"It's ShowTime!"- IPL 2024 captains pose for a group photo with the trophy
Captains of the 10 participating teams in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) posed together alongside the coveted trophy on Thursday, March 21.
IPL 2024 is all set to commence on Friday with a high-octane clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan was absent from the photoshoot today. Dhawan's deputy, Jitesh Sharma, attended on his behalf. Defending champions CSK also had a new representative this season as their newly appointed captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, made his first appearance as the official skipper of the franchise.
Pat Cummins and Shubman Gill will also make their captaincy debuts in the IPL, leading Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans, respectively, this season.
The Indian Premier League's official X handle gave fans a glimpse of the captains' photo shoot with the trophy by sharing a couple of pictures. They captioned the post:
"𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞! The #TATAIPL is here and WE are ready to ROCK & ROLL Presenting the 9 captains with PBKS being represented by vice-captain Jitesh Sharma."
"I won't be surprised if this is the team that posts the most 200-plus totals this season"- Aakash Chopra on MI ahead of IPL 2024
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra analyzed the Mumbai Indians (MI) squad ahead of the upcoming season and pointed out that they have a very strong batting line-up, along with wicket-taking pacers on the bowling front.
He predicted that MI might make the most 200+ totals in the coming season due to the presence of multiple destructive batters in their line-up.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said:
"What will be this team's strategy? It's very simple as they have wicket-taking fast bowlers and a lot of batters, all of whom are among the best. They are a team that can consistently score 200 runs. I won't be surprised if this is the team that posts the most 200-plus totals this season. They are a batting powerhouse and you expect to do well in all conditions with so many Indian batters."
He continued:
"Their biggest strength is that they have capped Indian players from top to bottom. Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla - all have played for India. It's incredible if you have so much experience."
Do you agree with Aakash Chopra's views above? Sound off in the comments section.