IPL 2019 | Gautam Gambhir picks Kings XI Punjab as one of the four playoffs favourites

The 2019 season of the Indian Premier League promises to be a mouth-watering prospect for cricket lovers all around the world. Whether it will be defending champions Chennai Super Kings under the able leadership of MS Dhoni, or someone new like Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, or Shreyas Iyer’s vibrant new Delhi Capitals who would walk away with some silverware, only time will tell.

However, former Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals skipper, Gautam Gambhir, had some surprising predictions when he was asked to pick his favourites to make it to the play-off stage while talking on the Star Sports show. The former left-handed opener chose Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kolkata Knight Riders as his four favourites to advance further in the competition.

Gambhir’s opinion was the complete opposite of what former Australian cricket duo Matthew Hayden and Mitchell Johnson picked as part of their prediction for the IPL 2019 playoffs. The towering former left-handed batsman picked Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and SRH, while Johnson selected Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, MI, and Rajasthan Royals.

IPL 2019 will kick off from March 23 in Chennai where defending champions CSK will host Kohli-led RCB. BCCI finally announced the much awaited full league stage schedule on Tuesday, which was withheld owing to the Lok Sabha election dates that would happen simultaneously with the tournament.