Can Indian Premier League 2014 rise above scams?

No other edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) would have been cause for as much pressure as the seventh, set to start from April 16. For no matter how many denials the players make and irrespective of how brave they act, the dark cloud of the spot-fixing scandal will loom large over the tournament.

Last year, the cricketing world was left stunned when three Rajasthan Royals cricketers were arrested on charges of bowling in accordance with pacts reached at with bookies in lieu of cash. High ranking officials and team owners were under the scanner for betting on their own sides and a severe doze of suspicion gripped fans. Such was the impact of the scam that the all-powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president - N. Srinivasan - was eventually forced to step down by the Supreme Court.

It is in these unfortunate circumstances that the IPL will be played in 2014. This tournament will be a test for all stakeholders - the players will need to reinstate fans' faith with some clean cricket. The new administration under Sunil Gavaskar would have to take the onus and ensure that all unsavory elements stay away from the teams.

IPL 7 will have to be played on a clean slate.

After the darkest year in its history, the glitzy T20 tournament will lose some more sheen, thanks to the retirements of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid - two of the most respected cricketers to have ever represented India. The mere presence of these two on the field would have given millions a reason to restore some more faith in the IPL.

However, once the first ball is bowled this Thursday, all the focus will indeed move back to the cricket in the middle, unless some other player decides to make a quick buck and pushes the game to further peril. But for now, the franchises have spent considerable money and energy to build strong squads and allow their players enough time to get acclimatized in the middle-east, where the first part of the league will be played, thanks to the general elections in India.

Here's then a look at the eight teams a day before the cricketing extravaganza kicks starts in Abu Dhabi.

Mumbai Indians: The defending champions played their cards rather well to retain the core of a very successful group besides roping in Michael Hussey, the surprise exclusion from Chennai Super Kings. But this year will mark the start of an era without Sachin Tendulkar, who may not have been their most coveted match-winner, but remained a heavy scorer throughout - his 2334 runs from 78 games is  the highest for the side. But Mumbai have the players to step up for the big occasions. Rohit Sharma has been in phenomenal form in the IPL, Kieron Pollard is plain dangerous and has announced his intentions with a breezy hundred back in the West Indies and Ambati Rayudu is always a threat for the opposition.

But it will be Hussey who will certainly be expected to steer the ship at the top of the order. If Mumbai had Tendulkar's experience and calm at the top for the first six years, they will have Hussey's grit and consistency at their service starting 2014. The southpaw was unceremoniously dumped from the CSK squad despite bagging the Orange Cap last year and he would want to prove a point to his erstwhile masters, some of who are in a little trouble with the law. If Hussey leads MI's batting the way he did for Chennai and Lasith Malinga deals those lethal blows with the ball, the Mumbai Indians could almost be invincible for the second year on the trot.

Chennai Super Kings: The two-time champions narrowly escaped a ban after Gurunath Meiyappan, a former team official, was charged with betting on his own side and hanging out with bookies. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has also had his share of controversies and it is a miracle that the players are still keen to put up a brave front ahead of the tournament. Chennai Super Kings, the most successful IPL side in history, will feel the heat like never before but they have the kind of players to fight back in the face of adversity.

Dhoni will be a determined man heading into the seventh edition and with all the muck thrown around him and his side, the skipper would want to lead by example and take Chennai closer to their third title. They have some big ticket players but Dhoni could well turn out to be the most destructive this year - he is a class player and an equally good captain and will be keen to salvage some lost pride.

CSK's strong spin trio of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Samuel Badree will give them the usual edge and their host of attacking batsmen will continue to spread fear into the other teams. Chennai's main challenge, however, will be to counter all the bad press around them and play the brand of cricket that has endeared them to fans across the country.

Rajasthan Royals: The perennial underdogs, the Royals are another side that have been at the receiving end of some speculation. The owners, Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty were approached by the Delhi police apparently in connection with spot-fixing investigations after S Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila were arrested last year. But they have the right cricketers to overcome the unpleasant past and look at the future.

Dravid retired last year but was promptly hired as a mentor and Shane Watson was named captain this year. Together, these two will bring a lot of experience on the table and the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Stuart Binny will continue to provide fire on the field.

Watson will be hurting from Australia's disastrous ICC World Twenty20 campaign and he would want to take it upon himself and make the 2014 edition a memorable one for himself and his Royals teammates. After the triumph in 2008, they came close enough last year, but close enough is not good enough. The Royals have the perfect balance and they have often thrown up surprise packages. But this year could belong to the stars.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: They were criticized for their lackluster batting in 2013 and they made it to the semi-finals simply on the back of a splendid bowling attack. But this year, Sunrisers Hyderabad have sought to correct their mistakes and consequently, it has turned out to be a rather well-balanced side, at least on paper.

Shikhar Dhawan, the captain, however will have to decide who opens if he plays both Aaron Finch and David Warner. The duo has been extremely successful for Australia in limited overs cricket and it would be tempting to send them out together but will Dhawan want to step down? He has done well enough as an opener himself, for India as well as the Sunrisers, so he won't be under any immediate compulsion to bat lower down the order. The bowling as usual will revolve around Dale Steyn and Amit Mishra, who proved to be potent last season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Their lack of success in the IPL has surprised many but one gets the feeling that this could well be RCB's year. For one, Virat Kohli has gone from strength to strength over the last year and he now competes healthily with teammate AB de Villiers for the best batsman in the world. Both are in great form and in desperate want to lay their hands on the trophy.

De Villiers has never won a trophy, neither for South Africa nor in the IPL and this is a great opportunity to set the records straight. RCB would have learnt from their errors last year - they choked after a great start to the tournament and all their star-power came to nothing.

 

All eyes would be on Yuvraj Singh - the Rs 14 crore buy! But has he been bought for his current form, which is at an abysmal low, or is he there because of sponsor compulsions? Time will tell but RCB's fortunes will revolve around the brilliance of Kohli and AB.

Kings XI Punjab: Besides the usual suspects, Kings XI Punjab made two acquisitions that have caught the attention of the world. Mitchell Johnson is obviously hot property after his recent exploits and he has promised to keep up the heat, but it is the out-of-form Virender Sehwag's inclusion that has rattled a few. Sehwag has been out in the cold for over a year and had a poor IPL 6, with nothing of note in the Ranji Trophy too.

However, if the Nawab of Najafgarh does get going, Punjab could be on their way. The question though is, will the ageing war-horse show some fight? Or will he sit back and watch the likes of George Bailey and David Miller carry him through? Whatever tale time tells, this tournament could make or break Sewhag's international career and he will want to remind the selectors that they do have an option at their disposal a year before India set out to defend their World Cup title Down Under.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Consistency and KKR have never been in sync. After a horror start to their IPL journey, the Knight Riders fought hard to qualify for the CL T20 in 2011 before finally winning the tournament in 2012. However, they ended up winning only six of their 16 games next year and were at the receiving end of some just criticism. With the most iconic cricket ground to call their home and the most enthusiastic fans as their support base, KKR have often failed to live up to their hype.

A lot of their key players are still in the team with the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Sunil Narine, Jacques Kallis, Ryan ten Doeschate and Shakib-al-Hasan. What they have done well this year is to buy two good Indian bowlers - Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar and get hold of Morne Morkel. The KKR pace attack has been mostly suspect but these latest additions should strengthen their chances in the tournament. The pressure of living up to the hype has often got to the players but in Gambhir, they have a proud and resolute captain, who would be able to keep aside the distractions and help the side focus on their real job at hand.

Gambhir's form is important to the team - after all it was the southpaw's run-scoring spree that had set the tone for their victory two years ago and it could again come down to him as Kolkata look forward to a better season after the disappointments of last season.

Delhi Daredevils: Desperate times call for desperate measures and that is what the management of the Delhi Daredevils resorted to. After finishing last, with three wins out of 16 games, the Daredevils made wholesale changes but still managed to bring back Kevin Pietersen, who has now been entrusted to lead the new-look side. KP has been through a nightmarish year, sacked as he was from the England team for reported differences with the coach and captain.

The flamboyant English batsman has been seen discussing the nuances of the game at training sessions, where he has appeared despite an injury scare. Here in his IPL side, most players would look up to him and the dressing-room would be devoid of the tensions that naturally creep up in a star-studded environment. Gary Kirsten, the coach, is the perfect man to lead his wards, most of whom would not carry the scars of last year, an important factor as the team looks for a new and different beginning.

Delhi will have a few talented Indian batsmen to choose from and with the likes of Pietersen and Ross Taylor, fans can look forward to an improved performance this year.