Arjun
Cricketer Of The Year
It's a little way off, but there's no harm in speculating, with the transfer window open.
Chennai- Some of the bowlers in their unit may be traded for the likes of Dale Steyn, Lasith Malinga and Umar Gul. They will stick with Hayden, Hussey, Morkel and Muralitharan, but they are in need of better (Superking?) quality bowlers.
Hyderabad- Wooden Spooners of the series, but they're still likely to carry on to the next edition of IPL- unless there's a relegation on the cards. Some of their 'ultra-explosive' batsmen may get traded for quality bowlers. On their way out may be Afridi and Styris. One move that will be out of hand will be a change of home ground for the Deccan Chargers.
Bangalore- A name change is possible- maybe Force XI Bangalore. Forceful, and uncontroversial. One of Hyderabad's explosive batsmen may walk in easily, with Kallis, Chanderpaul and Jaffer on their way out. A bigger role for Arun Kumar may be on the cards, as also a homecoming for Uthappa. Kallis may be headed for Kolkata, if they are still active.
Kolkata- The Knight Riders may disband, such is their state. Several demoralising defeats, as well as enough controversies suggesting bad group dynamics. We don't know where they are headed, especially when Shah Rukh Khan, their owner, said he'd consider other options if he can't get enough money.
Delhi- Shopping for middle-order batsmen? Maybe Kaif from Jaipur will add some strength to the middle. They may swap Asif for a more reliable bowler, but they would do themselves a lot of good by getting back (Tyagi, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma) players from Delhi and catchment. With England players likely to step in, Flintoff will be a hot pick for the Daredevils and Maharoof may be on the Outbox.
Jaipur- The Royals may carry on unchanged, although a more versatile bowler than Munaf will be useful. They will have to keep Watson and Yusuf Pathan in their own team, with other teams trying hard to get him.
Mohali- Strauss ready for IPL? Maybe here, though getting ahead of Shaun Marsh will be tough. In fact, making the Mohali team will be tough, with nobody likely to head for the exit.
Mumbai- This team seems just right. No change needed. They need to guard against other teams lining up for Dwayne Bravo, Sanath and Pollock. Uthappa, though, will be on his way out, though what happens with Harbhajan is a mystery. They've let Rohit Sharma slip to Hyderabad, so they need to get him back, but will the Chargers oblige? They too may be in line for a name change.
Chennai- Some of the bowlers in their unit may be traded for the likes of Dale Steyn, Lasith Malinga and Umar Gul. They will stick with Hayden, Hussey, Morkel and Muralitharan, but they are in need of better (Superking?) quality bowlers.
Hyderabad- Wooden Spooners of the series, but they're still likely to carry on to the next edition of IPL- unless there's a relegation on the cards. Some of their 'ultra-explosive' batsmen may get traded for quality bowlers. On their way out may be Afridi and Styris. One move that will be out of hand will be a change of home ground for the Deccan Chargers.
Bangalore- A name change is possible- maybe Force XI Bangalore. Forceful, and uncontroversial. One of Hyderabad's explosive batsmen may walk in easily, with Kallis, Chanderpaul and Jaffer on their way out. A bigger role for Arun Kumar may be on the cards, as also a homecoming for Uthappa. Kallis may be headed for Kolkata, if they are still active.
Kolkata- The Knight Riders may disband, such is their state. Several demoralising defeats, as well as enough controversies suggesting bad group dynamics. We don't know where they are headed, especially when Shah Rukh Khan, their owner, said he'd consider other options if he can't get enough money.
Delhi- Shopping for middle-order batsmen? Maybe Kaif from Jaipur will add some strength to the middle. They may swap Asif for a more reliable bowler, but they would do themselves a lot of good by getting back (Tyagi, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma) players from Delhi and catchment. With England players likely to step in, Flintoff will be a hot pick for the Daredevils and Maharoof may be on the Outbox.
Jaipur- The Royals may carry on unchanged, although a more versatile bowler than Munaf will be useful. They will have to keep Watson and Yusuf Pathan in their own team, with other teams trying hard to get him.
Mohali- Strauss ready for IPL? Maybe here, though getting ahead of Shaun Marsh will be tough. In fact, making the Mohali team will be tough, with nobody likely to head for the exit.
Mumbai- This team seems just right. No change needed. They need to guard against other teams lining up for Dwayne Bravo, Sanath and Pollock. Uthappa, though, will be on his way out, though what happens with Harbhajan is a mystery. They've let Rohit Sharma slip to Hyderabad, so they need to get him back, but will the Chargers oblige? They too may be in line for a name change.