NEW DELHI: The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts on Friday, will be a wonderful opportunity of wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat to showcase his white-ball credentials, according to the former national selection committee chairman and India international MSK Prasad.
“Bharat is a Test cricketer and now he has an opportunity to showcase his talent in white-ball cricket. So, it [IPL 2023] will be a wonderful opportunity for him to do that,” Prasad said of the Andhra stumper, who made his Test debut in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
“He (Bharat) is there in a good franchise like Gujarat Titans, so, it’s a good opportunity for him to showcase his talent as a white-ball cricketer, too,” Prasad said.
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IPL 2023: The captains and their teams
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<p>Not many would have bet on Gujarat Titans winning the IPL title on debut. Now they are the most-marked team and opponents will try to exploit the chinks in their armour. </p>
<p>Hardik Pandya was a revelation in 2022 as skipper and batter. Titans will hope he carries on in that vein and takes even more bowling responsibility.</p>
<p>Having got rid of the image of ‘perennial underdogs’, last year’s runners-up Rajasthan Royals will be riding high on confidence, but will be under pressure to match last season’s performance. </p>
<p>Royals captain Sanju Samson has been associated with the team since 2013 and is now considered their batting mainstay.</p>
<p>Lucknow Super Giants finished third in 2022. Can they go one better this time? </p>
<p>Skipper KL Rahul, usually among the top run-scorers in the event, will again have a point to prove. </p>
<p>After a forgettable 2022, which saw them lose their first eight matches and finish at the bottom of the standings, Mumbai Indians will look to bounce back with a vengeance.<br /></p>
<p>Captain Rohit Sharma had a below-par 2022 but with the amount of experience under his belt, still remains Mumbai’s most potent batter and this will be the 10th season for Rohit as MI captain. </p>
<p>Chennai Super Kings splurged Rs 16 crore on Ben Stokes in the auctions, because MS Dhoni is likely to retire after this season. The future begins now for the franchise.</p>
<p>Eyes will once again be on the leadership skills of MS Dhoni leading experienced players who know what it is like to deliver on the big stage. </p>
<p>Perennial underachievers RCB will play six of their seven home matches in the first four weeks of the competition and Faf du Plessis and his men will be keen to cash in on the early home advantage.</p>
<p>Captain Faf du Plessis led from the front in the previous season and emerged the highest run-getter with 468 runs. </p>
<p>Delhi Capitals have been consistent enough in the last four editions under coach Ricky Ponting, but need that extra push under new captain David Warner. </p>
<p>Captain David Warner is one of the most prolific IPL batters and has the experience of leading an IPL team to the trophy. </p>
<p>Punjab Kings have never won the title and are prone to making wholesale changes after nearly every season. The last time they reached the playoffs was back in 2014. </p>
<p>Captain Shikhar Dhawan, known to keep his cool in crunch situations, is also the second highest run getter in IPL history. </p>
<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad have a new-look team with a new captain in Aiden Markram, who was player of the tournament in SAT20 and was part of the T20I in which South Africa chased down a record total set by the West Indies.</p>
<p>Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders grossly underperformed last season, finishing seventh. Can the new management deliver this time? </p>
<p>It remains to be seen whether the added responsibility of captaincy helps Nitish Rana’s batting. </p>
Bharat performed reasonably well in domestic cricket (in white ball), and Prasad said it is a chance for him to deliver again.
“See, now it is in his hands. So he has done reasonably well in domestic cricket, so in a few opportunities that he got for RCB, he did well. So, this is a wonderful opportunity for him to again deliver in white-ball cricket and put himself in a strong position,” he added.
Bharat was drafted into the Test XI after the flamboyant Rishabh Pant was unavailable after being injured in a horrific road mishap late last year.
Speaking about this year’s IPL beginning on Friday, Prasad, a Star Sports Telugu commentator, said defending champions Gujarat Titans would be expected to do well though they face a tough challenge.
He also said he expected the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings to bounce back strongly after a poor run in the 2022 edition.
“Gujarat because it is a young side, it has got a very good balance and it is led by a good captain also. CSK will come back very strong this time. Why, because they have had one of the worst seasons last year. So, they will come back strong and you never know, there are a lot of rumours that this could be Mahi’s (Dhoni’s) last year or something like that.
“So they will come with two times more vigour and more energy, to give a fitting tribute to what MS has done in the IPL and CSK.”
He also said Lucknow Super Giants are a good side and Sunrisers Hyderabad have done a good job by making Aiden Markram the captain and bringing in Mayank Agarwal.
The former stumper said it would be difficult to predict the winner of this year’s IPL.
He further said it was good that the tournament was returning to the home and away format.
Asked how much of an impact would the absence of Pant have on Delhi Capitals, Prasad said, “See, generally he is the captain of the side so there will be many plans that are built around him, and there are so many things that happen.
“They’ll definitely miss Rishabh Pant, but having said that, you will still have David Warner, and in a way, it may be a blessing in disguise with David Warner, who has already won a title for Sunrisers Hyderabad leading the side,” he signed off.
(With inputs from PTI)
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