How the teams square up

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

Strengths: The defending IPL champions have managed to hold on to eight of the players that did duty for them in the first three editions.

Their familiarity with each other, and the relative lack of need for rebuilding that other franchises will have to undergo, will stand them in exceptional stead, particularly in the momentum-setting early stages of the competition. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s mercurial batting and leadership skills, embellished by the World Cup success, should provide them the perfect fillip.

Weaknesses: Not too many, to be sure. There is a strong domestic presence as well, and their late loss of Doug Bollinger, the Australian left-arm paceman, has been offset by the inclusion of Tim Southeee.

The team, however, might be a touch light on bowling, necessitating the strong and destructive batting line-up to play above itself time after time as they seek to retain the title.

Key players: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Strengths: The presence of some high on confidence players like Virat Kohli and Zaheer Khan could help the Bangalore outfit grab the IPL crown that eluded them narrowly in the past two editions.
Then there are some hard-hitters like Saurabh Tiwary, Tillakaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers adding meat to the batting line-up.
In Dirk Nannes, they have a canny left-arm pacer while Sri Lankan Nuwan Pradeep, with an action similar to Lasith Malinga, could provide the X-factor with skipper and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori being a calming presence on the field.

Weaknesses: There are not too many obvious flaws. But hielding could be the Achilles heel of RCB. Apart from Kohli, Tiwary, Dilshan and Mohammad Kaif, there are no brilliant fielders in the side and it will take a few hard sessions with coach Ray Jennings to fine tune that area.

Key players: Daniel Vettori, Virat Kohli, Zaheer Khan.

Rajasthan Royals

Strengths:: The presence of the wily Shane Warne could be their biggest asset. Combine that street-smartness of Warne with the pragmatism of Rahul Dravid, you’ll have a heady and perhaps a winningmanagement combination of two of the sharpest brains in the business.
Add to that mix the explosiveness of Shane Watson and Ross Taylor and the result is a formidable unit that is very much capable of repeating their fairytale run in the inaugural edition.

Weaknesses: Their bowling wears a thin look with only Shaun Tait a genuine threat to the batsmen.
The likes of Deepak Chahar, Pankaj Singh and Siddharth Trivedi cannot exactly be counted on to rock a batting unit despite their good efforts in the last domestic season.
Warne might be captain fantastic but it remains to be seen how much magic is left in the wrists of this ageing Australian warrior.

Key players: Ross Taylor, Rahul Dravid, Shane Warne.

Kochi Tuskers Kerala

Strengths: The debutant in the IPL has a good batting line-up comprising skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Brendon McCullum, Ravindra Jadeja and Parthiv Patel as all four are capable of turning it on on their day.
Their bowling too looks strong with legendary Muttiah Muralitharan, mercurial S Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh and R Vinay Kumar, John Hastings filling the line-up.
It might not carry an explosive look, but the Kochi bowling attack certainly has a high skill level in it.

Weaknesses: The lack of form of some of the top players like McCullum -- the Kiwi had a modest run in the 2011 World Cup -- and Jadeja could hurt the side. There are fitness concerns over Muralitharan as he struggled with a hamstring niggle in the World Cup and it’s yet to be ascertained how far the offie has recovered from the injury. Apart from Patel and Jadeja, Kochi has no local talent worth mentioning.

Key players: Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Brendon McCullum.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Strengths:: A batting line-up that consists of Yusuf Pathan and skipper Gautam Gambhir can put the fear of God in any bowling attack. Eoin Morgan lends a touch of class to the middle-order while Jacques Kallis’ immense presence will be felt in the top-order and bowling. They have got two fine all-rounders in Bangladesh skipper Shakib al Hasan and Netherlandss Ryan ten Doeschate, who made quite an impression in the World Cup. In the bowling department as well, Kolkata looks a pretty good unit with Brett Lee leading the charge.

Weaknesses: Over-confidence and complacency. Such a strong line-up with no obvious flaws can make a team the pre-tournament favourite, also instilling those two dangerous elements in it. Then there will also be pressure on them to erase the tag of also-rans in the previous three editions. So, they will have to guard against pressure and prepare to meet the high expectations of passionate Kolkata fans.

Key players: Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis. 

Kings XI Punjab

Strengths:After a season in which on-field mediocrity and off-field controversies harrowed them no end, Kings XI are all set for the fourth edition of the IPL with a totally new-look team.

They have an inspirational skipper in Adam Gilchrist, who could still ruin bowlers’ reputations, and a hard-working coach in Michael Bevan.

They also have a good T20 outfit with Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla, Ryan Harris, Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, Stuart Broad and Dinesh Kaarthick forming the nucleus.
Weaknesses: There are injury concerns over Marsh, Praveen, who unfortunately missed the World Cup with a hand injury, and Broad, who had to fly out of the World Cup with an untimely injury, and the Punjab outfit will be wary about the trio.

If they are not available then pressure on Gilchrist, Hussey and Kaarthick for quick runs will double, with a hectic schedule in front.

Key players: Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey, Dinesh Kaarthick.

MUMBAI INDIANS

Strengths: Like the Super Kings, last year’s runners-up retained the maximum allowed four players. Rejuvenated after ending the World Cup duck, Sachin Tendulkar will be determined to give shape to his captaincy skills as well. In Kieron Pollard, they have the most explosive ball-striker, while the acquisition of Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma will add to their batting might and flexibility, and Lasith Malinga’s toe-crushers that brought him such tremendous success in the World Cup is a weapon Tendulkar can rely on day after day.

Weaknesses: Tactical analyses. Mumbai Indians’ repeated insistence that Pollard can’t play the turning ball perhaps cost them the final last year against the Super Kings, while they must guard against the potential for Symonds and Rohit, team-mates at Deccan Chargers, to slacken on the park and focus on off-field activities.

Key players: Sachin Tendulkar, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga.

SAHARA PUNE WARRIORS

Strengths:  As explosive a batting line-up as any in the competition, with World Cup Player of the Tournament to lead the debutants’ challenge and the exciting young Karnataka duo of Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey to complement the experience and expertise of Graeme Smith and Jesse Ryder. In Murali Kartik and Nathan McCullum, they have two outstanding spin-bowling exponents of the T20 game, and Yuvraj will lead a brilliant fielding side.

Weaknesses:  The loss through injuries of Ashish Nehra and Angelo Mathews has left the team fairly short on medium-pace bowling resources, though in Jerome Taylor and young Wayne Parnell, they have attack of both pace and guile. Yuvraj will be hard pressed to decide which of the four overseas players he wants to field. Furthermore, Pandey will miss the first four matches after being slapped with a ban by the BCCI.

Key players: Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Murali Kartik.

DECCAN CHARGERS

Strengths: In Kumar Sangakkara, the Chargers have one of the most cerebral skippers of the tournament, the wicketkeeper-batsman a like-for-like replacement for Adam Gilchrist who took them to the title in IPL II in South Africa. Between them, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra form a potent bowling combination, while the Chargers have judiciously chosen their Indian talent, even if the team doesn’t look as formidable as in the previous years.

Weaknesses: Sangakkara apart, the batting looks a little short on class and quality. Cameron White and Jean-Paul Duminy have not been among the runs, and the Chargers took a huge punt by spending a substantial amount on largely untested Australian Daniel Christian. They will need to play out of their skins to push the bigger, better equipped and more powerful boys after losing key performers Gilchrist, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds and RP Singh in one go.

Key players: Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Jean-Paul Duminy.

DELHI DAREDEVILS

Strengths: Aptly named so, the Daredevils will be heavily reliant on Virender Sehwag to set the tone. Sehwag is back in the helm after having ceded the captaincy duties to Gautam Gambhir last year, and will bank heavily on David Warner and Andrew McDonald, a few of the survivors from the earlier editions, to steer the ship. Morne Morkel, the express Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav formidable a formidable pace bowling unit but the team is a little light on spin.

Weaknesses: The departure of Daniel Vettori, Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers and Dirk Nannes, all to Royal Challengers Bangalore, as well of Dinesh Kaarthick and Gautam Gambhir, among others, has left Sehwag needing to start the rebuilding process from scratch, so to say. The Daredevils made a high-risk buy by dishing out almost $2 million on Irfan Pathan, who has hardly played competitively for the last year and may or may not be available for the entire campaign.

Key players: Virender Sehwag, David Warner, Morne Morkel.