We are just weeks away from this season’s IPL. The biggest franchise cricket competition in the world, billions from across the globe will watch intently as 10 teams battle it out for the right to call themselves IPL Champions.

A T20 tournament, the IPL has quickly risen to become one of the premier events in all of sport. Played yearly, 10 teams from across India will compete in 70 matches with the action lasting a little under two months.

The tournament consists of the 10 teams playing each other in a league format, and after the league stage has finished, the top four qualify for the season ending playoffs. When at this stage, the teams that finished first and second will face each other, with the teams finishing third and fourth squaring off in the other match.

The winner of the match between the first and second ranked teams will advance into the final. The team that loses will drop down into an eliminator where they will face the winner of the match between the third and fourth ranked sides. The winner of this eliminator will face off against the initial winner of the first and second place teams in the final.

Since 2008 there have been seven different winners of the IPL. Last year one of the competition’s newest franchises, the Gujarat Titans, won the tournament for the first time. The most successful team in IPL history are the Mumbai Indians who have won the tournament on five different occasions.

History of the IPL

Sensing that cricket was becoming stale, the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided that the game needed a fresh injection of life and devised a new format for the game — T20. Limiting each side to just 20 overs of batting, the game quickly caught fire with millions watching on TV and many new audiences being drawn to the game.

Keen to build on the success that this new format was bringing, several of India’s top administrators decided to cash in on the action. Devising a new and exciting franchise model, the IPL was launched in 2007, with its debut season being played in 2008. 

With each team in the IPL being bankrolled by incredibly wealthy corporations and entities, the IPL launched its own unique auction, where several of the game’s most prestigious talents were able to be purchased. The IPL changed the face of the game almost overnight, with players able to earn huge salaries that would often be several times the amount of their central contracts that they had with their nations. 

The initial season of the IPL proved to be a rip-roaring success with billions tuning into the action. The winners of the first season were The Rajasthan Royals who beat the Chennai Super Kings in a thriller of a final.

Teams playing in the IPL 2023

For the second season in succession 10 teams will line up for this year’s IPL. Each team will be placed in two virtual groups of five with each side playing the four teams in their group just once, but playing the other five teams in the opposing group twice. In total this will mean that each team will play fourteen matches before the playoff stage.

Below is a breakdown of each group:

Last year the Gujarat Titans, the IPL’s newest team, shocked the world when they won the competition on their seasonal debut. 

Only twice has the IPL been successfully defended with the Chennai Super Kings winning in 2010 and 2011 and the Mumbai Indians repeating the feat in 2019 and 2020. Many bookmakers believe the Titans have a great chance of success and they boast a strong looking lineup.

Hardik Pandya led the team to glory last year and is looking to do so again. He will be assisted by the likes of Kane Williamson and David Miller. With the ball they will be hoping Rashid Khan can weave his magic and take the Titans back to the promised land.

On their way to the 2022 final, the Titans would beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore denying one of India’s finest cricketers Virat Kohli the opportunity to win the IPL for the first time.

Kohli and his Royal Challengers will be looking to bounce back this season and are another one of the tournament favorites. On paper RCB can boast one of the most talented sides in the competition and can call upon the talents of Finn Allen, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood.

The most successful side in IPL history are the Mumbai Indians who have won the tournament on five separate occasions. The Indians had a dismal year last year, finishing bottom of the table and winning just four matches. This year they will be hoping for a much better year and will be led by current Indian T20 Captain Rohit Sharma.

This year’s IPL could be the very last time that we see Indian legend MS Dhoni in competitive action. Dhoni will once again captain the Chennai Super Kings and he will be hoping to lead his side to a record equaling fifth title.

The Rajasthan Royals were the tournament’s first ever winners but since 2008 have largely endured a frustrating time in the tournament. However, there were signs that the Royals were finally turning a corner, and under the leadership of Sanju Samson they were able to reach last year’s final. They will be hoping to go one step further this year and will be able to call upon two of the best bowlers in the game in the shape of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Biggest matches of IPL 2023

Over the course of the IPL several intense rivalries have developed. Here are just some of the matches we can look forward to:

Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore — 17^th April

Over the last 30 years, it could be argued that there have been no bigger icons in all of Indian sport than MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Whenever these two cricketing giants meet, the world stops. This year’s meeting between the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians is set to be even more special as this could be the last time these two greats square off against one another in competitive action.

Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals — 5^th May

Last year’s winners, the Gujarat Titans, created history as they beat the competition’s first ever winners the Rajasthan Royals. The Titans proved they were too strong in the final and the Royals will be desperate for revenge when these two sides meet again.

Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings — 8^th April

It is always an exciting matchup when the Mumbai Indians take on the Chennai Super Kings. Between them, these two teams share nine IPL titles, and both sides will be wanting more this year. This year’s meeting has added significance as both teams will be desperate to reach the playoffs after they missed out altogether last year.

Potential key players

As always with the IPL, the world’s best players will be on show with each team boasting a huge array of talent.

Last year’s star of the IPL with the bat was the current England T20 captain Jos Buttler. Buttler had a remarkable 2022 season, winning the tournament’s Orange Cap for scoring the most runs. In his 17 matches he scored 863 runs which included four hundreds. Buttler was a key reason as to why the Rajasthan Royals reached last year’s final and fans of the team will be hoping he can repeat last season’s success.

The Rajasthan Royals were able to complete a rare double last season, as not only did they have the best batsman, but they also had the best bowler. Yuzvendra Chahal was the winner of the Purple Cap and has become India’s most successful T20 bowler in their history. He will be hoping his spin can guide his side back to this year’s final.

Virat Kohli is the biggest star in all of world cricket and is the leading run scorer in the history of the IPL. Kohli has won all the game’s biggest prizes but has yet to win the IPL. There will be no more determined man to lift this year’s trophy and it would not be a surprise to see Kohli have another huge year.

How to bet on the IPL 2023 with Dafabet

The IPL is one of the biggest tournaments in all of sport and it is not a surprise that is a hugely popular event when it comes to sports betting. Matches can often attract billions of people with several of the tournament’s biggest events stopping the Indian nation in its tracks.

Dafabet will provide complete betting coverage of the entire tournament and is one of the best places to play ahead of this year’s tournament. 

What bets can be placed?

Cricket is one of the most bet on sports in the world and there are a whole host of betting markets that can be accessed.

Outright bets are incredibly popular, with Dafabet customers able to bet on the outcome of the IPL, as well as each of the tournament’s individual matches. 

If value is what you are after, then cricket is loaded with markets that can be chosen. Popular markets include specific match outcomes, such as which team will score the most boundaries. Player bets can also be placed, for example, on whether a certain player will score over or under a certain number of runs. 

The beauty of cricket and the IPL is that matches can change in a moment. In-play betting allows you to bet on the match as it is happening and is a great and fun way to bet on the IPL and stay engrossed in the action.

How to sign up with Dafabet

Signing up for Dafabet could not be easier and takes just seconds.

• First visit the main site (beware there are many impostors out there, click here to be sure you are visiting the real Dafabet)

• At the top of the menu you will see a ‘join’ button. 

• Click ‘join’ and you will be taken to a screen where you will be required to fill out all your details. This will include setting up a unique username and choosing a password. This will be required when logging on, once registered.

• Once all your details have been set up, you will need to accept the terms and conditions and select the ‘register’ button, and that should complete the sign-up process.

How to place a bet with Dafabet

Once registered with Dafabet, placing a bet is simple.

• To place a bet, money must be deposited into your account. This can be done via the ‘cashier’ section. Dafabet accepts payments via Visa or Mastercard, cryptocurrencies or via E-Wallets.

• Once you have cash in your wallet you can place a bet on any sport and any market that Dafabet offers.

• Let’s say we want to place a bet on the upcoming cricket match between Bangladesh and England. You can find this by selecting ‘cricket’ from the left-hand menu.

• If you think England will win, click on them. This will open up the bet slip.

• From here, you will need to decide your stake, the stake cannot be bigger than the amount in your wallet. When you place your stake, the returns of the bet will be made visible so you can see how much your bet will return.

• Once happy with your selection and wager, press the ‘place bet’ option and your bet will be active.

• Simply repeat this step for any other bet you wish to place.