IPL 2019: Will we see a new champion this year?
Out of the 8 teams competing in IPL 2019, only three haven't tasted victory in the 11-year history of the cricket extravaganza. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and the newly christened Delhi Capitals (previously Delhi Daredevils) are the only teams yet to take the final leap of glory.
Will 2019 be the year one of them emerges out of the shadows and takes the tournament by storm?
That might be difficult. Let's analyze which of the teams will likely find it difficult to go all the way this year, and who just might succeed:
#1 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
The perennial underachievers of the league, RCB have made it to 3 finals but have been unable to cross the final hurdle. The last two years have been horrid for the team, as they have failed to make the playoffs.
Always a batting heavy lineup, the bowling has been a major chink in RCB's armour - and this year might again prove to be their downfall.
RCB managed to strengthen their middle order by adding the likes of the explosive Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Shivam Dube along with the retention of Colin de Grandhomme and Washington Sundar. But what they lack is a quality death bowler and a bowling attack that can contain the opposition.
While Nathan Coulter-Nile is a welcome addition to the team, his performance in the recently concluded Australian tour of India has not been promising.
The onus of the spin bowling will be on Yuzvendra Chahal, and his performance might make or break the team's chances. Even if they do solve the bowling issues though, they seem likely to reach the playoffs at best - going all the way might be a challenge too steep for the team at the moment.
#2 Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)
The Priety Zinta owned outfit have peaked at times - like when they reached the finals in 2014 - but their overall performance has been mediocre at best. While they looked in tremendous touch last year, their mid-season slump made their playoffs dream unachievable.
With a new captain in Ravichandran Ashwin and explosive openers in the form of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, KXIP have a top order to die for. But their middle order looks so shaky that every game will hinge on the openers' performance.
While they splurged on Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu, and Sam Curran, the English fast bowler, their bowling also looks bleak in comparison to others'.
The overall balance of the team is not up to the mark, and KXIP will likely again find themselves struggling to book a playoffs berth this year.
#3 Delhi Capitals (DC)
While the other two teams on the list do not have a balanced squad to play with, this year's Delhi Capitals are the new kids on the block with an entirely new-looking, balanced squad. They would like to rewrite their history as one of the least successful teams in the history of the league.
The addition of Shikar Dhawan will be a huge boost to their lineup. And with the services of the young guns, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant, their batting lineup looks solid on paper.
All-rounders like Chris Morris and Axar Patel also add stability to their middle order.
The fast bowling department, with the likes of Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada, is complete. But the absence of quality spinners might hurt them.
Still, this team looks stronger on paper than the previous Delhi franchise teams, and with Ricky Ponting's inputs as the coach, can go till the playoffs. Will they cross the final hurdle? They just might, and we could finally have a new IPL champion.
