Here in our futures cricket picks, we ask can Chennai Super Kings win IPL 2022?
They are the defending champions, but despite this, the Chennai Super Kings are 9.00 joint fifth favorites to retain their Indian Premier League title.
Led by the inspirational MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has won two of the last four IPL titles.
In 2018 they won the competition. Then in 2019, they were runners-up. In the 2020 edition, CSK was way off the pace, finishing in 7th position.
Then last year, they were one of the top sides throughout the whole competition and completed a convincing win over the Kolkata Knight Riders in the final, to win the IPL for the second time in four years and their fourth title in total.
Can CSK win back-to-back titles?
So, here we look at CSKs chances of winning back-to-back, and also why are they so unfancied in the betting?
The short answers are, of course, they can win again. And to answer the second point, it can only be because the other franchises have made significant signings in the recent IPL auction.
We’ve seen this all before though. The other franchises go out and sign all the big names. While CSK just quietly goes about their business and wins titles.
This season CSK has retained the services of MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Moeen Ali. Not the biggest names in world cricket (ok, Dhoni once was), but good cricketers who have the experience and the know-how.
These four guys are the cornerstones of the team. They offer a solid foundation to build the rest of the side around.
In the recent auction, Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu, and Deepak Chahar were all re-signed.
Alongside their four retentions, this gives CSK the bulk of the players who have been so consistent and successful for them over the last few years.
Who are favorites for the 2022 Indian Premier League?
The current favorites are the 2019 and 2020 champions, the Mumbai Indians, who are 5.50.
Captained by Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians are the most successful team in the history of the IPL, with five wins. All of these wins came under the leadership of Sharma.
| IPL 2022 Winner Betting Odds |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians | 5.50 | 6.00 |
| Delhi Capitals | 6.50 | 6.00 |
| Punjab Kings | 6.50 | 6.00 |
| RC Bangalore | 8.00 | 8.50 |
| Chennia Super Kings | 9.00 | 8.50 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 9.00 | 10.00 |
| Gujarat Titans | 10.00 | 12.00 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 11.00 | 11.00 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 13.00 | 14.00 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 13.00 | 15.00 |
After Mumbai are Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, both priced at 6.50 in the latest IPL betting odds.
Then it’s the perennial underachievers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, at 8.00. RCB has a star-studded line-up every year, and every year, RCB falls well short.
After two fourth-place finishes for RCB in the last two years, they are improving. But would I back RCB to win? No!
The next two teams in the betting are CSK and Rajasthan Royals at 9.00. They are followed by Gujarat Titans at 10.00, and Kolkata Knight Riders at 11.00.
The backmarkers are Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants. Both these sides are 13.00.
When is the 2022 IPL taking place and what is the Format?
The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starts on April 2nd. It’s a 2-month long competition, consisting of 74 matches, with the final scheduled for June 3rd.
The format is round-robin, with the top four going through to the playoffs.
This year there are ten teams taking part. This is a change from the eight teams we have seen for the previous eight years.
The teams are:-
- Chennai Super Kings
- Delhi Capitals
- Gujarat Titans
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Lucknow Super Giants
- Mumbai Indians
- Punjab Kings
- Rajasthan Royals
- Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two new franchises taking part this year is the Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants.
Who Are The Main Rivals To CSK?
So, if CSK isn’t going to win back-to-back titles, who is likely to beat them to the title in 2022? Let’s take a look.
Mumbai Indians Picks
As you can see from the betting, the Mumbai Indians are regarded by the best sportsbooks as the biggest challenge.
As previously mentioned, Mumbai is captained by Rohit Sharma.
If you want to know how good Sharma is, then bear in mind he has just been announced as India’s new Test skipper, making him India captain across all three formats.
In the Mumbai Indians team is also Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard. All three were retained alongside skipper, Rohit Sharma.
When you look at that foursome, it’s easy to see why they are the favorites and well worth a bet at 5.50.
Mumbai also added exciting Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan to their squad as their top pick and the most expensive signing in the IPL.
Also joining Mumbai are Jofra Archer, Tim David, and Dewald Brevis.
It remains to be seen how much Archer will play due to his ongoing elbow problems.
Check out our Sports Interaction Review page for all the information you need to claim their latest betting bonus.
Delhi Capitals Picks
Last season the Delhi Capitals finished top of the round-robin table and were only knocked out of the competition by a revitalized Kolkata Knight Riders in the second qualifier (effectively a semi-final).
Delhi’s four retained players who served them so well last season are Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, and South Africa’s Anrich Nortje.
They’ve also added Australian T20 World Cup-winning duo David Warner and Mitchell Marsh to their squad.
I can see why Mumbai and Delhi are up there in the betting, and when you look at the players in these squads, it’s easy to see why CSK aren’t favorites.
But I can only see the winners coming from Mumbai, Delhi, and CSK.
If you wish to hedge your bets for a profit on the IPL, then check out our Sportsbooks Reviews 2022 page.
Here you will find all the best betting bonuses that can be used for IPL betting, allowing you to spread your bets across the three teams using bookmakers’ bonuses.
