The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) burst into action with a clash between defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on 22 March.
In the ensuing days, fans were treated to many thrilling encounters and instances of individual brilliance, ranging from Virat Kohli's comeback to Riyan Parag's resurgence.
With a week having swiftly passed and all of the 10 franchises having unfurled their flags in their season openers, let us analyse the hits and misses from the first week:
The Hits
Virat Kohli's 77 On Return
Currently, Virat Kohli is the second-highest run-scorer of the league.
Image: PTI
Ahead of the 2024 IPL season, Virat Kohli took a hiatus to prioritise spending time with his family, as he welcomed his second child. Upon his return, RCB's initial game saw Kohli's bat speak in whispers, tallying a modest 21 runs off 20 balls.
However, in their subsequent showdown against Punjab Kings, Kohli flexed his muscles, delivering a scintillating performance by notching 77 runs off 49 balls. His innings, embellished with 11 fours and two sixes, boasted a striking strike rate of over 157 against a formidable bowling attack featuring the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, and Sam Curran.
Amid rumours of the Indian team management considering not including him in the T20 World Cup squad, Kohli made a bold statement by saying “I know my name is now attached to just promoting the game in different parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. But I've still got it I guess.”
New Captain, but Same Old CSK
So far, CSK has won both their matches in IPL 2024.
Image: BCCI
On the eve of their IPL campaign opener, Chennai Super Kings unveiled a momentous shift – the passing of the captaincy baton from MS Dhoni to Ruturaj Gaikwad. This announcement bore both the bitter tang of farewell and the sweet anticipation of new beginnings. As the dust settled after two exhilarating clashes, fans can heave a collective sigh of relief, know that the change in captaincy has not resulted in a subsequent change in their style of cricket.
The additions of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman and New Zealand's dynamic all-rounder Rachin Ravindra have significantly strengthened Chennai's squad. Mustafizur is currently the tournament's leading wicket-taker with six scalps to his credit, while Ravindra's explosive batting display has seen him scoring 83 runs in two matches at a strike rate of 237.14.
SRH's Explosive Avatar
Against MI, SRH eclipsed RCB's record of the highest runs scored by a team in the history of IPL by slamming 277 runs.
Image: BCCI
Led by ICC Cricket World Cup-winning skipper Pat Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad have so far stood out for their sheer entertainment quotient. Heinrich Klaasen, the Protean powerhouse, unleashed a display of sheer dominance in his team's first outing, orchestrating a scintillating 29-ball-63, though it came in a losing cause. Klaasen's encore in SRH's second showdown against MI saw him wreak havoc on the opposition bowlers, culminating in an unbeaten 80 off a mere 34 deliveries.
But the spotlight didn't solely shine on Klaasen. Emerging from the homegrown talent pool is the explosive Abhishek Sharma, whose knock against MI etched his name in IPL annals as the batter to score the fastest fifty for SRH – in just 16 deliveries. In that match, Hyderabad recorded the highest score in IPL – 277 runs.
Riyan Parag's Resurgence
Riyan Parag slammed 84 runs off 45 balls against Delhi Capitals on Thursday, 28 March.
Image: PTI
After a few underwhelming campaigns, Riyan Parag has finally silenced skeptics and repaid the faith that Rajasthan Royals have shown in him over the years. Against Delhi Capitals, the right-handed batter scored 84 runs off just 45 balls, adorned with six maximums and seven boundaries, at a blistering strike rate exceeding 185.
This resurgence wasn't unforeseen, as Parag had already hinted at his return to form in RR's season opener against Lucknow Super Giants, where he was elevated up the batting order and showcased his talent with a quickfire 29-ball-43, embellished with three sixes and a boundary.
Misses
Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy Blunders
Hardik replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians' captain ahead of the 2024 IPL.
Image: PTI
Hardik Pandya has taken criticism in his stride – mostly unsolicited – since becoming Mumbai Indians' skipper. However, his on-field decisions as the leader has triggered a barrage of questions. With the world-class Jasprit Bumrah at his disposal, Pandya's decision to open the bowling against Gujarat Titans backfired, conceding 11 runs in the first over and leaking 30 runs in his 3-over spell.
As the SRH batters wreaked havoc in MI's second match, Pandya's decision-making came under scrutiny once again. Bumrah's introduction was delayed until the 4th over, and remarkably, the ace pacer was kept waiting until the 13th over before being handed the ball again, despite the Hyderabad batters tearing into Mumbai's bowling attack.
Maxwell’s Whispering Bat
Maxwell was dismissed on a golden duck in RCB's campaign opener.
Image: PTI
Coming off his dazzling performance in the ODI World Cup, Glenn Maxwell arrived at the 2024 IPL with enormous expectations. However, the Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder's journey in the IPL has begun on a somber note.
In their season opener, Maxwell endured the ignominy of a golden duck, followed by a meagre contribution of 3 runs off 5 balls in the clash against Punjab Kings.
Harshal Patel’s Expensive Outings
Harshal Patel has been PBKS' most expensive bowler thus far.
Image: PTI
Speedster Harshal Patel has been donning Punjab Kings’ colours this IPL season, but his performances have not justified his price tag of Rs 11.75 crore. Despite the Shikhar Dhawan-led outfit emerging victorious in their campaign opener against DC, Patel's bowling display was not particularly impressive, conceding a hefty 47 runs in his four-over spell.
In his team’s next clash against his former team RCB, Harshal's woes continued, as he returned with underwhelming figures of 1/45.
Delhi Capitals' Shaky Start
Delhi Capitals have lost both their encounters, so far.
Image: BCCI
In a déjà vu of the previous season, Delhi Capitals have found themselves stumbling at the start of an IPL campaign once again. Under the helm of Rishabh Pant, the Capitals have tasted bitter defeat twice in succession. The first setback came at the hands of Punjab Kings, where their bowlers faltered in defending a target of 175 runs. In their outing against Rajasthan Royals, the Capitals' batsmen fell short by 12 runs in the chase of 186 runs.
Glaring weaknesses in the batting department are now evident. Skipper Rishabh Pant, in his much-anticipated return to the fold, is yet to hit his stride in the tournament, albeit he might require a few matches to find his rhythm. On the bowling front, the Capitals have been plagued by inconsistency.
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