By Diptayan Hazra

New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): Former India cricketer Sarandeep Singh recently shared his insights on Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, discussing the major squad changes in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR), the two sides who will be locking horns in the season opener today.

Reflecting on RCB's 'inconsistency' in retaining players, Sarandeep called it a major issue while drawing comparisons to the most successful franchises, the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings.

Notably, RCB's release of Mohammed Siraj and Faf du Plessis has remained a talking point, given their decent performance in previous seasons.

'RCB let go of Faf du Plessis, who was scoring runs for them. The problem with RCB is their inconsistency in retaining players. When someone stays with the team for two years and plays international cricket, you should back them instead of letting them go. They should have kept Mohammed Siraj because that's how you build a team--like a family,' Sarandeep Singh, JioStar expert, told ANI.

'Look at Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, who have won multiple titles. They don't change players frequently; they back them for the long run. I know Siraj wasn't performing well, he was getting smacked, and maybe the results weren't ideal, but they still should have supported him for another year,' he added.

'That being said, RCB has made some solid additions with Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. These are big buys, and Bhuvneshwar, in particular, is a match-winning bowler. This year, the combination of Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood will be exciting to watch,' Singh noted.

Reflecting on the major squad changes in KKR, Sarandeep emphasized how the decision to release Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc -- both of whom played crucial roles in their title-winning campaign last year, will affect the team this year.

'There will be a difference with Iyer not being there. Ajinkya Rahane is the new captain, but they have not retained last year's leader. They also let go of Mitchell Starc and Phil Salt. Salt was brilliant at the top with Sunil Narine. Now, KKR must find a new opener, or maybe Ajinkya Rahane will open and Salt will be playing against his former team. It will be interesting to see how he performs against them,' he said.

Being asked about which current IPL captain has the potential to lead India in the future, Sarandeep named two young names.

'Shreyas Iyer is already part of the Indian setup and comes from winning the Champions Trophy. He will be leading Punjab Kings (PBKS) this year. Then, there is Rishabh Pant, captaining Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Both have the potential to lead India in the future. This IPL will be a big platform for them to showcase their leadership skills,' Singh noted.

Delhi has always been a breeding ground for cricketing talent, and this year, multiple young players from the city will feature in the IPL. Sarandeep highlighted a few names who could shine this season.

'Delhi is a big city with thousands of cricketers, and not everyone gets to play Ranji Trophy. The Delhi Premier League (DPL) has been a great platform for players to get noticed. Priyansh Arya, who hit six sixes in an over in the DPL, was picked up by Punjab Kings for Rs4 crore (Rs 3.8 crore) as an uncapped player. Another exciting prospect is Prince Yadav, a fast bowler selected by LSG. Then there's Vansh Bedi, who will play for CSK, and Digvesh Rathi, also picked by LSG. These players will be closely watched this season,' he remarked.

When asked to predict the four teams that will make the playoffs, Sarandeep picked some surprising names.

'My four teams for the IPL 2025 playoffs will be Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad,' he concluded. (ANI)