The 2022 season of IPL has started with a bang as we have already witnessed powerful batting performances, fierce bowling shows and nail-biting finishes. All 10 teams have already played their opening match of the season and left an impression with their performances. Inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals currently hold the top spot in the points table, while Kane Williamson’s are at the bottom of the table. RCB captain Faf du Plessis is the proud owner of the Orange cap after the opening match while the purple cap currently belongs to Delhi Capitals’ new recruit Kuldeep Yadav.
Here is the first impression of all 10 teams left after their opening match of IPL 2022
1. Chennai Super Kings: The defending champions of last season had a disappointing start to IPL 2022 as they suffered a crushing 6-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener. The Yellow Army dearly missed Moeen Ali in the clash as he provides the right balance to their unit. While it will be a big task for them to cope without Deepak Chahar in the bowling department, there is no official update on his return.
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2. Kolkata Knight Riders: The two-time IPL champions are looking well settled this year and the convincing win over CSK is proof of it. After reuniting the core of their team, KKR once again looked like a tittle-contender for the season. Shreyas Iyer also did a brilliant job as the captain in his first match for KKR.
3. Mumbai Indians: The five-time IPL champions extend their unwanted losing streak in the first match of the season. Mumbai Indians’ death over bowling looked lacklustre against Delhi Capitals as their lower-middle order batters Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav snatched away victory from them with 10 balls to spare.
4. Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant’s side made an impressive start to the season with a win over heavyweights MI. Despite the absence of superstars like Anrich Nortje, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, Delhi looked like a solid side in their opening game that is going to trouble a lot of teams.
5. Royal Challengers Bangalore: There are not many teams who can lose a T20 match while defending a target of over 200 with an over to spare but RCB did it in their opening match of the season. Their batting unit looked solid like every season and it seems like Faf du Plessis will help them recover from the absence of AB de Villiers but their bowling was absolutely dismal. They desperately missed Yuzvendra Chahal who they didn’t retain this season.
6. Punjab Kings: The rejuvenated Punjab Kings are one of the most exciting teams of the season. With a powerful batting line-up, this team has the ability to score and chase any target. The inclusion of Kagiso Rabada and Jonny Bairstow in coming matches is only going to make them stronger.
7. Lucknow Super Giants: The new franchise had a forgettable start to their journey in the cash-rich league. They lost a nail-biting thriller to Gujarat Titans but a lot of positives came out from it for them which includes a young talent in Ayush Badoni, while they might need to sort their death over bowling plans going forward in the tournament.
8. Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya’s team impressed many on their IPL debut. The new franchise has a very solid pace attack with Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson in it. Hardik’s availability as a bowler gives an added advantage to the bowling unit. While they still need to sort out their number 3 as playing Vijay Shankar there might not work for them as it didn’t during the LSG clash.
9. Rajasthan Royals: This team looks like a serious contender for the title this season. Rajasthan made some smart business in the auction and it was reflected in their performance in the first match. The inclusion of Devdutt Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer provide a perfect balance to their batting unit. While the revamped bowling attack is amongst the best in the tournament.
10. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson’s side was completely exposed on many fronts in their opening match of the season. The bowling attack leaked 210 runs in their opening match and the batters were even more disappointing. They lost half a side for just 37 runs in a chase of 211 which is definitely an alarming sign for them going forward.
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