Delhi Capitals
■ Strengths
The Capitals have a blockbuster top order that can run away with matches if not checked. There is Prithvi Shaw and captain David Warner to start with and then Mitchell Marsh will follow. Marsh, in terrific form, can also be asked to start the innings as he recently did for Australia. Whatever is the order, the trio pose immense threat to opposition bowlers. They all are known to score at lightning speed. Shaw will probably be the hungriest of the three as he would like to prove a point or two to the national selectors, who have ignored him despite rich domestic form. Warner though needs to regain his old touch. He has looked a little circumspect of late. But Marsh, if he carries his international form into the IPL, can be an asset for the Ricky Ponting-coached team.
■ Weaknesses
The absence of Rishabh Pant may haunt the Capitals. Besides being the captain and keeper of the side, Pant was also a very dependable batter in the middle-order and could also play the role of a finisher. If the likes of Manish Pandey and Sarfaraz Khan can’t deliver in the middle, the Capitals will not have too many options to explore. West Indian Rovman Powell will probably be used as a finisher and while he possesses immense power, he lacks consistency. Phil Salt can don the big gloves.
■ X-factor
If fit, Mitchell Marsh is a dream player for any team, any format. In fact, there are few all-rounders better than him in contemporary cricket. Across formats, Marsh has five half-centuries, including a hundred, in his last 10 matches. That sums up his current form with the bat. Though he doesn’t bowl much nowadays, he is a pretty useful seamer, more so in the shortest format of the game. With no Pant in the side, Australian Marsh can be the punch that the Capitals need to strike fear in the opposition ranks.
■ Key signings
Manish Pandey, Rilee Rossouw, Ishant Sharma, Phil Salt, Mukesh Kumar
■ Last year: Fifth
■ Best finish: Runners-up (2020)
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Virat Kohli. File photo
■ Strengths
The Royal Challengers Bangalore have one of the most dynamic batting line-ups at this year’s IPL. They have the class of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, they have a clean hitter in Dinesh Karthik, they have an innovator like Glenn Maxwell and an exciting talent in Finn Allen. There’s also Rajat Patidar, who had made excellent use of the chances he got last season. To pepper that with a good all-rounder who can bat really well, they have Shahbaz Ahmed. It will be unfortunate if RCB struggle with their batting this time. Faf, who is also the captain, and Kohli will obviously be the pillars of RCB’s batting. It will be interesting to see if Kohli can call upon his murderous touch at this IPL. Remember how he decimated Pakistan at the T20 World Cup last year?
■ Weaknesses
RCB look a little thin in their spin department. Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz will probably be their first-choice spinners. Michael Bracewell can be one, but the conditions will be a bit new to him. RCB will hope that their superior pace attack, which has the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Josh Hazlewood and the promising Akash Deep can cover-up for their spinners if the need arises.
■ X-factor
RCB will like to believe that it will be Kohli who can be their X-factor. Not that Kohli has been in rousing form of late, but the 34-year-old these days comes across as a very mature personality, who is in charge of his emotions. That is something new for the usually-volatile Kohli. There has never been any question about Kohli’s class — he is one of the all-time greats — but now he seems to be a better version of himself mentally. RCB have never won the IPL and Kohli will be hungry. A deadly combination.
■ Key signings
Reece Topley, Michael Bracewell
■ Last year: Fourth
■ Best finish: Runners-up (2009, 2011, 2016)
