IPL 10 set to begin without superstar Kohli

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IPL 10 set to begin without superstar Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore fielder AB de Villers (R) celebrates with captain Virat Kohl. (AFP file)

Mumbai - Several Indian stars, including Kohli, are out of this edition - either partially or fully

By PTI

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Published: Tue 4 Apr 2017, 10:45 PM

Last updated: Wed 5 Apr 2017, 4:17 PM

Virat Kohli's colossal presence will be missed when the 10th Indian Premier League (IPL) takes off on Wednesday after a build-up mired in administrative tug-of-war over funds.
Several Indian stars, including Kohli, are out of this edition - either partially or fully, which certainly lessens the novelty factor for all the star gazers.
Even off the field, the run-up to the tournament has been far from smooth. Several state units had expressed their inability to conduct matches, citing lack of funds, before the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators stepped in to resolve the matter.
The COA will have the onerous job of continuing to keep an eye on officials to ensure that no such teething troubles crop up during the tournament.
On to the cricketing issues, it will only be known next week when exactly Kohli will start playing in the league for Royal Challengers Bangalore as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.
The dashing India captain, known as much for his feisty persona as for his peerless batting, would undoubtedly be missed the most when action kicks off on Wednesday in Hyderabad.
Kohli had accumulated nearly 1000 runs last time and each of his four hundreds were T20 epics.
Another big name to be missing from early action would be South African batting genius AB de Villiers. Nursing a back injury, there is no clarity on his availability just yet.
Till the likes of Kohli and de Villiers come back, the onus of providing perfect entertainment will on Chris Gayle. If Gayle just stands and delivers, RCB will again have a feast.
Fans will be curious to see what T20 specialist Tymal Mills - bought for $1.8 million - will bring to the table and how stand-in captain Shane Watson uses him. 
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's absence from Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) means there would a bit less colour on the field.
A combative cricketer like Ashwin, whose multi-dimensional ability makes him special even though there were doubts about how much he could have contributed after bowling nearly 740 overs in 13 Test matches in India.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has no such worries apart from proving a point with his blazing blade - a fitting reply for being stripped off captaincy.
Steve Smith and Faf du Plessis both got injured the last time but would like to make amends in this edition. 
For Mumbai Indians, skipper Rohit Sharma's form at the top will be important not only for his franchise but also for the Indian team that will defend the Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom later this year.
Kolkata Knight Riders will depend a lot on their quartet of Indian batsmen, including skipper Gautam Gambhir, Surya Kumar Yadav, Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey.
Kings XI Punjab would miss Murali Vijay but Glenn Maxwell, after a few indifferent knocks last season, may just tee off well.
For Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina, this season will be a make or break one after being dropped from the one-day squad and central contracts. The Delhi Daredevils, after making some inexplicable choices and some injury setbacks, are the weakest team in the competition.
Last but not the least are the defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad with David Warner at the helm. The core remains the same. Yuvraj Singh, Deepak Hooda and Shikhar Dhawan are capable of changing the course of the match. When fully fit, Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahaman can prove to be a handful.


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