Indian T20 League 2023: Top 3 contenders to win the league

The 16th edition of the Indian T20 League is set to start from March 31 as MS Dhoni-led Chennai is set to face Hardik Pandya led-Gujarat Giants. Hardik Pandya and co will look to get a good start to defend their title as there are too many teams who are capable of grabbing home the trophy. With some new rules and regulations like ‘Impact Player’ and changes in playing conditions, every team has the potential to win the tournament. However, ahead of the cash-rich tournament today we will discuss the top three contenders for the trophy this year.

3. Bangalore

Bangalore (Source: Twitter)

Faf du Plessis led-Bangalore will continue their hunt for a maiden title in the upcoming edition of the Indian T20 League. The star-studded team is the only one to qualify for the playoffs in the last three seasons. The team will look to improve their performance and get the glory for the first time. Although, Bangalore has been known for its batting strengths and they are going with the same this year too.

Having Virat Kohli, Glen Maxwell, Faf, Rajat Patidar, and Dinesh Karthik in the team Bangalore looks sorted with the batting department. Talking about bowling Bangalore will have the services of Harshal Patel, Josh Hazelwood, Wanindu Hasranga, and Shabaz Ahmed. All of these players are performing for their respective domestic and international teams.

One more thing which is going in favor of Bangalore is the red-hot form of former India skipper Virat Kohli. Kohli has been phenomenal since Asia Cup 2022 as he has hammered more than 1500 runs after the tournament. Meanwhile, young guns like Himanshu Sharma can also make an impact as they can be used in a few games.

2. Chennai

Chennai (Source: Twitter)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai is one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Indian T20 League. four-time title winners will look to win their fifth title to give an ideal farewell to their skipper. Chennai has some of the greatest all-rounders in their team and that allows them to experiment with their playing xi.

England Test skipper Ben Stokes, Moen Ali, and star India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja will be representing them. All of them are amazing as Jadeja destroyed Australia in the recently concluded Test series while Stokes also hammered some amazing runs during England’s foreign.

Chennai also has some of the best bowlers with them. Kyle Jemminson and Mahesh Theekshana have proved themselves in recent times and will be leading Chennai’s bowling department. Meanwhile, Chennai has also roped in some amazing stars of domestic cricket. Ajay Mandal who has been phenomenal in domestics for Karnataka has been bought by the team. Ajay along with Mukesh Chaudhary and Prashant Solanki can play a big role for Chennai.

1. Hyderabad

Hyderabad (Source: Twitter)

Going with a fully new avatar Hyderabad is the biggest contender for winning this year’s Indian T20 League. After releasing almost every player from their previous squad Hyderabad built a steady squad during the mini-auction this year. South Africa superstar Aiden Markram is set to lead the team after having a successful run with Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

Under his leadership, the team won the inaugural edition of the SA20 tournament. Meanwhile having a great batting core will also help them to clinch a title after six years. Having Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Markram, Harry Brook, and Abhishek Sharma in the top order they look destructive in the batting department.

Notably, Hyderabad has one of the deadliest pace attacks in their squad. They will get the services of Marco Janesan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natrajan, Karthik Tyagi, and Fazal Farooqi. All of these bowlers had enjoyed their recent times with the bowl.

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