IPL 16 predictions

Indian Premier League preview

74 matches. 18 doubleheaders. 12 venues. 10 teams. Over 180 of the world’s best T20 cricket players. Everything about the 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is huge and explosive.

The tournament begins on March 31, 2023, but the surprises have already shocked teams.

Apart from Gujarat Titans, every single team has had to make a late injury consideration. Some players will just bat instead of bowling and batting, others were minor scares, but some injuries have forced teams to go back to the drawing board.

These changes have certainly shaken things up ahead of the first round of matches, and now some games that were easily predictable on paper have become far more interesting.

That isn’t the only shake up either. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have made some rule changes, including a five-run penalty for unfair fielder movements, and the ability to name teams after the toss.

Two rule changes have drawn controversy too. Teams will be able to review wides and no-ball calls using the Decision Review System (DRS) – a tool that will likely hinder the pace of the game and provide little value.

A new “Impact Player” rule allows each team to use one substitute player during a match.

This is a controversial rule that could see tight bowling “rewarded” by the opposition swapping out their poor performing batsman for a pinch hitter, or a player more suited to the current conditions of the game.

Gujarat Titans (GT) vs. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

GT	CSK
52.39%	47.61%

The IPL season kicks off with the reigning champions Gujarat Titans facing off against four time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings.

Gujarat Titans triumphed over Chennai on both occasions during their winning season last year. However, they were hardly dominant victories, with both matches going down to the wire – GT chased down CSK with less than one over to spare in each match.

The Super Kings have several left handers that could be used to provide some variety to counter the likes of Rashid Khan and Hardik Pandya. They boast plenty of star power this year with the addition of England’s Ben Stokes to replace Dwayne Bravo, and MS Dhoni seems hell-bent on never retiring.

Gujarat have managed to retain most of what would could be considered their core squad from last year. Shubman Gill is in outstanding form, averaging 40.40 with the bat this year, and scored 126* in his last innings.

However, GT do rely on both Gill and Pandya, and if CSK can knock them off early, with some hit-and-miss talent like Matthew Wade and Wriddhiman Saha, GT could struggle.

Chennai is full of batsman that like to clear the boundary, and they boast one of the best spinners in IPL history in Moeen Ali.

If CSK manage to snag those early wickets, they certainly have the batting depth to seal the deal.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

SRH	RR
TBC	TBC

The Sunrisers were one of the weaker bowling sides in IPL 2022, and they weren’t overachievers with the bat either.

SRH players won both the Orange and Purple Caps

They struggled to take advantage of Power Plays – their Power Play average of 42.1 was last in the league – and with 5.88 balls per boundary, they struggled to maintain any pressure too.

SRH have looked to England to solve their woes, signing Adil Rashid to sort out their lack of spin, and Harry Brook, who belted 205 runs in five matches in the 2022 T20 Blast competition at home.

Rajasthan Royals were runners up last year, and they still boast some of the biggest international-level talent in the league.

Jos Buttler won the Orange Cap last year with 863 runs including 4 tons, and he still averages 37 this year on the international scene.

The likes of paceman Trent Boult and leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal are big threats with the ball – Chahal also took home the Purple Cap in 2022.

SRH will be without Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, and even skipper Aiden Markram for the first match. The Royals would have to make some woeful decisions to not dominate the severely disadvantaged Sunrisers.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) vs. Mumbai Indians (MI)

RCB	MI
TBC	TBC

Could 2023 be the year we finally see the debut of Arjun Tendulkar?

The son of the “Little Master” has been a Mumbai Indian since 2021, but still hasn’t seen action. He was injured in 2021, and didn’t get a run in 2022 even though the side finished last.

The Mumbai Indians were the worst team last year, and their woes have only increased. They’ve lost both paceman Jasprit Bumrah and Jhye Richardson, and Jofra Archer is returning from injury, but hasn’t been seen in the IPL since 2020.

Royal Challengers Bangalore have mostly retained the same squad that saw them finish fourth in the previous season, and despite never winning an IPL title, this is a seriously experienced team.

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Harshal Patel are among the greatest IPL players in history. The side also has a significant amount of experienced overseas talent with Glenn Maxwell, David Willey, and Josh Hazlewood.

Mumbai only managed four wins last year, but two of those were against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

RCB have all the tools they need to beat the Mumbai Indians. Kohli has regained T20 form, and is currently the highest run scorer across all formats in international cricket since the 2022 Asia Cup.

Glenn Maxwell is RCB’s rock. He can chase, he can set totals. If Maxwell gets going after a solid start from Kohli and Faf du Plessis, we could see a massive total.

Get ready for the biggest cricket tournament of the year. Sign up, inform your predictions, and bet with outstanding cricket odds at Pinnacle. Be sure to check back as we’ll have even more IPL 16 predictions throughout the season.