IPL 2023 odds, betting markets, favourites, predictions: Who will win the Indian Premier League?
The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League gets underway on March 31.
In 2022, debutant franchise Gujarat Titans upset the odds by romping all the way to glory, highlighting the futility of trying to pick an overall winner in this most fiercely competitive of tournaments.
Nevertheless, we're going to give it a go, along with running through all of the usual suspects and some potential breakout stars who will be topping the runs, wickets and sixes charts.
Can the Titans go back to back? Will Rajasthan Royals gain revenge for their defeat in last season's final? Can fallen heavyweights Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians bounce back from torrid campaigns last time around?
All odds accurate on March 29, 2023 and provided courtesy of Dafabet.
IPL 2023 leading runscorer
No surprises for the favourite to score the most runs in 2023: Jos Buttler hit a remarkable 863 in 17 matches last year to finish as the runaway leader.
KL Rahul finished a distant second on 616 from 15 matches, and the Lucknow Super Giants captain is fourth-favourite this time behind Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill.
Those odds reflect Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Kohli's pedigree rather than form, and the cricket superstar's ability to find his formidable best level is sure to be integral to RCB's hopes of improving on their defeat in the playoffs in 2022.
Alongside Buttler and Rahul, Quinton de Kock was the only other player to score more than 500 runs last year.
De Kock is expected to miss the first match of Lucknow Super Giants' campaign because of international duties with South Africa, and the bookmakers believe Gill, who finished four runs behind Titans top scorer Hardik Pandya on 483 runs in 2022, is most likely to finish third in the scoring charts this time.
Elsewhere, Delhi Capitals' David Warner is inevitably in the running after scoring more than 5,000 runs during his long career in the IPL, while India captain Rohit Sharma will want to inspire the Mumbai Indians to far better fortunes than their 10th-placed finish in 2022.
IPL 2023 leading runscorer: Selected odds
Buttler's total in 2022 was the second-most in an IPL season ever, clearly showing he has what it takes to win the award again.
Kohli scored 341 runs and will be looking to improve on that in order to help RCB claim their maiden title.
Sporting News pick for leading runscorer: Jos Buttler
IPL 2023 leading wicket-taker
Joint-favourite Rashid Khan has been in the top 10 of IPL wickets taken each season since 2017 and came extremely close to the top in 2018, losing to Andrew Tye by just three wickets.
Khan's level of consistency means there is no question that Khan has the ability to end 2023 in sole possession of the IPL's Purple Cap.
Yuzvendra Chahal is the reigning Purple Cap holder, and there is no reason that his top form and elite wicket-taking ability will not roll over to 2023.
He took 27 wickets in his winning campaign last year, and Dafabet have him pencilled in as a co-favourite to win the award once more, holding the same odds as Khan and Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva.
While there hasn't been a back-to-back winner since Bhuvneshwar Kumar in 2016-17, Chahal's efforts last season show he has what it takes to be the league's best.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sri Lanka's Hasaranga de Silva played one match and took one wicket fewer than Chahal in 2022.
IPL 2023 leading wicket-taker: Selected odds
Mohammad Shami took 20 wickets for the Titans in 2022 and is priced shorter than a clutch of players available at 15.00 including England's Jofra Archer.
It is almost a surprise Archer is yet to win a Purple Cap, having been one of the world's most deadly bowlers for several years.
After returning from injury, can 2023 be the year that Jofra Archer breaks through for the Mumbai Indians, and claims the IPL Purple Cap?
Sporting News pick for leading wicket-taker: Yuzvendra Chahal
Most sixes at IPL 2023
The IPL 2022 saw a record number of sixes, registering 1,062 sixes by 112 batsmen in 148 innings across 74 matches.
The Royals are favourites to have the top tally again after hitting by far the most last year, with 45 of their 137 coming from Buttler.
Second-favourites the Giants hit 115, and all but two teams registered at least 100: Sunrisers Hyderabad managed 97, with the Titans trailing by a distance on 79.
IPL 2023 most sixes: Odds
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the traditional heavyweights of the competition but endured disappointing campaigns last time around, posting their worst overall returns in the history of the tournament. Mumbai secured Cameron Green as an eye-catching replacement for Kieron Pollard and have Jofra Archer back and raring to go, although the latter boost is offset by Jasprit Bumrah being laid low with a back injury.
CSK have also replaced a West Indian great with a monster all-rounder, with Ben Stokes their marquee auction acquisition. The England Test captain is not exactly a like-for-like replacement for Dwayne Bravo and there will be an onus on him to lead a batting unit that feels a touch light.
Having said that, there were similar observations made about last season's breakout champions Gujarat Titans, whose bowler-heavy line-up swept all before them. If anything, the Titans look stronger this season. Hardik Pandya's captaincy chops are now beyond doubt and the star all-rounder is fit enough to contribute handsomely with the ball once again. David Miller's absence from the opening games while on international duty with South Africa will be keenly felt, but Kane Williamson has arrived as a high-class batting option.
Another longer-format master back in the IPL is ex-England skipper Joe Root, who joins compatriot Jos Buttler in a star-studded Rajasthan Royals squad. Buttler enjoyed one of the great IPL seasons last time around, with four tons and as many fifties. A formidable bowling attack featuring Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal will be bolstered by West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder and leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who just bowled Australia to an ODI series victory on Indian soil.
The Royals seemed like the strongest team in IPL 2022 before their final defeat to Gujarat and it looks like they've got stronger.
Sporting News pick for most IPL sixes: Rajasthan Royals
Make IPL 2023 predictions and win prizes with Dafabet
Fans can win big prizes during this Indian Premier League thanks to Dafabet and its two flagship IPL games.
Premier League Maniagives punters the chance to win Rs 1,000 in a round-by-round predictions game, meaning a prize of up to Rs 18,000 is up for grabs overall. You will also have the chance to win the latest Apple gadgets.
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