IPL starts Friday as Mumbai eye record-extending sixth title

GBNEWS24DESK//

Mumbai Indians, armed with big-money signing Cameron Green, will bid for a record-extending sixth title when the Indian Premier League starts on Friday, in what could be Chennai veteran MS Dhoni’s swansong.

The 16th edition also returns to its pre-Covid glory days, with 74 matches scheduled at 12 venues over eight weeks.

In the opener at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, defending champions Gujarat Titans will play Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings.

England all-rounder Sam Curran returns to Punjab Kings after being bought for $2.23 million, making him the most expensive IPL player ever.

Green, 1.98 metres (6 feet and 6 inches) tall, joined IPL’s most successful outfit Mumbai after he became the second-most expensive buy at $2.11 million in the December auction.

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin called Green a “once-in-a-generation” cricketer after the batting all-rounder hit his maiden Test hundred in India earlier this month.

“I think he’s a fantastic player. Just the raw materials for a person as tall as him, lovely levers, good batting sense, can bowl and really hit the deck well, moves pretty well on the field,” Ashwin said.

Mumbai, led by India captain Rohit Sharma, will be without injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah but have been boosted by the return of England fast bowler Jofra Archer, who missed last season due to injury.