinner there. Fabian Allen likes to basically bowl darts, really.
15:50And in fact, there is no… I think maybe Ronald Brevis can bowl a bit of leg-spin,
15:56that's about it.
15:57Yeah, and Markande, I don't know, he had played for them one season.
16:02Yes, he is also a spinner. So, the whole point is that they don't have quality spin. So,
16:08especially in Indian pitches, without a decent spin attack, you could be short-changed. So,
16:15how will it affect the Mumbai Indians prospects this season?
16:21Paper is definitely going to affect, because this Markande, if I recall correctly,
16:26is again a young leg-spinner. So, if one is a young leg-spinner, one has to be somewhat like
16:34Vishnoy to be able to make an impact. So, that kind of a customer is definitely lacking among
16:41the spin bowlers. What is happening, Shyam, is here I would like to bring in a third quantity
16:50here in Rajasthan Royals, who have got all the bases covered very nicely apart from them.
16:58And to some extent, maybe Delhi, all teams have these gaps. I feel that this
17:05resources were spread thin with two more teams. So, that's the intriguing part. I mean,
17:11we will have to see how Mumbai is performing in the first couple of matches. And then with
17:15this home crowd, they can make things happen if they hit the right rhythm. Because on reputation,
17:21yes, there is a problem. You are right.
17:23Sahil, just coming to you. Okay. Let's leave the spin part aside. Even otherwise,
17:29if you look at, they have lost Trent Boult and replaced with Tymel Mills. Tymel Mills is more of
17:37a death over bowler, really. And you have Riley Meredith. So, basically, their pace attack also,
17:44barring just Munamara, is not so great. So, how will that impact Mumbai's prospects this season?
17:53Oh, I mean, it's going to impact for sure. I mean, you guys are talking like, you know,
17:58like they don't have that world-class bowling unit like last season, like, you know,
18:01Bumrah Boult. I mean, Archer was bought, but he's not available this season. And if you see, yes,
18:06those big names are in there. And Mumbai, you know, when we saw in the auction recently,
18:12they were very casual. They were chilled out, you know. So, that's how they were this season. And
18:17I mean, we forgot one player mentioned, Daniel Sams, who I'm personally a big fan of, the Australian
18:22all-rounder, who's good at the ball and also very dangerous with the bat towards the end.
18:27So, I mean, they don't have that world-class squad, if you say, I mean, the top four who
18:32they retained other than them. Ishan Kishan is there. Tim David is a guy who I'm hoping will
18:39get to start for Mumbai Indians after the money they've spent. But yes, if you guys are saying,
18:43yes, that world-class squad in that bowling lineup, you don't see it, obviously.
18:48Absolutely, right. Because the batting is very strong, but they don't have bowling to match.
18:53And in a long-run tournament, we're spread over 58 days. Let's go to other teams.
19:01But the new teams, Anis, how do they look like? I mean, if you look at the players,
19:07Lucknow seems to have been better off than Gujarat Titans. What do you expect from both
19:12the teams this season? Like, you know what, we are talking about these new teams,
19:18whether it is Lucknow or the Gujarat. The only advantage they will have coming into this
19:24tournament is that all other teams have to make a new team. So, whenever you make a new team,
19:30it takes time for you to regroup as a team and be a force to reckon with. So, let's take an
19:38example of Lucknow. When you look at the coating, they have a solid batting lineup. Like KL Rahul,
19:43Marcus Stoinis. Then they have Krunal Pandey, Quinton Dickoff, Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey.
19:49These are the guys who I feel will straight walk into the squad. Then in the leggy, they have
19:54Ravi Vishnoy. Then Dushmant Chameera probably might be their foreign bowler, who I believe
19:59should be fit. Krishnapak Gautam, I am not sure whether the 10 crore player, ex-10 crore player
20:04will be paying. 10 crore cats. Yes. And again, their batting looks good. We will have to see
20:14how their bowlers turn up. Because when I look at the bowling attack, I am afraid,
20:19bearing Dushmant Chameera, I don't see. And Jason Holder to some extent. No quick bowler, again.
20:26Avesh Khan. Avesh Khan there for them?
20:30Yeah, Avesh Khan is there.
20:32Oh, yeah. Avesh Khan is a good pick.
20:35Yeah. But even… Yes, I pretty much agree there. Because there is no strike bowler there.
20:41Somebody who can really slice open the batting, that kind of line-up is not there. These are at
20:45best, guys who can sustain it. But beyond that, no. Not really. Maybe Jason Holder, that's about
20:52it. And Dushmant Chameera, we have to see much more of that. But yes, their batting really,
20:56really looks good. Zaheel, your thoughts on the new teams? Between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow,
21:04whom do you pick? I mean, whom do you favour?
21:08Gujarat Titans are also good. But I prefer Lucknow. I mean, I feel they have a good squad.
21:13I mean, you just said that their batting… I mean, they have a world-class batting line-up.
21:17Let's be honest. They have some beautiful players in their team. So, I am going to go with their
21:21team, obviously. But they lost one key bowler, Mark Wood, who we cannot forget, who was bought
21:26for a good price. He was a dangerous bowler, a quick pace. But they have replaced him with,
21:31I think, I don't know, Andrew Tai. Andrew Tai, if you remember, he was the Purple Cap winner in 2018.
21:39I mean, he is a good bowler. And I think they will be fine. So, that's nothing to worry about.
21:44They have a decent bowling line-up. Yes, again, no world-class name, you will see. But they should
21:49be fine. They have a good squad. Well done to them from the auction, for sure.
21:54Gautam, we have agreed on that Lucknow seems to have a better…
21:58is better of the two teams, simply because of Lucknow's top-order batting,
22:03including KL Rahul, Kindan Deekar, Manish Pandey, Marcus Toy and Deepak Hood and Kunal Pandey to
22:09follow. And a decent bowling line-up. Not the most incisive, but still good enough to hold their own.
22:16But when it comes to Gujarat Titans, the auctions didn't seem to work well for them,
22:23especially after Jason Roy withdrew. What do you think of that, Gautam?
22:28Yes, I mean, between these two teams, definitely Lucknow are better-poised. And why I rate Lucknow's
22:35chances higher is, you know, the presence of a guy called Gautam Kapoor. Gautam knows how to
22:42win an NBL and he's a very, very good tactician. So, they'll take the fight to the opposition camp.
22:49Same thing for Gujarat. Unfortunately, I can't say at this moment. But, you know,
22:56they're in a fair bit of holds. In their fast-bowling attack, they've got Mohammad Shami all right, but
23:02not enough firepower to back him up.
23:05Yeah, they've got Lockheed Ferguson is there, Rashid Khan is there. That's about it.
23:09Yes.
23:11Because beyond that, their bowlers are… Hadiq Pandya, we don't know whether he'll bowl.
23:16David Miller is there, all-rounder is there. We have Rahul Sehwag here.
23:21But still, nothing really, really impressive.
23:23I mean, Shyam, 15 crores, captaincy, a chance to revive your career. I mean,
23:30NCA has given him the clean sheet, but then NCA gives clean sheet to a lot of people. We'll have
23:36to see. He's pulling this for all of us.
23:41All right. It's okay. That's about the new players.
23:46Anish Bhai, do you see any new breakout players coming up from this? We can see a lot of youngsters
23:51in the squad. Some of them from the India U19 squads and some of the youngsters who haven't
23:56got chances with the other team are now actually getting a chance to be in the XI. So, do you see
24:02any breakout player coming from this edition? One player who is not young, but I am backing
24:09him this time is Sarfaraz Khan. You know, he has been in the form of his life. Okay, even though
24:14it was in the Ranji Trophy. But he has been scoring heaps of runs. And this is one player
24:19which I believe he is going to do very well for his franchise. Sahil, which franchise has been
24:22picked up by? Sarfaraz? I am a little… Delhi Capitals.
24:29Delhi Capitals. So, this is why I am talking about Sarfaraz Khan. One Delhi Capitals side
24:36on paper looks strong. And if this guy fires and gives them that quick finishing runs,
24:41they are going to be a force to reckon with. Because I remember seeing him in Dubai in the
24:47U19 World Cup. He has played in fact 2 U19 World Cup against Pakistan. And that game,
24:51he had shown the temperament. So, he has enough of experience. He has been playing cricket now
24:55for almost 7-8 years if I am not wrong. So, he has got enough of experience. Can he deliver
25:00now when it matters in the big time in the IPL? Only time will say. But I back him as
25:05the guy who will score heaps of runs this season.
25:09Sahil, your thoughts and any particular batsman or a player you are looking forward to
25:16for the match this season? Yeah, I am looking forward to seeing Tim
25:20David in the big stage now. This guy, he is all over the news. Big bash. And I am just hoping
25:25Mumbai starts him from the start. First game. I want Tim David. I mean… And also that other guy
25:33in Mumbai Indians, the baby AB. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Brevis. Deval Brevis. South African.
25:41Dangerous player. One of the most dangerous players I have seen.
25:43Yeah, they are calling him baby AB.
25:47All right. Gautam, you looking forward to seeing any particular
25:52player in action or whom do you think could be the breakout player of this season?
25:56Yeah, Shaman, number of them. Once again, Mitch Marsh is not exactly young. But I think
26:03this time in this Delhi setup, he may come in at either number three, which he has been doing
26:09for Australia or at number four. And he can be a complete package. A more than able replacement
26:16for Stratus in the Delhi team. Another guy I am looking, you know, we were speaking about the
26:21under-19 talent, Raj Bawa. If he gets to play for Punjab Kings, he can provide the x-factor
26:31with his batting and his bowling. These are the two. Certainly, I am looking forward to seeing
26:37all these youngsters in action because this is a huge stage for them. Before we head out and
26:45wind up and ask the inevitable question, any other questions or any other thoughts you have?
26:50You know, Shaman, this tournament is going to define how the Indian players come up. You know,
26:56there is a problem of the availability of a lot of foreign players, be it English or few Aussie
27:02players, a few South African players, whosoever are available, it's fine. But this tournament is
27:08going to give us a lot of new Indian players. Like you asked, who is going to be that Indian player?
27:13Today, we are making speculation whether it is Safraz or Raj Bawa, or we are talking about Team
27:18David. But I am looking forward to see some Indian player putting his hand up and making his case
27:23strong for the T20 World Cup, which is coming up in the six to eight months' time.
27:27Sahil, your final thoughts before we get to pick up the winner?
27:34I mean, I just I'm looking forward to this tournament, seeing new players, new teams. It's
27:38going to be a new experience. And also to prove that why IPL is a good experience for players to
27:44come and play. Gautam, what about you? Yes, I mean, there is a lot at stake for these new
27:54players. I mean, the field has just got so much bigger that this time there is really a chance. So
28:00yes, looking at the Indian players to make their mark, who have done well at the domestic level,
28:07under-19 level, that's the only expectation.
28:13Yeah, now the inevitable question. Who is your favourite or whom do you tip to win this year?
28:19Anil, let's start with you.
28:21Very honestly, there are two teams which I feel very strong on paper. Even though
28:26Gautam might beg to differ, he is gone for Arah. I would definitely go with Delhi and Punjab. But
28:31if I have to pick one, I'd back Delhi. Just because the way Rishabh Khan has come of age. Even though
28:37I know in the T20 format, he has not contributed so well. But he is a street-smart captain. I mean,
28:43whatever I have seen him, I feel he is… All wicket-keepers are generally street-smart,
28:47bearing K.L. Rahul. With due respect to K.L. Rahul, I back Rishabh Khan's captainship. He is
28:53a street-smart captain. Then he has the likes of Prithvi Shaw, who is not in the prime form.
28:58But the likes of Aksar Patel, Andrea Nocke, Shargul Thakur, like Gautam mentioned,
29:02Mitchell Marsh. When David Warner joins, they are a team. Mustafizur Rehman and then you have
29:07Kuldeep Yadav, you have Khalil Ahmed, Romwan Powell. I mean, these all guys straight walk
29:12into the team. I don't see any holes to be plugged in their team, to be very honest.
29:19All the players are available and not injured. They are a team to be beaten.
29:25Sahil, what's your pick? Because the new team, and no team is perfect. And every team has their
29:30advantages and a lot of disadvantages. Nothing. No team is perfect. No sure-shot winners. So,
29:36what is your pick?
29:38I mean, I'm going to go with Punjab Kings. I mean, I like this squad. And I don't know,
29:44I want to back some… He likes the CEO.
29:47And they have not even won once. I want them to win once at least.
29:52Even Delhi has not won, Sahil. Come on, give me a break.
29:55I don't like Delhi Capitals.
30:02Gautam, is it going to be KKR again?
30:07I mean, I'm finding it difficult to write off Mumbai completely. So, I will keep Mumbai. I
30:14mean, despite the holes in the team, because we have often seen that big names don't really
30:20win tournaments, but how you're chilling as a team does. But unless there is something
30:25completely unavoidable, like a boomerang breaking down or something, I'd like to keep Mumbai in the
30:30reckoning. And if we want a new champion, next to them, certainly Delhi. Because they know how
30:38is it to get close? How is it to play a final? I mean, where did they go wrong in the final?
30:44Like, it's Mumbai, it's the UAE. So, then my next choice would be Delhi.
30:49But you said RR for a reason.
30:52No, no, no. I said that RR has done their auction very well. I mean,
30:56they do have a very competent side. If they do well, very good. I mean, in Warnie's memory…
31:03You don't back them going to the distance?
31:06No, not really. Not really at this point. I mean, if they make it to the playoffs,
31:11it'll be brilliant.
31:13Shyam, your call.
31:14Yeah, my call. Actually, I backed… I actually picked Chennai Super Kings to win,
31:20simply because… But that was done before Chahar…
31:26Dhoni decided to step down.
31:27Yeah. That time, Chahar was not injured. Dhoni was still the captain. Now,
31:32Jadeja is the captain. A whole lot of things have changed. But I still will back the CSK,
31:38because like Gautam said earlier, they still retain the core of the players. But to me,
31:43more than that, the ethos of the team is very important. The DNA of the team is very,
31:49very impressive. They don't make any sudden changes. They don't chop and change players.
31:53And there is a huge… The team is built over a period of time,
32:03which is very, very impressive. So, given that, all teams are affected by the auction. In fact,
32:08all of the teams are unsettled. So, it will take time for each of the teams to settle down. And I
32:13think CSK is best placed to dominate that early phase. And I think once you hit the front running,
32:20I think CSK will be difficult to catch. So, CSK is my pick.
32:25So, with that, we will wrap up today's edition of Straight Bad. The IPL begins on March 26.
32:33Tune into gulfnews.com and all our social media channels for the latest updates and analysis
32:38and video chats and blogs. Please log on to gulfnews.com. Thank you very much.
32:44One thing I want to add is just that every day, we are going to have the Straight Bad.
32:51And every day, we are going to have a winner, two winners rather, winning that
32:56Gulf News and Mr Cricket kit, complete kit along with a cap, which is going to be the
33:00prize for guessing the winner. Yes, we have. Thanks for reminding me that.
33:06We have a competition also going up and more details you will see in the coming days on
33:11Gulf News newspaper as well as gulfnews.com. Thank you for tuning in. Bye.
33:16Bye.