Can MI win their sixth IPL title or will Jos Buttler do for RR what he did for England? A SWOT analysis of Group A teams

Moneycontrol.com does a SWOT analysis of each of the 10 participating teams. The five teams of Group A are analysed here.

MUMBAI INDIANS

Strengths: The five-time champions know how to win titles. They have bounced back from poor starts and gone on to win the finals. Led ably by one of the legends of T20, Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians, except in 2008 and 2022, finished among the top five in the league table in all the other 13 previous editions. They have power hitters right at the top, starting with Ishan Kishan and Sharma, and bat deep with a mix of young foreign and Indian talent. They also have a full set of bowlers with varying skills, both pace and spin.

Weaknesses: The absence due to injury of Jasprit Bumrah will hit MI hard. Aussie pacer Jhye Richardson also missing because of a hamstring injury is a double blow for MI. As has been seen in the past, they hit a rough patch and go through a series of defeats, making it difficult to head to the play-offs. And, by the time they start winning, it is too late to meet the qualifying mark for the play-offs.

Opportunities: Acquiring Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for Rs 17.50 crore and the return to action of England pacer Jofra Archer, who missed the whole of IPL 2022 due to a stress fracture in his back after being purchased for Rs 8 crore, gives a winning opportunity for MI. Add to that, the extended opportunities given to young players like Tilak Verma and Dewald Brewis showing their worth last year and will continue to do so this year too.

Threats: When the MI top order gets going, they are a threat to many opposition teams. When they go down, especially in away matches, they find it hard to bounce back. Suryakumar Yadav is a renowned batsman in the T20 format and was given chances in the Tests and ODIs. However, his last three ODI innings, each time falling to a first-ball ducks, are the kinds of uncertainties that MI face. These should not be a major worry.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

Strengths: When it comes to experienced T20 players, few can match Kolkata Knight Riders. Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, Tim Southee, Shardul Thakur, David Wiese, Umesh Yadav and Nitish Rana bring immense experience and have seen the ups and downs of the demanding league. Add to it the expertise available in the form of multiple Ranji Trophy-winning coach Chandrakant Pandit and former India bowling coach Bharat Arun, and KKR are a strong contender for their third title.

Weaknesses: A hamstring injury has ruled New Zealand paceman Lockie Ferguson out of this year’s IPL. The participation of their original captain Shreyas Iyer, because of a lower back injury, is in doubt. The delayed participation of Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das due to international commitments could upset KKR’s start to the campaign.

Opportunities: Shreyas Iyer’s doubtful participation throws opens the door to a new captain, new ideas and perhaps change in fortunes after having last won the second of their two titles in 2014. Nitish Rana has been named captain in Iyer’s absence with the franchise stating, “we feel fortunate that Nitish, with the captaincy experience of having led his state side (Delhi) in white ball cricket and the IPL experience he has had with KKR since 2018, will do a great job.”

Threats: Their strengths could also be their weakness in the sense the opposition teams are familiar with what the likes of Russell, Shakib, Narine, Shakib, Southee and Thakur are capable of doing. The opposition teams are better prepared for that, what with computer data providing all the information they need about the players. However, the presence of a shrewd Pandit in the coaching staff could throw some new tricks at the opposition.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS

Strengths: RR has one of the most dangerous batting outfits in the IPL, right from their captain Jos Buttler, who led England to the T20 World Cup win last November, to Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal and T20 specialist Shimron Hetmyer. The batting makes up for the shortcomings in their bowling department. Buttler was the Orange Cap winner with four centuries and accumulating in excess of 800 runs last year. Familiar conditions and Buttler will be ready to go after the bowlers once again.

Weaknesses: A huge blow already before the start of the tournament in the form of lanky seamer Prasidh Krishna. His 19 wickets last season was one of the reasons why RR reached the final. His unavailability this year due to back injury and the subsequent surgery has weakened the RR’s bowling department.

Opportunities: This IPL throws open a great opportunity for Sanju Samson to put in a strong and consistent performance, and make a comeback into the Indian team by the sheer weight of runs. This also is a chance for top Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa to prove his worth as a T20 bowler. The naming of Sandeep Sharma, a veteran of 104 matches (114 wickets) in 10 IPL seasons, as Krishna’s replacement is a great opportunity for the Punjab bowler.

Threats: Rajasthan Royals were in brilliant form in the league phase so much that they finished in the top two and gained direct entry into the final by winning the first qualifier. However, they faltered in the final hurdle to debutants Gujarat Titans. There was over-dependence on Jos Buttler to do the scoring, be it while setting a target or chasing it. Buttler could be under pressure if the other batsmen don’t provide him the necessary support.

DELHI CAPITALS

Strengths: Rishabh Pant gave a good account of himself as a skipper in 2022. His absence this year due to multiple injuries from a car accident last year-end has paved the way for Australia’s David Warner to take over as captain. Warner is experienced not only as a T20 batsman but also as a captain, having led Sunrisers Hyderabad to a title victory in 2016. The presence of the wise heads of former internationals of repute in the form of Sourav Ganguly as director of cricket, Ricky Ponting as head coach, Shane Watson, Ajit Agarkar and Pravin Amre as assistant coaches give the required strength to DC in the absence of Pant.

Weaknesses: They have been highly inconsistent throughout the IPL history, occupying all positions from second to 10th, their best show being a runner-up finish in 2020. If their batting has been strong, their bowling has not complemented it, and vice-versa. DC would be hoping that the absence of Pant does not bite them hard this year.

Opportunities: This year once again provides an opportunity for the Australian deadly duo of Warner and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh to provide the fireworks at the top of the order. They have done it in the past for Australia and DC, and if they get going this year consistently, Pant’s absence will hardly be felt. Upcoming batsman Yash Dhull could also make a mark and this could be his IPL debut season. The newly named West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell has shown how dangerous he can be, sending the ball out of the ground consistently with his power hitting.

Threats: Axar Patel’s all-round performance will dictate the way DC is heading. Patel, who can whack the ball far, has been in fine form with the bat during the recent Australia Test series. He has shown in recent white ball cricket how he can change the course of the game and also play some match-winning knocks. Add to it, four tidy overs with wickets to boot. The major threat is if he fails to get going, it affects the team’s balance. The same is the case with opener Prithvi Shaw. When he fires, DC are off to a great start. When he doesn’t, the onus falls on Warner to anchor the innings.

LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS

Strengths: In their maiden appearance in IPL last year, LSG were one of the two new teams that made it to the play-offs. However, they finished fourth, losing in the Eliminator. They have an all-round side, with youth and experience. They will take into the tournament the confidence of having done well in their debut participation in this league and look to get better.

Weaknesses: The left-arm medium-pacer from Uttar Pradesh, Mohsin Khan, was one of the finds of IPL 2022, picking up 14 wickets from nine matches. However, LSG will be without Mohsin for a major part, if not the whole season, as he has undergone shoulder surgery to remove blood clots.

Opportunities: There can be no better opportunity for captain KL Rahul than this IPL to prove his worth. An attractive batsman who also doubles as a wicketkeeper, providing more options to his side, Rahul has been under fire of late and his place in the Test side was questioned. Players in the past have used IPL to cement their India places in all the formats and this could be the time for Rahul to do so. He has not let captaincy burden affect him as he was the second highest run-getter (616 runs with two centuries) last year behind RR’s Jos Buttler.

Threats: While the presence of players like big-hitting Nicholas Pooran, acquired for Rs 16 crore, and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi can be encouraging as they are rare cricketers with extraordinary skills, their inconsistency can be a bane. Pooran has not translated his potential into runs in the past, often throwing his wicket away in search of hitting sixes from the first delivery. Having control over the delivery is a leg-spinner’s greatest challenge. While Bishnoi has been good in the past, even picking up wickets and taking some outstanding catches, not being able to land the ball in the right spot can mean runs galore for the opposition. Bishnoi must be wary of that.