Indian Premier League 2015: Squad-wise Analysis of Franchises: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 season is just a few days away. The auctions for this IPL was held on February 16th 2015 in which all the franchisees picked the players available for sale. Yuvraj Singh for the second time in a row became the highest grossing player, as he was bought by Delhi Dardevils (DD) for 16 crore INR.

This IPL will also feature some new players and all together new squads for franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Indian domestic league will commence on 8th of April 2015.

The IPL will be one of the most watched tournaments by cricket fans since it will closely follow the World Cup 2015 which concludes on 29th March 2015. So we bring to you a preview of the Indian Premier League 2015 with an analysis on each of the 8 IPL teams, their squads, their strengths and the weaknesses.

(P.S: the highlighted players are brought by the franchisee in the IPL 2015 auction.)

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD (SRH):

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/SRH-Sunrisers-Hyderabad.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14593" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/SRH-Sunrisers-Hyderabad.jpg" alt="A team that was comprised from the defunct Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers Kerela performed wonderfully in their debut season in 2013. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="398" height="292" sizes="(max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14593" class="wp-caption-text">A team that was comprised from the defunct Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers Kerela performed wonderfully in their debut season in 2013. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

A team that was comprised from the defunct Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers Kerela performed wonderfully in their debut season in 2013. They reached the final four and even played in the Champions League T20. But 2014 proved to be a very disappointing year for the SRH franchise as they failed to qualify for the play-offs and had to be contented with a below par performance. This time in the auctions held in February though, they invested wisely letting keys players like Amit Mishra go but gaining players like Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan and Kane Williamson for a steal.

In a recent development , SRH had to let Kevin Pietersen out of his IPL contract because he wished to play in the English County Cricket in an attempt to rekindle his England career. He will come back and be available for selection if the team makes it to the playoffs stage later in the IPL 8.

They have potentially a match winning bowling attack with bowlers like Dale Steyn, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Trent Boult, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar and Moises Henriques who can swing the ball, have speed and have the ability to bowl out the best of the opposition. Their batting is also of the highest level with Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Naman Ojha, Morgan and Williamson in their ranks.

No spin option other than Karn Sharma. They let go Amit Mishra hoping to buy him back in the auction, but Delhi beat them to it with a higher bid. This leaves their spin department with only one experienced spinner in Karn Sharma.

SRH have got some good buys in this year’s auction and will be raring to go and they have the batting power that makes them a serious title contenders.

SRH Squad for IPL 2015: Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Reddy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chama Milind, Dale Steyn, David Warner, Ishant Sharma, Karn Sharma, KL Rahul, Moises Henriques, Naman Ojha, Parvez Rasool, Ricky Bhui,Eoin Morgan, Kane Williamson, Ravi Bopara, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Praveen Kumar, Trent Boult, Hanuma Vihari, Prasanth Padmanabhan, Siddarth Kaul (Kevin Pietersen will be available for selection if the team reaches playoffs stage)

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/DD-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14594" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/DD-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="A team that has been changing every year since its inception. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="384" height="268" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14594" class="wp-caption-text">A team that has been changing every year since its inception. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

A team that has been changing every year since its inception. Unlike other teams that have a core squad maintained, DD have gone through changes every single season. This year too they retained just 11 players from a squad of 25.

They have the guidance of India&#8217;s 2011 World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten. He will certainly bring a fresh outlook this time along with the new players that they have bought in the auction. The other plus point for the Delhi Daredevils is the acquisition of some quality all-rounders in Yuvraj Singh, Albie Morkel and Angelo Mathews who can be their leader and captain. Delhi have also acquired 2 of the best leg spinners in business today in Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir.

Too many new faces in the team means they have to do a lot on bonding in very less time. That means their chances of working as a team will be very tough. The other weak point is there is no back up spinners or any off spinners in the team to compliment and back Tahir and Mishra.

DD have made major changes in their team this year in hopes of better returns and avoiding the wooden spoon this year. Let’s hope their hope of new beginning and a better result turn true.

DD Squad for IPL 2015: JP Duminy, Kedar Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Quinton De Kock, Saurabh Tiwary, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mayank Agarwal, Imran Tahir, Jayant Yadav, Angelo Mathews, Yuvraj Singh, Amit Mishra, Jaydev Unadkat, Gurinder Sandhu, Shreyas Iyer, CM Gautam, Dominic Muthuswamy, Albie Morkel, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Kona Srikar Bharat, KK Jiyaz, Zaheer Khan

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/KXIP-Kings-Punjab.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14595" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/KXIP-Kings-Punjab.jpg" alt="A team that surprised everyone with their renewed vigour and aggressive brand of cricket (Photo Source: BCCI) " width="399" height="342" sizes="(max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14595" class="wp-caption-text">A team that surprised everyone with their renewed vigour and aggressive brand of cricket (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

A team that surprised everyone with their renewed vigour and aggressive brand of cricket, Kings XI Punjab didn’t buy many players since they have retained most of them. They did buy another opening batsman in Murali Vijay to replace the outgoing Mandeep Singh.

Strong performance last year means they have wonderful confidence going into this year’s tournament. Their batting is one of the best only matched by probably the Chennai Super Kings. Virender Sehwag, Glen Mexwell, George Bailey, David Miller, Shaun Marsh, Thisara Perera and last year’s centurion in the final Saha they have one the best batting line-ups. Their strongest suit is the captaincy of the ever cool George Bailey. He handles every situation with ice like coldness.

Lack of quality all-rounders to support Maxwell and Perera. They also have no other spinner and fast bowler in squad to back Axar Patel and Mitchell Johnson.

Kings XI Punjab will definitely replicate their success of previous year and this time go one better and win the title.

KXIP Squad for IPL 2015: Axar Patel, Anureet Singh, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karanveer Singh, Manan Vora, Mitchell Johnson, Parvinder Awana, Rishi Dhawan, Sandeep Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Shaun Marsh, Shivam Sharma, Thisara Perera, Virender Sehwag, Wriddhiman Saha, Murali Vijay, Nikhil Naik, Yogesh Golwalkar

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/MI-Mumbai-Indians.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14596" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/MI-Mumbai-Indians.jpg" alt="A team that has made the last four in every IPL season, Mumbai Indians are one the most consistent teams in the tournament. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="397" height="282" sizes="(max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14596" class="wp-caption-text">A team that has made the last four in every IPL season, Mumbai Indians are one the most consistent teams in the tournament. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

A team that has made the last four in every IPL season, Mumbai Indians are one the most consistent teams in the tournament. One time IPL winners and one time Champions League title holders, MI have retained their core players in Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Lasith Malinga, Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard. They did buy some very good players to replace some that they didn’t have and have finally got specialist players instead of players filling in.

Their strength has been their core of the team which has been with the franchise for years. Plus they have a good crop of quality Indian players in R Vinay Kumar, Harbhajan, Parthiv Patel and Rohit Sharma. Add the foreign power of Kieron Pollard, Marchant de Lange, Aiden Blizzard, Corey Anderson and Mitchell McClenaghan you have one the best and exciting squads in IPL. Their other strong points are the support staff in the dugout. With legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Anil Kumble and Jonty Rhodes as their coaches and mentors, MI cannot afford to put a foot wrong going forward in the IPL this year.

Inability to hold their nerves in crunch situations and handling the pressure. They have lost matches before due to nerves getting better of them in crucial situations.

Mumbai should be able to get into the last four and even go into the finals if they can overcome nervousness and handle pressure in a better way.

MI Squad for IPL 2015: Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Keiron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Marchant de Lange, Pawan Suyal, Shreyas Gopal, Lendl Simmons, Unmukt Chand, R Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Aaron Finch, Pragyan Ojha, Mitchell McClenaghan, Akshay Wakhare, Aiden Blizzard, Hardik Pandya, Siddhesh Lad, J Suchith, Nitish Rana, Abhimanyu Mithun RAJASTHAN ROYALS (RR)

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/RR-Rajasthan-Royals.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14597" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/RR-Rajasthan-Royals.jpg" alt="Apart from winning the first season and making it to the last 4 in the previous season, Rajasthan have done nothing much of notice. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="390" height="295" sizes="(max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14597" class="wp-caption-text">Apart from winning the first season and making it to the last 4 in the previous season, Rajasthan have done nothing much of notice. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Apart from winning the first season and making it to the last 4 in the previous season, Rajasthan have done nothing much of notice. They are the perennial underdogs of the IPL in every season. They are also like the factory to supply future great stars. They also got the nod of the Supreme Court of India to play in this season after their owner Raj Kundra was found guilty of betting in IPL matches.

RR Strong points: They play like a team and don’t have any individual players who tend to shine. If a Steven Smith wins a game for them one day, then a 43-year-old leg spinner Pravin Tambe does it for them the next day and then it’s some other player who shines. After the retirement of Rahul Dravid, Shane Watson leads the team now. The other strong point is their ability to surprise the teams with their strategies. The team facing them can expect one or two surprises that only Rajasthan can come up with. Also their medium pacers and slow ball bowlers give them tremendous advantage on the slow Indian pitches.

Only one spinner in the team. If Pravin Tambe gets injured, there is no experience in their team to replace him. Also the form of their Captain Shane Watson has been a concern, but he knows how to overcome that.

Rajasthan Royals can go a long way in the tournament as they have potential and learn to seize the moment in tense situations.

RR Squad for IPL 2015: Shane Watson, Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ankit Nagendra Sharma, Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dishant Yagnik, James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Karun Nair, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Tewatia, Rajat Bhatia, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Stuart Binny, Tim Southee, Vikramjeet Malik, Chris Morris, Juan Theron, Barinder Singh Saran, Dinesh Salunkhe, Sagar Trivedi, Pardeep Sahu

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (RCB)

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/RCB-Royal-Challengers-Bangalore.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14598" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/RCB-Royal-Challengers-Bangalore.jpg" alt="RCB have got some very good players, a great captain, best bowlers but the only thing they miss is an IPL title to their name. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="388" height="289" sizes="(max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14598" class="wp-caption-text">RCB have got some very good players, a great captain, best bowlers but the only thing they miss is an IPL title to their name. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The biggest spenders in this year’s auction, RCB have got some very good players, a great captain, best bowlers but the only thing they miss is an IPL title to their name. They have played 2 finals but have no titles in their cabinet. The only word that comes to the mind for RCB is underachievers.

They have 3 of the best batsmen in world cricket in AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. Now they have added Dinesh Karthik, Rilee Rossouw to their collection as well. With the leadership quality that Virat Kohli possesses, the hunger to win the title and the passion he has for the game, RCB are in the best hands possible hands.

RCB has one of the most weak bowling attacks in this IPL. They will rely on Indian pacers to provide support to Mitchell Starc and Sean Abbott while there is no other experienced spinner to partner Yuzvendra Chahal in the spin department.

This time RCB can go all the way to winning the title if they play their cards correctly and play to their strength, which is batting.

RCB Squad for IPL 2015: Virat Kohli, AB de Villers, Chris Gayle, Mitchell Starc, Nic Maddinson, Varun Aaron, Yuzvendra Singh Chahal, Rilee Rossouw, Vijay Zol, Yogesh Takawale, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Ashok Dinda, Sandeep Warrier, Manvinder Bisla, Iqbal Abdullah, Dinesh Karthik, Subramaniam Badrinath, Darren Sammy, Sean Abbott, Adam Milne, David Wiese, Jalaj Saxena, Sarfaraz Naushad Khan, Shishir Bhavane CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (CSK)

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/CSK-Chennai-Super-Kings.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14599" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/CSK-Chennai-Super-Kings.jpg" alt="The best team of IPL in all the seasons, CSK has won the IPL 2 times and has reached the final four every year since the inception of the tournament in 2008. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="400" height="268" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14599" class="wp-caption-text">The best team of IPL in all the seasons, CSK has won the IPL 2 times and has reached the final four every year since the inception of the tournament in 2008. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The best team of IPL in all the seasons, CSK has won the IPL 2 times and has reached the final four every year since the inception of the tournament in 2008. They are also the only team to win the titles 2 years in a row. CSK also have been amidst controversy since their team has been a source of conflict for their owner Indian Cements and N. Srinivasan.

CSK’s biggest strength is their captain MS Dhoni and his trust in his players. He has one of the most calmest brains in cricket and the shortest format of cricket gives him freedom to experiment and innovate with his bowlers and field. CSK also have the experience in their squad whether it is India team experience or international experience. They also have the most balanced sides in the IPL with perfect backups for the players playing in the XI.

CSK’s only weak point is how much they get affected by off-field problems and their dependence on Indian players. The IPL begins just after the World Cup and fatigue could be one of the most important reasons that could affect the performances of the players in IPL which has a packed schedule.

CSK are the favourites to win the title like always and will definitely make the final four. Very well could be title number three for them.

CSK Squad for IPL 2015: MS Dhoni, Ashish Nehra, Baba Aparajith, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ishwar Pandey, Matt Henry, Mithun Manhas, Mohit Sharma, Pawan Negi, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Samuel Badree, Suresh Raina, Ronit More, Michael Hussey, Rahul Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Irfan Pathan, Pratyush Singh, Ankush Bains, Eklavya Dwivedi, Andrew Tye.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (KKR)

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/03/KKR-Kolkata-Knight-Riders.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-14600" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/KKR-Kolkata-Knight-Riders.jpg" alt="KKR are the defending champions and has won the tournament twice. (Photo Source: BCCI)" width="401" height="275" sizes="(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14600" class="wp-caption-text">KKR are the defending champions and has won the tournament twice. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

KKR are the defending champions and has won the tournament twice. They are also the most profitable franchise in the IPL history and after 3 horrendous initial years, KKR changed their fortunes with changes in team, leadership and support staff. KKR brought in some big and important names who have provided them the winning edge.

KKR’s strongest point is the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. He is a no-nonsense captain who believes in leading from the front with facing the problems head on. Gambhir had a horrendous start to his IPL season last year with 3 ducks in 3 matches, but fought back to win matches for his team. KKR has invested in some lesser known but talented players who will give support to the big names and are capable of winning matches on their own. KKR also has one of the best spin attack in Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Kuldeep Yadav and Brad Hogg. KKR also has players like Robin Uthappa, Ryan ten Doeschate, Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan who are proven match winners who are capable of single-handedly winning matches from any situation.

KKR has too many multi-utility players in their squad which is good if they need runs in some overs, but can prove fatal if they are left to play for themselves without a proper batsman to guide them. KKR also has issues with getting good starts in IPL. They always begin with losing matches in the beginning picking up pace in middle of the tournament. But now with them defending their titles, they need to start on a winning note and keep the pressure on the opponents and dominate the tournament.

Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders are definitely capable of defending their IPL title and will give it their all to become a three-time champions.

KKR Squad for IPL 2015: Gautam Gambhir, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Kuldeep Yadav, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Morne Morkel, Patrick Cummins, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Veer Pratap Singh, Yusuf Pathan, James Neesham, Brad Hogg, Aditya Garhwal, Sumit Narwal, KC Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Sheldon Jackson

(*All Information Updated till 23rd march 2015)

Quick Link : <a title="Watch: Pepsi IPL 2015 teasers are here ‘Aaraha hai India ka Tyonhar’" href="http://www.crictracker.com/watch-pepsi-ipl-2015-teasers-are-here-aaraha-hai-india-ka-tyonhar/" target="_blank">Watch: Pepsi IPL 2015 teasers are here ‘Aaraha hai India ka Tyonhar’</a>

A team that was comprised from the defunct Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers Kerela performed wonderfully in their debut season in 2013. (Photo Source: BCCI)

Indian Premier League 2015: Squad-wise Analysis of Franchises

Indian Premier League 2015: Squad-wise Analysis of Franchises: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 season is just a few days away. The auctions for this IPL was held on February 16th 2015 in which all the franchisees picked the players available for sale. Yuvraj Singh for the second time in a row became the highest grossing player, as he was bought by Delhi Dardevils (DD) for 16 crore INR.