<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/01/Ben-Dwarshuis.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-213598 size-full" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Dwarshuis.jpg" alt="Ben Dwarshuis IPL 2018" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-213598" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Dwarshuis may very well not get a game for the Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming edition of the IPL. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) | CricTracker.com</figcaption>

The 11th edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL 2018) promises to be bigger and better than the previous seasons. All the sides are revamped this season and carry a new look. Iconic players who represented a franchise for many seasons will be seen donning new colors. In the auction, in a bid to revamp their respective teams, the franchises made sure that they spent most of their purse and thereby quelled their satisfaction.

It is a dream for any cricketer to be playing the IPL as most players will be privy to experience they have perhaps not had. However, we have witnessed many players in the past who were picked and then benched for the entire season. Usman Khawaja for instance. With the number of players available in each squad, it is very tough for the management to accommodate all the players in the XI.

Here is a teamwise analysis of players who will be benched this season:

The Chennai Super Kings are making a comeback to the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> after a two-year long wait. At the auction, the Chennai-based franchise decided to go with experience over youth. They added a lot many senior statesmen in their squad whilst retaining the core of their side. However, with so many senior players, we might have to witness a complete revamp of their squad in the next two or three years.

Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo and Lungi Ngidi look to be CSK&#8217;s most likely overseas-4 in the playing XI. Hence, we might witness players like Sam Billings and Mitchell Santner benched for this season. CSK don&#8217;t require an opener and a wicket-keeper in their XI. So, Sam Billings is very unlikely to make it into the team. Also, with the services of Ravindra Jadeja already available, CSK might think twice to play Mitchell Santner.

Possible players to be benched: Sam Billings and Mitchell Santner

2. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)</a>

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have yet again studded their batting lineup with many star batsmen. They snapped-up Quinton de Kock and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-auction-brendon-mccullum-responds-after-joining-rcb/">Bredon McCullum</a> in their squad after letting off Chris Gayle and KL Rahul. They have Virat Kohli and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ab-de-villiers-ruled-first-three-odis-india/">AB de Villiers</a> following the openers, something that adds a significant backbone. However, the bowling as always is a weak link for the RCB. They haven&#8217;t got a reliable fast bowler who can contain the opposition.

With three overseas players in their top four, it is very tough RCB to accommodate an overseas bowler. AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock are no-brainers in the lineup. Bredon McCullum will most likely take another position. In all likely cases, the fourth overseas slot will be filled by an all-rounder. Kohli will have to sacrifice one of his star batsmen to get a bowler in. So, this season might witness <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/moeen-ali/">Moeen Ali</a> and Tim Southee benched from the RCB squad.

Possible players to be benched: Moeen Ali, Tim Southee

The Delhi Daredevils have combined their side with a mixture of experience and youth. They were one of the better teams at the auction this year. Also, they roped their former skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/adios-until-we-meet-again-reminiscing-the-7-indelible-years-with-gautam-gambhir/">Gautam Gambhir</a> into the side and is also likely to assume the responsibilities of captaincy as he did with the Knight Riders. They also boast of Ricky Ponting, who is their head coach who had some great success with the Mumbai Indians earlier. With a revamped setup, they will hope that they can change their fortunes in the IPL.

Rishab Pant, who was retained by the Delhi Daredevils will don the wicketkeeping gloves. Pant is also a very good and capable batsman and can provide the side with some great starts. So, there is hardly any chance that the Daredevils will look for any other keeper. This might see Naman Ojha benched for the entire season as he didn&#8217;t have a great run in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> so far. The other player who might be benched is the Australian all-rounder Daniel Christian. With Chris Morris already in the squad, it is very unlikely for him to get into the side.

Possible players to be benched: Naman Ojha, Daniel Christian.

The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-akash-ambani-reveals-reason-behind-mi-camps-nervousness-eve-auctions/">Mumbai Indians</a> is another franchise which looked very good at the auctions. They have retained their core team and didn&#8217;t shy away from spending huge amounts on a few players. Just like the Delhi Daredevils, they have a good mix of youth and experience in their squad. They are one of the most successful franchises in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> having won the trophy thrice. Mumbai Indians like their squad big and it wasn&#8217;t any different this time. They filled their team with 25 players.

With a very well settled batting lineup, there isn&#8217;t much of a chance for them to pick Saurabh Tiwary in the XI. He didn&#8217;t perform very well in the previous seasons. Also, the South African all-rounder JP Duminy hasn&#8217;t performed very well in recent times and is out of touch. He is another possibility to be benched along with Sri Lanka&#8217;s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ban-vs-sl-1st-test-day-2-review-dhananjaya-de-silva-lifts-sri-lanka-bangladesh-post-513/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Akila Dhananjaya</a>. The franchises didn&#8217;t show a great interest in the Lankans this year and it is tough for Akila to made it through to the XI.

Possible players to be benched: Saurabh Tiwary, Akila Dhananjaya, JP Duminy.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad by far was the best team at the auction table. They looked very clear with the options they wanted. They went after some players whom they thought will be the top performers for them. SRH has always had problems with their middle-order. Once David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan got out, they always looked vulnerable. They tried many options but none of them proved to be worthy in the long run.

In this auction, they have addressed this biggest issue they have been facing. They got some good players for their middle order with the likes of Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, and Shakib Al Hassan. Yet again, they have got themselves a very formidable bowling attack. With the middle order very settled, they might not be using the services of Kane Williamson this season. They were earlier forced to rope him in due to the instability in the batting. Definitely, this is the boldest of all the predictions in here. They will possibly play a bowling all-rounder as their fourth overseas option. Moreover, Chris Jordon too is very unlikely to make it into the XI.

Possible players to be benched: Kane Williamson, Chris Jordan

The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-unknown-players-of-the-kolkata-knight-riders/">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> looked the most unsettled team after the auctions. They failed to get some good picks and buy some of their previous performers back. They let go, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan who have all been terrific for them. Also, they used their RTM card for Piyush Chawla which took everyone by surprise. And the biggest of all, they failed to pick a good captaincy material in their squad. They also kept their squad size small picking only 19 players.

With all the options available for them, it looks very unlikely that they can accommodate Ishank Jaggi in the playing XI. Having some good all-rounders in the squad, there might be skeptical to go with a pure batsman. Also, Cameron Delport will not find it any easy being an overseas player. Further, KKR has got themselves an abundance of bowling options.

Possible players to be benched: Ishank Jaggi, Cameron Delport

The Rajasthan Royals are also making a comeback into the IPL after two years. They are arguably one of the better teams at the auctions. They have got the big fish, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stokes-to-assist-steve-smith-while-leading-the-rajasthan-royals-manoj-badale/">Ben Stokes</a> into their lineup. Also, they have got themselves a very good captain in Steve Smith. RR has done some great homework before the auction and followed all the top leagues around the world very keenly. They bought some of the top-performers from various leagues into their squad.

The Jaipur-based franchise has made such good picks at the auction that it is a tough call to predict the players who will be sitting out for the whole season. However, Ben Laughlin could be an option who they might not fancy in the playing XI. They have got a good mix of Indian and overseas bowlers and it isn&#8217;t easy to play them all this season. Another option whom them might not be very interested in is Dushmantha Chameera. Although he bowls at a good pace, he hasn&#8217;t got many tricks up his sleeve.

Possible players to be benched: Ben Laughlin, Dushmantha Chameera

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-unknown-players-kings-xi-punjab/">Kings XI Punjab</a> is another team apart from CSK who chose reputation over current form in the auction. They have emptied almost whole of their purse. They picked players like Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and David Miller who aren&#8217;t in the best of their forms. However, they can teat the opposition bowling apart if it is their day. They are all great players and the Punjab team will hope that they will find their touch back before the tournament begins. They also let go Sandeep Sharma who was a very consistent performer for them.

With the kind of squad they have and looking at the amounts that they spent on the players, it seems that they will play most of their players in the tournament at least once. They backed some young talented players to do well for them in this season. They will hope that this new squad will change their fortunes and they are also planning to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-kings-xi-punjab-eye-at-changing-the-teams-name/">change the name of the team</a> as per reports. KXIP might bench Ben Dwarshius and Pardeep Sahu this season.

Possible players to be benched: Ben Dwarshius, Pardeep Sahu

<figure id="attachment_213598" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-213598" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/01/Ben-Dwarshuis.jpg"><amp-img class="wp-image-213598 size-full" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Dwarshuis.jpg" alt="Ben Dwarshuis IPL 2018" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-213598" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Dwarshuis may very well not get a game for the Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming edition of the IPL. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) | CricTracker.com</figcaption></figure>
The 11th edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL 2018) promises to be bigger and better than the previous seasons. All the sides are revamped this season and carry a new look. Iconic players who represented a franchise for many seasons will be seen donning new colors. In the auction, in a bid to revamp their respective teams, the franchises made sure that they spent most of their purse and thereby quelled their satisfaction.
It is a dream for any cricketer to be playing the IPL as most players will be privy to experience they have perhaps not had. However, we have witnessed many players in the past who were picked and then benched for the entire season. Usman Khawaja for instance. With the number of players available in each squad, it is very tough for the management to accommodate all the players in the XI.
<h3>Here is a teamwise analysis of players who will be benched this season:</h3>
<h3>1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-CSK.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217458" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-CSK.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The Chennai Super Kings are making a comeback to the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> after a two-year long wait. At the auction, the Chennai-based franchise decided to go with experience over youth. They added a lot many senior statesmen in their squad whilst retaining the core of their side. However, with so many senior players, we might have to witness a complete revamp of their squad in the next two or three years.
Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo and Lungi Ngidi look to be CSK’s most likely overseas-4 in the playing XI. Hence, we might witness players like Sam Billings and Mitchell Santner benched for this season. CSK don’t require an opener and a wicket-keeper in their XI. So, Sam Billings is very unlikely to make it into the team. Also, with the services of Ravindra Jadeja already available, CSK might think twice to play Mitchell Santner.
Possible players to be benched:&nbsp;Sam Billings and Mitchell Santner 

<h3>2. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)</a></h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-RCB.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217463" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-RCB.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The Royal Challengers Bangalore have yet again studded their batting lineup with many star batsmen. They snapped-up Quinton de Kock and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-auction-brendon-mccullum-responds-after-joining-rcb/">Bredon McCullum</a> in their squad after letting off Chris Gayle and KL Rahul. They have Virat Kohli and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ab-de-villiers-ruled-first-three-odis-india/">AB de Villiers</a> following the openers, something that adds a significant backbone. However, the bowling as always is a weak link for the RCB. They haven’t got a reliable fast bowler who can contain the opposition.
With three overseas players in their top four, it is very tough RCB to accommodate an overseas bowler. AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock are no-brainers in the lineup. Bredon McCullum will most likely take another position. In all likely cases, the fourth overseas slot will be filled by an all-rounder. Kohli will have to sacrifice one of his star batsmen to get a bowler in. So, this season might witness <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/moeen-ali/">Moeen Ali</a> and Tim Southee benched from the RCB squad.
Possible players to be benched: Moeen Ali, Tim Southee

<h3>3. Delhi Daredevils (DD)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-DD.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217459" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-DD.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The Delhi Daredevils have combined their side with a mixture of experience and youth. They were one of the better teams at the auction this year. Also, they roped their former skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/adios-until-we-meet-again-reminiscing-the-7-indelible-years-with-gautam-gambhir/">Gautam Gambhir</a> into the side and is also likely to assume the responsibilities of captaincy as he did with the Knight Riders. They also boast of Ricky Ponting, who is their head coach who had some great success with the Mumbai Indians earlier. With a revamped setup, they will hope that they can change their fortunes in the IPL.
Rishab Pant, who was retained by the Delhi Daredevils will don the wicketkeeping gloves. Pant is also a very good and capable batsman and can provide the side with some great starts. So, there is hardly any chance that the Daredevils will look for any other keeper. This might see Naman Ojha benched for the entire season as he didn’t have a great run in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> so far. The other player who might be benched is the Australian all-rounder Daniel Christian. With Chris Morris already in the squad, it is very unlikely for him to get into the side.
Possible players to be benched: Naman Ojha, Daniel Christian.

<h3>4. Mumbai Indians (MI)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-MI.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217462" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-MI.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-akash-ambani-reveals-reason-behind-mi-camps-nervousness-eve-auctions/">Mumbai Indians</a>&nbsp;is another franchise which looked very good at the auctions. They have retained their core team and didn’t shy away from spending huge amounts on a few players. Just like the Delhi Daredevils, they have a good mix of youth and experience in their squad. They are one of the most successful franchises in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> having won the trophy thrice. Mumbai Indians like their squad big and it wasn’t any different this time. They filled their team with 25 players.
With a very well settled batting lineup, there isn’t much of a chance for them to pick Saurabh Tiwary in the XI. He didn’t perform very well in the previous seasons. Also, the South African all-rounder JP Duminy hasn’t performed very well in recent times and is out of touch. He is another possibility to be benched along with Sri Lanka’s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ban-vs-sl-1st-test-day-2-review-dhananjaya-de-silva-lifts-sri-lanka-bangladesh-post-513/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Akila Dhananjaya</a>. The franchises didn’t show a great interest in the Lankans this year and it is tough for Akila to made it through to the XI.
Possible players to be benched: Saurabh Tiwary, Akila Dhananjaya, JP Duminy.

<h3>5. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-SRH.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217465" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-SRH.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The Sunrisers Hyderabad by far was the best team at the auction table. They looked very clear with the options they wanted. They went after some players whom they thought will be the top performers for them. SRH has always had problems with their middle-order. Once David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan got out, they always looked vulnerable. They tried many options but none of them proved to be worthy in the long run.
In this auction, they have addressed this biggest issue they have been facing. They got some good players for their middle order with the likes of Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, and Shakib Al Hassan. Yet again, they have got themselves a very formidable bowling attack. With the middle order very settled, they might not be using the services of Kane Williamson this season. They were earlier forced to rope him in due to the instability in the batting. Definitely, this is the boldest of all the predictions in here. They will possibly play a bowling all-rounder as their fourth overseas option. Moreover, Chris Jordon too is very unlikely to make it into the XI.
Possible players to be benched: Kane Williamson, Chris Jordan

<h3>6. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-KKR.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217460" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-KKR.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-unknown-players-of-the-kolkata-knight-riders/">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> looked the most unsettled team after the auctions. They failed to get some good picks and buy some of their previous performers back. They let go, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan who have all been terrific for them. Also, they used their RTM card for Piyush Chawla which took everyone by surprise. And the biggest of all, they failed to pick a good captaincy material in their squad. They also kept their squad size small picking only 19 players.
With all the options available for them, it looks very unlikely that they can accommodate Ishank Jaggi in the playing XI. Having some good all-rounders in the squad, there might be skeptical to go with a pure batsman. Also, Cameron Delport will not find it any easy being an overseas player. Further, KKR has got themselves an abundance of bowling options.
Possible players to be benched: Ishank Jaggi, Cameron Delport

<h3>7. Rajasthan Royals (RR)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-RR.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217464" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-RR.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The Rajasthan Royals are also making a comeback into the IPL after two years. They are arguably one of the better teams at the auctions. They have got the big fish, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stokes-to-assist-steve-smith-while-leading-the-rajasthan-royals-manoj-badale/">Ben Stokes</a> into their lineup. Also, they have got themselves a very good captain in Steve Smith. RR has done some great homework before the auction and followed all the top leagues around the world very keenly. They bought some of the top-performers from various leagues into their squad.
The Jaipur-based franchise has made such good picks at the auction that it is a tough call to predict the players who will be sitting out for the whole season. However, Ben Laughlin could be an option who they might not fancy in the playing XI. They have got a good mix of Indian and overseas bowlers and it isn’t easy to play them all this season. Another option whom them might not be very interested in is Dushmantha Chameera. Although he bowls at a good pace, he hasn’t got many tricks up his sleeve.
Possible players to be benched: Ben Laughlin, Dushmantha Chameera

<h3>8. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-kxip.jpg"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217461" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-kxip.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-unknown-players-kings-xi-punjab/">Kings XI Punjab</a> is another team apart from CSK who chose reputation over current form in the auction. They have emptied almost whole of their purse. They picked players like Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and David Miller who aren’t in the best of their forms. However, they can teat the opposition bowling apart if it is their day. They are all great players and the Punjab team will hope that they will find their touch back before the tournament begins. They also let go Sandeep Sharma who was a very consistent performer for them.
With the kind of squad they have and looking at the amounts that they spent on the players, it seems that they will play most of their players in the tournament at least once. They backed some young talented players to do well for them in this season. They will hope that this new squad will change their fortunes and they are also planning to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-kings-xi-punjab-eye-at-changing-the-teams-name/">change the name of the team</a> as per reports. KXIP might bench Ben Dwarshius and Pardeep Sahu this season.
Possible players to be benched:&nbsp;Ben Dwarshius, Pardeep Sahu

<figure id="attachment_213598" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-213598" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/01/Ben-Dwarshuis.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-213598 size-full" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Dwarshuis.jpg" alt="Ben Dwarshuis IPL 2018" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-213598" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Dwarshuis may very well not get a game for the Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming edition of the IPL. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) | CricTracker.com</figcaption></figure>
The 11th edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL 2018) promises to be bigger and better than the previous seasons. All the sides are revamped this season and carry a new look. Iconic players who represented a franchise for many seasons will be seen donning new colors. In the auction, in a bid to revamp their respective teams, the franchises made sure that they spent most of their purse and thereby quelled their satisfaction.
It is a dream for any cricketer to be playing the IPL as most players will be privy to experience they have perhaps not had. However, we have witnessed many players in the past who were picked and then benched for the entire season. Usman Khawaja for instance. With the number of players available in each squad, it is very tough for the management to accommodate all the players in the XI.
<h3>Here is a teamwise analysis of players who will be benched this season:</h3>
<h3>1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/02/BENCHED-CSK.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-217458" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/BENCHED-CSK.jpg" alt width="640" height="448" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a>
The Chennai Super Kings are making a comeback to the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> after a two-year long wait. At the auction, the Chennai-based franchise decided to go with experience over youth. They added a lot many senior statesmen in their squad whilst retaining the core of their side. However, with so many senior players, we might have to witness a complete revamp of their squad in the next two or three years.
Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo and Lungi Ngidi look to be CSK&#8217;s most likely overseas-4 in the playing XI. Hence, we might witness players like Sam Billings and Mitchell Santner benched for this season. CSK don&#8217;t require an opener and a wicket-keeper in their XI. So, Sam Billings is very unlikely to make it into the team. Also, with the services of Ravindra Jadeja already available, CSK might think twice to play Mitchell Santner.
Possible players to be benched: Sam Billings and Mitchell Santner 

<h3>2. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)</a></h3>
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The Royal Challengers Bangalore have yet again studded their batting lineup with many star batsmen. They snapped-up Quinton de Kock and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-auction-brendon-mccullum-responds-after-joining-rcb/">Bredon McCullum</a> in their squad after letting off Chris Gayle and KL Rahul. They have Virat Kohli and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ab-de-villiers-ruled-first-three-odis-india/">AB de Villiers</a> following the openers, something that adds a significant backbone. However, the bowling as always is a weak link for the RCB. They haven&#8217;t got a reliable fast bowler who can contain the opposition.
With three overseas players in their top four, it is very tough RCB to accommodate an overseas bowler. AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock are no-brainers in the lineup. Bredon McCullum will most likely take another position. In all likely cases, the fourth overseas slot will be filled by an all-rounder. Kohli will have to sacrifice one of his star batsmen to get a bowler in. So, this season might witness <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/moeen-ali/">Moeen Ali</a> and Tim Southee benched from the RCB squad.
Possible players to be benched: Moeen Ali, Tim Southee

<h3>3. Delhi Daredevils (DD)</h3>
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The Delhi Daredevils have combined their side with a mixture of experience and youth. They were one of the better teams at the auction this year. Also, they roped their former skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/adios-until-we-meet-again-reminiscing-the-7-indelible-years-with-gautam-gambhir/">Gautam Gambhir</a> into the side and is also likely to assume the responsibilities of captaincy as he did with the Knight Riders. They also boast of Ricky Ponting, who is their head coach who had some great success with the Mumbai Indians earlier. With a revamped setup, they will hope that they can change their fortunes in the IPL.
Rishab Pant, who was retained by the Delhi Daredevils will don the wicketkeeping gloves. Pant is also a very good and capable batsman and can provide the side with some great starts. So, there is hardly any chance that the Daredevils will look for any other keeper. This might see Naman Ojha benched for the entire season as he didn&#8217;t have a great run in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> so far. The other player who might be benched is the Australian all-rounder Daniel Christian. With Chris Morris already in the squad, it is very unlikely for him to get into the side.
Possible players to be benched: Naman Ojha, Daniel Christian.

<h3>4. Mumbai Indians (MI)</h3>
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The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-akash-ambani-reveals-reason-behind-mi-camps-nervousness-eve-auctions/">Mumbai Indians</a> is another franchise which looked very good at the auctions. They have retained their core team and didn&#8217;t shy away from spending huge amounts on a few players. Just like the Delhi Daredevils, they have a good mix of youth and experience in their squad. They are one of the most successful franchises in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/category/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> having won the trophy thrice. Mumbai Indians like their squad big and it wasn&#8217;t any different this time. They filled their team with 25 players.
With a very well settled batting lineup, there isn&#8217;t much of a chance for them to pick Saurabh Tiwary in the XI. He didn&#8217;t perform very well in the previous seasons. Also, the South African all-rounder JP Duminy hasn&#8217;t performed very well in recent times and is out of touch. He is another possibility to be benched along with Sri Lanka&#8217;s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ban-vs-sl-1st-test-day-2-review-dhananjaya-de-silva-lifts-sri-lanka-bangladesh-post-513/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Akila Dhananjaya</a>. The franchises didn&#8217;t show a great interest in the Lankans this year and it is tough for Akila to made it through to the XI.
Possible players to be benched: Saurabh Tiwary, Akila Dhananjaya, JP Duminy.

<h3>5. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)</h3>
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The Sunrisers Hyderabad by far was the best team at the auction table. They looked very clear with the options they wanted. They went after some players whom they thought will be the top performers for them. SRH has always had problems with their middle-order. Once David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan got out, they always looked vulnerable. They tried many options but none of them proved to be worthy in the long run.
In this auction, they have addressed this biggest issue they have been facing. They got some good players for their middle order with the likes of Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, and Shakib Al Hassan. Yet again, they have got themselves a very formidable bowling attack. With the middle order very settled, they might not be using the services of Kane Williamson this season. They were earlier forced to rope him in due to the instability in the batting. Definitely, this is the boldest of all the predictions in here. They will possibly play a bowling all-rounder as their fourth overseas option. Moreover, Chris Jordon too is very unlikely to make it into the XI.
Possible players to be benched: Kane Williamson, Chris Jordan

<h3>6. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</h3>
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The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-unknown-players-of-the-kolkata-knight-riders/">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> looked the most unsettled team after the auctions. They failed to get some good picks and buy some of their previous performers back. They let go, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan who have all been terrific for them. Also, they used their RTM card for Piyush Chawla which took everyone by surprise. And the biggest of all, they failed to pick a good captaincy material in their squad. They also kept their squad size small picking only 19 players.
With all the options available for them, it looks very unlikely that they can accommodate Ishank Jaggi in the playing XI. Having some good all-rounders in the squad, there might be skeptical to go with a pure batsman. Also, Cameron Delport will not find it any easy being an overseas player. Further, KKR has got themselves an abundance of bowling options.
Possible players to be benched: Ishank Jaggi, Cameron Delport

<h3>7. Rajasthan Royals (RR)</h3>
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The Rajasthan Royals are also making a comeback into the IPL after two years. They are arguably one of the better teams at the auctions. They have got the big fish, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stokes-to-assist-steve-smith-while-leading-the-rajasthan-royals-manoj-badale/">Ben Stokes</a> into their lineup. Also, they have got themselves a very good captain in Steve Smith. RR has done some great homework before the auction and followed all the top leagues around the world very keenly. They bought some of the top-performers from various leagues into their squad.
The Jaipur-based franchise has made such good picks at the auction that it is a tough call to predict the players who will be sitting out for the whole season. However, Ben Laughlin could be an option who they might not fancy in the playing XI. They have got a good mix of Indian and overseas bowlers and it isn&#8217;t easy to play them all this season. Another option whom them might not be very interested in is Dushmantha Chameera. Although he bowls at a good pace, he hasn&#8217;t got many tricks up his sleeve.
Possible players to be benched: Ben Laughlin, Dushmantha Chameera

<h3>8. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)</h3>
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<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-unknown-players-kings-xi-punjab/">Kings XI Punjab</a> is another team apart from CSK who chose reputation over current form in the auction. They have emptied almost whole of their purse. They picked players like Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and David Miller who aren&#8217;t in the best of their forms. However, they can teat the opposition bowling apart if it is their day. They are all great players and the Punjab team will hope that they will find their touch back before the tournament begins. They also let go Sandeep Sharma who was a very consistent performer for them.
With the kind of squad they have and looking at the amounts that they spent on the players, it seems that they will play most of their players in the tournament at least once. They backed some young talented players to do well for them in this season. They will hope that this new squad will change their fortunes and they are also planning to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-kings-xi-punjab-eye-at-changing-the-teams-name/">change the name of the team</a> as per reports. KXIP might bench Ben Dwarshius and Pardeep Sahu this season.
Possible players to be benched: Ben Dwarshius, Pardeep Sahu

Here is a look at the players who might possibly be benched for the entire 11th edition of the IPL.

IPL 2018: Team-wise players who will be benched this season

The 11h edition of Indian Premier League is all set to begin in April 2018, and here are the list of players who might be benched in each team.