Indian Premier League 2022 predictions: Rajasthan can reign supreme

Free cricket outright tips and analysis for the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Cricket & Main Event from Saturday

Best bets

Rajasthan Royals to win IPL 2022
1pt each-way 8-1 general

Trent Boult to win Purple Cap
1pt each-way 16-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

KL Rahul to win Orange Cap
1pt each-way 10-1 bet365, Hills

Tournament preview

With a fresh format and two new exciting teams, the Indian Premier League is back this weekend.

Last year, the second consecutive season to be disrupted by the pandemic concluded with Chennai Super Kings claiming their fourth title, putting them only one behind Mumbai Indians, the most successful team in the competition's history.

Mumbai head the outright betting but a new-look tournament brings with it the possibility of a shake-up at the top.

New franchises Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are 11-1 and 12-1 to rise to the top in their maiden season but even if they do not go all the way, they are sure to provide plenty of entertainment.

Led by Hardik Pandya, Gujarat have also snapped up Rashid Khan and the talented Lockie Ferguson is likely to lead their attack.

Lucknow, who reportedly go into their first season as the most expensive IPL franchise of all time, landed the huge signing of KL Rahul and installed the experienced Andy Flower as coach.

But while both are exciting prospects, it remains to be seen if they have the depth to go the distance in a competition which will now begin with two groups of five teams.

Every side will play each of the other teams in their section twice, one already allocated team from the opposite group twice and the rest of the sides in the opposite group once.

That amounts to 14 extra matches compared to the previous format, although they will take place in only Mumbai and Pune this time to limit travel.

Defending champions Chennai are sure to attract the attention of punters but have lost experienced players Faf du Plessis and Shardul Thakur, while MS Dhoni will no longer captain the side.

Delhi Capitals are also high in the betting at but could start the season on the back foot with David Warner and Lungi Ngidi among those absent early on, while the fitness and availability of key bowler Anrich Nortje remains a key concern.

One team who enjoyed a brilliant pre-season auction were Rajasthan Royals and they are worth chancing at 8-1.

They are arguably in the trickier of the two groups but should be battle-hardened by the time the knockout stage arrives and they have assembled a lethal bowling attack with Trent Boult, Ravi Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the side.

Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson, meanwhile, make for a competent top order and there is strength lower down the batting lineup in Shimron Hetmyer and Jimmy Neesham.

Those who like the look of Rajasthan to go all the way could also consider backing paceman Boult to take the most wickets in the IPL and secure the Purple Cap for the first time in his career.

Although far from barnstorming with only 13 wickets in last year's IPL, he shone with the same number of scalps in the T20 World Cup in November, helping New Zealand to the final.

As for the Orange Cap, punters could do worse than back the ever-reliable Rahul, who has made half-centuries in four of his last five T20 internationals for India and will be the main source of runs for new boys Lucknow.

Rahul scored 626 runs in 13 matches for Punjab Kings last season, falling only nine runs short of top-scorer Ruturaj Gaikwad.

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