Team watch

The high-profile IPL finally kicks off after much fan fare and amid heaps of expectation. Six weeks, 59 matches, and plenty of glam await as Indian domestic cricket steps into the unknown. Cricinfo runs the rule over the eight franchises doing battle for the lucrative tournament title.

Bangalore

	Muttiah Muralitharan spearheads a thin Chennai attack © Getty Images

It's not the best of signs when a captain uses the word "uncertainty" three times in a sentence, but Rahul Dravid still has plenty of options to choose from. A flurry of flip-flops ended with Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher being allowed to stay back, and Ashley Noffke may turn into a good replacement for Nathan Bracken. Misbah-ul-Haq and Abdur Razzak, the Bangladesh left-arm spinner, won't be part of the first game - nor will the injured Anil Kumble - but Bangalore still have a potent line-up that can go all the way.

X-factor: Cameron White arrives with 878 runs in 26 Twenty20 matches. A strike-rate of 160.80 suggests an explosive quality like few others in the league. He's also a handy legspinner and could well be the lynchpin.

Domestic dark horses: With no Bracken and Dale Steyn, Vinay Kumar is likely to get a chance alongside Zaheer Khan. Vinay, a nippy medium-pacer, was the highest wicket-taker in the recent first-class season and would relish the challenge of bowling to the big names. Also watch out for Bharat Chipli, the young opener, and KP Appanna, the left-arm spinner.

Chennai

Without Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel (who will miss the first two games) the Chennai bowling looks a bit thin. They will now rely on Muttiah Muralitharan and Jacob Oram, with the Indian domestic players - Joginder Sharma, R Ashwin and Manpreet Gony - to back them up. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is unlikely to keep early on, with Parthiv Patel taking up the wicketkeeper's role, but the batting looks in fine shape with Matthew Hayden, Stephen Fleming, S Badrinath and Suresh Raina leading the charge. The South African duo's arrival, though, will provide the side with plenty of balance.

X-factor: Morkel, who will be available after two games, provides an explosive quality. With a strike-rate that approaches 130, he's made a name as one of the biggest hitters. A handy medium-pacer, he will also be useful in keeping down the runs in the death overs.

Domestic dark horses:Twenty-one-year-old S Anirudha, the son of former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth, may not be an automatic starter but remains an exciting prospect. Nine Twenty20 games have fetched him 285 runs at a furious strike-rate of 137.7 and he could sparkle if given a chance. Also keep an eye on S Vidyut, the dashing batsman who bowls left-arm spin.

Delhi

No Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Malik and AB de Villiers early on, no Daniel Vettori for the second half of the tournament - but these remain the only hitches for what is likely to be a well-set squad. The only two Australians, Glenn McGrath and Brett Geeves, aren't part of their national squad and there's enough Indian firepower to lead a consistent campaign. Delhi look likely to be the best fielding unit in the tournament, which makes them big favourites to lift the trophy on June 1.

X-factor: A fielding unit that comprises Tillakaratne Dilshan, de Villiers, Manoj Tiwary, Dinesh Karthik, Gautam Gambhir and Malik - some of the most athletic cricketers prowling the field.

Domestic dark horses: Geeves is the only foreign player without any international experience in the IPL. A Tasmanian fast bowler who has improved his lower-order batting, Geeves may prove to be an important member of the side. Also track Pradeep Sangwan, the left-arm swing bowler who made a big impact in the last domestic season.

Hyderabad

The team with possibly the highest power quotient, Hyderabad start as strong favourites for the competition. Andrew Symonds won't be available for the second half of the series - nor Herschelle Gibbs and Shahid Afridi for the initial games - but a roster of formidable overseas stars makes them a big force. RP Singh, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa comprise a left-arm trio that can keep things tight.

X-factor: Capable of big hits and intelligent nudges, Scott Styris brings an additional dimension to the side. Take into account his useful medium pace, and you have a potential MVP for the IPL. His retirement from Tests means he will be part of the side for the entire tournament.

Domestic dark horses: Ravi Teja comes with the reputation of being an attacking batsman at the top of the order. Still only 20, he could be a regular starter - pairing up with fire-starters like Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist - and it will be interesting to see if he can keep pace. Keep tabs on M Sarvesh Kumar, a talented medium-pacer plucked out of the districts.

	Available for the whole duration of the tournament, Shane Watson could do serious damage for Rajasthan © Getty Images

Jaipur

A tricky start for Jaipur early on, with the Pakistanis, South Africans and Dimitri Mascarenhas unavailable. But Shane Warne has some good Indian talent backing him up, among them Mohammad Kaif, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja and Munaf Patel. With each side needing to play at least seven Indians, Jaipur looks to be in the best position to have a settled squad through the tournament.

X-factor: Shane Watson offers a great option at No. 7. Not only is he dynamite at the top of the order, he can be useful with both the new and old ball. He is available for the whole tournament, and barring injury, is a good candidate for the player of the series.

Domestic dark horses: Yusuf Pathan motored through the domestic season at breakneck pace. If a first-class strike-rate of 87.88 is not indication enough, a Twenty20 strike-rate of 193.87 removes all doubt. Don't forget Jadeja, the talented allrounder who had a good U-19 World Cup.

Kolkata

There is no Shoaib Akhtar but Kolkata have plenty of other big names to draw in the crowds. Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Ricky Ponting form a trio as dangerous as any. Add to that the brilliance of Sourav Ganguly and Ishant Sharma and you have a squad high on entertainment value. It's a side full of crowd pullers - which should pump up Shah Rukh Khan after all the bickering over ticket sales at Eden Gardens.

X-factor: David Hussey started the 2007 county season hammering 275 from 227 balls in an early game against Essex and belting seven sixes from eight balls in a one-dayer. He has more than 1100 runs in Twenty20 games and scores at a strike-rate of over 140. He may be the least known of Kolkata's overseas stars but could well be the trump card.

Domestic dark horses: Laxmi Ratan Shukla is likely to feature at No. 6 or 7 regularly, given his capabilities with both bat and ball. Also check out Debabrata Das, the young batsman, and Iqbal Abdulla, the left-arm spinner.

Mohali

A well balanced side bowling side with two genuine quicks (Brett Lee and Sreesanth), a swing bowler (Irfan Pathan), and two spinners (Ramesh Powar and Piyush Chawla). Yuvraj Singh and the two Sri Lankans - Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara - form a good trio but the side's fortunes could depend on how the local batsmen perform.

X-factor: An economical medium-pacer and handy hitter, James Hopes could be the one to watch out for. His bowling has variety and his tight final overs have regularly picked up wickets and saved runs. A Twenty20 strike-rate of 118.5 (in 15 games) gives you an idea of his big-hitting prowess.

Domestic dark horses:Karan Goel, a talented left-hand batsman from Punjab, and Ajitesh Argal, the medium-pacer who was part of the U-19 World Cup squad, are the two who could surprise.

Mumbai

The big question around the Mumbai side is, who will captain in case Sachin Tendulkar misses out because of a groin strain. Shaun Pollock, Sanath Jayasuriya and Ashwell Prince have captained their sides before but Pollock said he preferred it if a local player led. Either way it could only be for one or two games as Mumbai look ahead to a big season. Expect fireworks from the top order: Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappa following the two masters, Tendulkar and Jayasuriya.

X-factor: Luke Ronchi has quickly confirmed his place as Australia's future wicketkeeper. An accomplished gloveman, Ronchi has also demanded attention with the type of clean hitting that made Gilchrist such a fearsome force. In 2006 he hammered the fastest hundred in Australian domestic one-day history. Mumbai picked him late, but as the only foreign wicketkeeper in the side he will be expected to play every game.

Domestic dark horses: Ajinkya Rahane has made a few waves with some rapid scoring in domestic games and it will be interesting to see how he copes in the company of Tendulkar and Jayasuriya. Also watch out for Manish Pandey, the talented middle-order batsman who can hammer them in the slog.