NEW DELHI : The Indian Premier League returns this weekend with Virat Kohli and teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi among the headline attractions as the world’s richest Twenty20 competition begins its 19th season.
The tournament opens in Bengaluru on Saturday with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Off the field, the league’s financial strength was underlined this week by multi-billion dollar franchise deals, reinforcing its global appeal even as Pakistan’s rival T20 competition begins under restrictions due to a fuel crisis.
All 10 teams will start the season with homegrown captains, a first for the league, although Australia skipper Pat Cummins is expected to take over leadership duties at Hyderabad once he regains fitness.
Several overseas players, including Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, will miss early matches as they recover from injuries, while England all-rounder Sam Curran has been ruled out of the tournament.
Kohli, now 37 and no longer Bengaluru’s captain, remains a central figure for the franchise and one of the league’s biggest draws as he continues into the latter stages of his career.
Attention will also focus on Rajasthan Royals youngster Sooryavanshi, who turns 15 this week and has already generated excitement after a breakout season last year that included a rapid century against Gujarat Titans.
The left-hander also played a key role in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year and is expected to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
On the field, high-scoring matches are again anticipated, with batting-friendly conditions and the continued use of the Impact Player rule likely to favour big totals.
Mumbai Indians will be chasing a record sixth IPL title, while Gujarat Titans, led by India captain Shubman Gill, will aim to add a second crown.
