Ten years ago saw the launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL), cricket’s most controversial, cash rich, glamorous and divisive tournament.
The tournament is back for an 11th season, much to the delight of us Fantasy games’ lovers. Like last year, the tournament’s Fantasy game can be played via Fandromeda.
Rules
Here’s a quick look at the rules of the game:
1. Each team has exactly 11 players with a maximum of six players from a single IPL team.
2. Every team should consist of at least three batsmen, three bowlers, one keeper and an all-rounder.
3. You get to choose a batting star and a bowling star whose batting and bowling points will be doubled respectively. The same player can be both batting and bowling star.
4. There will be unlimited number of substitutions available before Match 1 and between stages. There will be 80 substitutions available during the group stage. A free substitution can be unlocked before every game by creating a team for the Daily 11s game. Details regarding this can be looked into in the website.
5. The points will be scored as per the rules of the organizers.
Key Players
Here is a brief analysis of the teams and their key players:
Mumbai Indians: The defending champions have managed to retain their core team, which has served them so well over the years. They are one of the favorites to win the tournament this year.
Key Players: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
Chennai Super Kings: Back after a two-year suspension, one of the most popular teams of IPL have managed to build a good squad in the last auction. The lack of proven quality in bowling could hurt them though.
Key Players: Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: This team contains some of the most prolific batsmen in international cricket at the moment. A lack of quality all-rounders and bowlers has hurt them over the past few seasons but they have tried to not repeat those mistakes in building their team this time.
Key Players: Virat Kohli, Ab De Villiers and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Kolkata Knight Riders: The three time champions have had a relatively bad auction this year and are already dealing with the loss of key player Mitchell Starc to injury. A lack of a proven leader also does not help their cause.
Key Players: Chris Lynn, Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Naraine.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: The youngest team in IPL have been dealt a body blow with the suspension of their charismatic leader David Warner, following the Australian’s involvement in the recent ball tampering scandal. Their batting is weakened without him. It also underlines the necessity of the other quality players to step up their game.
Key Players: Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan and Shikhar Dhawan.
Rajasthan Royals: Back in the IPL after a two-year suspension like Chennai, the Royals have spent big money in this year’s auction unlike before. They have managed to build a really good squad with players of proven quality forming the core of the team. However, they are another side to have a player caught up in the Australian ball tampering affair, with Steve Smith stepping down as captain.
Key Players: Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane and Jaydev Unadkat.
Kings XI Punjab: The most “under the radar” team of IPL have managed to build a decent squad this time around and added the much needed experience of Indian international players. This season could be much better than the ones they have had in recent times.
Key Players: R.Ashwin, KL Rahul and Axar Patel.
Delhi Daredevils: The most underperforming team of IPL look rejuvenated this season with the return of their former skipper Gautam Gambhir and the appointment of modern great Ricky Ponting as their head coach. The squad looks far better than the ones they have had in recent years and maybe this could be their year.
Key Players: Gautam Gambhir, Chris Morris and Shreyas Iyer.
