CAN MUMBAI MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW?

What unites Real Madrid, Chicago Bulls and the Australian men’s cricket team? They have all won the most important competition they have participated in for (at least) three consecutive times. There is no precedent for a hat-trick of wins in the IPL, though with CSK coming closest to a treble before losing out in the final of 2012. As things stand, however, Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians look primed to turn the tide of history and claim their third title on the trot and their sixth overall, come May 30. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav should come up trumps with the bat during the middle overs, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard should provide characteristically explosive finishes, and Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah should rattle opposition batsmen either side of the innings. The only potential weaknesses: the lack of a frontline spinner barring Piyush Chawla and the form of skipper Rohit, who has taken his time to get going in the past few editions of the IPL.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni with daughter Ziva have left us with such cute IPL frames

WILL 2021 BE MSD’S LAST DANCE IN YELLOW?

2020 was a forgettable year for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings. Not only did the three-time champions fail to qualify for the play-offs for the first time in their history, but their usually reliable Thalaiva endured a woeful season himself. Last year saw Dhoni register his lowest tally of runs and sixes in a single IPL season, with not a single man of the match award coming his way. It is not lost on the whistle podu army that Dhoni has not played a competitive match since, and while nobody would expect the most decorated Indian captain of all time to be underprepared, it will be intriguing to see how Mahi adapts his game to suit his ageing body. The return of Suresh Raina should take some of the batting load off MSD’s shoulders, while the likes of Sam Curran, Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja will be pivotal if their skipper’s potential swansong in the competition is to end in the familiar sight of glory.

Virat Kohli

CAN THE BIG SHOW CHANGE BANGALORE’S FORTUNES?

For most of the previous editions of the IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore have been a collection of individuals rather than a cohesive unit with properly delineated roles for each member. With their over-reliance on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers leading to their undoing in previous years, the signing of Glenn Maxwell, the “Big Show”, is bound to raise hopes of a third pillar of runs in 2021. Maxwell has not always saved his best for the IPL ever since he took the tournament by storm in the UAE in 2014. But donning new colours and playing alongside two of the greatest batsmen of the modern generation might just bring out the best in the somewhat beleaguered Australian. With ball in hand, RCB also have cause for optimism: the pace and power of Kyle Jamieson along with the guile of established match-winner Yuzvendra Chahal.

Will KKR’s 12th Knight Shah Rukh Khan do an encore? #CalcuttaHasHerFingersCrossed

WHO WILL PROVIDE THE X-FACTOR FOR KOLKATA?

Two-time winners and most people’s second favourite team, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), did some shrewd business at the 2021 auction. The arrivals of Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting and Shakib Al Hasan are among a string of new recruits that should liven up a team that has looked rather jaded during key moments in recent seasons. In terms of pure talent, few outfits can match the KKR core of Shubman Gill, Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, and Pat Cummins; but with the exception of Ferguson, none of them came to the party last year. Perennial slow-starters in the IPL, KKR would expect to be in the run-in come the latter stages, but once there they have to find the X factor that took them over the line in 2012 and 2014.

Chris Morris

CAN MORRIS BE THE MAGIC MAN FOR RAJASTHAN?

Gone are the days when Rajasthan Royals would be seen as a parsimonious franchise that preferred nurturing young talent to splashing the cash on high-profile stalwarts. Shelling out Rs 16.25 crore for Chris Morris at the 2021 auction was a statement of intent from RR, who have barked without biting in recent seasons. Morris’s track record with bat and ball, especially in the slog overs, is good enough to counter the narrative that RR overpaid for his services. But the 2008 champions must provide a strong support system for Morris to thrive if they are to emulate their heroic feats from the inaugural instalment of the IPL. This will obviously be harder to do in the absence of strike bowler Jofra Archer, who is unlikely to play any part whatsoever in the entire campaign. But with names like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Andrew Tye, and David Miller (where are the Indian superstars, though?), RR cannot be ruled out, even if there may be holes to plug, with the squad balance not looking impeccable right now.

Kagiso Rabada

WILL RABADA SPEARHEAD DELHI TO AN ELUSIVE TRIUMPH?

The overwhelming favourite for the Purple Cap, 25-year-old Kagiso Rabada is at the peak of his powers, mastering his effectiveness at the death, during which he has picked up more wickets than any other IPL bowler over the last two editions. The South African speedster was instrumental for the Delhi Capitals last year as they reached a maiden final, only to be outshone on the grandest stage of them all. If DC are to go one step farther in 2021, Rabada must not only retain his wicket-taking regularity, but also come up clutch when the team needs him the most. A rejuvenated Ravichandran Ashwin and a resurgent Shikhar Dhawan will lend DC plenty of momentum, at least to begin with. Thereafter, a lot depends on how Rabada is complemented by his teammates and how well Rishabh Pant, installed into the captaincy hot seat after an injury to Shreyas Iyer, deploys his trump card.

Dawid Malan

CAN PUNJAB REFASHION THEMSELVES ONCE MORE?

Arguably the most enigmatic team in the history of the IPL, the rechristened Punjab Kings must get rid of their old baggage of losing their nerve at crucial junctures if they are to make an impact this season. Starting every year with loads of promise before fizzling out into one of the also-rans has become a syndrome for Punjab. As proceedings get underway, their strengths remain the mercurial firepower of their leading men — KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Chris Jordan, and the big-ticket acquisition, Dawid Malan. Their weaknesses are also largely unchanged — an inability to stop losing once a couple of defeats begin to mount, coupled with an unenviable self-destructive streak. But all that could change overnight if the Kings can win a few close contests, proving that they have refashioned themselves away from being the chokers they have long seemed to be.

Daid Warner

WILL SUNRISERS EXTEND THEIR QUIET IMPRESSIVENESS?

Perhaps the team with the least fanfare in the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad have made it a habit to assemble a harmonious squad that is generally a shoo-in for the play-offs year in and year out. There is nothing to suggest that 2021 will be any different, as SRH seek to repeat the patterns and combinations that have made them the second most consistent team in recent seasons, behind only the Mumbai Indians. At the top, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow will be hungry for runs, while the unmistakable duo of Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar should seal the deal with the ball. What remains uncertain from an SRH point of view is the dependability of their Indian batting talent, led by Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, and Kedar Jadhav. Given their struggles to accelerate after the powerplay, the answer to this question may well chart out the course of results awaiting SRH this season.