TATA IPL 2023: Predicted Openers Of All 10 Teams. IPL 2023 mini auction got over on 23rd December 2022 at Kochi. It was an action-packed event which was heavily dominated by the all-rounders, who were in huge demand. English all-rounder Sam Curran, created a new record and became the most expensive player in IPL history.
The all-rounder was bought by Punjab Kings with a topmost bid of INR 18.50 Crore. Also, Cameron Green and Ben Stokes earned huge amounts after being bought by Mumbai Indians for a whopping INR 17.50 Crore and Chennai Super Kings for 16.25 Crore respectively.
Nicholas Pooran became the costliest wicket-keeper after he was scalped by LSG for Rs 16 crore. The intriguing mind games and the highly intense bidding wars were just glimpses of the upcoming action-packed TATA IPL 2023. Overall, the 10 teams combined spent 167 crores in total for 80 players.
Openers Will Be The Key
Openors, especially in the t20 format play a vital role for every team. They have the responsibility of giving a good and attacking start at the top. Every franchise invests a considerable amount to get some quality openers in their squad.
This time also, there were quite a few faces who can be probable openers for their teams in the upcoming season of IPL. Given below are the predicted openers for all the 10 franchises in IPL 2023:
TATA IPL 2023: Predicted Openers Of All 10 Teams
Punjab Kings- Shikhar Dhawan and Johny Bairstow
Shikhar Dhawan and Johny Bairstow will be seen opening for Punjab Kings in the upcoming IPL. Dhawan has been a very successful opener over the years for different franchises. He although does not play too attacking cricket, but can be the second fiddle to Johny Bairstow. These two combinations can prove to be the best bet for Punjab Kings.
Shikhar Dhawan in 206 matches, has scored 6244 runs, at an average of 35 and strike-rate of 126.4. Whereas, his partner Johny Bairstow, in 39 games has accumulated 1291 runs, at an average of 36 and a healthy strike rate of 143.
Sunrisers Hyderabad- Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma
Mayank Agarwal was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2023. He will most likely be one of the openers for SRH. Mayank in 113 matches, has scored 2327 runs at an average of 23 and strike-rate of 134. To give him company, SRH will bank on the form of Abhishek Sharam.
He was the highest run-scorer in the previous season for the franchise. Overall, Abhishek Sharma has played 36 matches and has piled up 667 runs at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 135.
Lucknow Super Giants- Quinton de kock and KL Rahul
Quinton de kock had a fabulous outing in 2022 for LSG. He opened the innings alongside KL Rahul and was instrumental in giving good starts to the innings. de Kock was the second-highest run-getter for LSG in IPL 2022, scoring 508 runs in 15 innings. He will give company to KL Rahul, who will obviously be the first-choice opener for the franchise.
KL Rahul will be looking to regain his form before the start of IPL 2023. He takes time to settle, but once he does, we all know his capabilities with the bat.
Mumbai Indians- Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan
Mumbai Indians had a horrible outing last season. One of the main causes was the inconsistent form of Rohit Sharma. But, given the vast experience and ability with the bat, Rohit Sharma will still be one of the openers for MI. In 227 matches, Rohit has scored 5879 runs, at an average of 30 and a strike rate of 130.
His partner will be young Ishan Kishan. He was the highest run scorer for MI in the previous season and will be looking to improve his performance.
Rajasthan Royals- Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal
Jos Buttler was simply outstanding in IPL 2022. The orange cap holder amazed everyone with his consistent performance. He scored 863 runs in 17 innings. To give him company at the top, RR can send Yashashvi Jaiswal.
Although he had a quiet IPL last season, he is still a valuable player at the top and can play the second fiddle to Buttler. Yashasvi Jaiswal in 23 matches has till now scored 547 runs at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 135.
Also Read: IPL Auction 2023: Full List Of Sold Players PDF Download
Kolkata Knight Riders- Venkatesh Iyer and Litton Das
Kolkata Knight riders did not have a settled opening pair last season, which proved to be catastrophic for them. In IPL 2023, the management can try the pair of Venkatesh Iyer and Litton Das. Both these players are valuable to the team, given their ability to play fearless cricket.
Litton Das was brought at his base prize of Rs 50 lakh in the IPL 2023 mini-auction. 2022 was a good year for Litton in the t20 format, as he was the second-highest run-scorer after Babar Azam. Venkatesh Iyer will be expected to provide a rocking start for the team.
Royal Challengers Bangalore- Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis
As far as RCB is concerned, they have a settled opening combination of Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis. After stepping down from the captaincy, Kohli has improved his batting. His old Midas touch has come back again. Kohli will be eager to provide a good start to the innings alongside the skipper Faf Du Plessis.
If the pair fires, RCB’s job will be half done. Virat Kohli, the run machine has scored 6624 runs in 223 innings, while Du Plessis, in 116 matches has accumulated 3403 runs.
Gujarat Titans- Shubhman Gill and Matthew Wade
The defending champions will try the combination of Shubhman Gill and Matthew Wade in IPL 2023. Gill has been consistent over the years playing for different IPL teams. In the previous IPL edition, he scored 483 runs for the team at the top of the order in 17 innings. His form will be a key factor for GT in this season.
The team management can try Matthew Wade as the second-opening batter alongside Shubhman Gill. Wade likes to express himself with the bat and the right-left hand combination can be the perfect option for the franchise.
Chennai Super Kings- Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad with his form and temperament is the perfect option for the opening position for CSK. The right-handed batter has improved his batting by leaps and bounds in the last 3 seasons. He has scored 1207 runs at an average of 38 and a strike-rate 131 in 36 matches for CSK.
To give him company, they have Devon Conway. The left-handed batsmen like to score runs freely from the word go. Both these players complement each other and can be the ideal opening pair for CSK in IPL 2023.
Delhi Capitals- David Warner and Prithvi Shaw
Among all the 10 teams, Delhi Capitals have the most destructive opening pair. David Warner and Prithvi Shaw are two batters, who on any given day can win the match single-handedly for DC. Warner with his mammoth experience is the ideal partner for Prithvi Shaw who likes to hit every ball out of the park.
Both these batters have strike-rate of close to 150 in IPL, which speaks volumes about their dominance. If both of them get going, DC will be hard to restrict.
