IPL 2016 betting preview: Royal Challengers Bangalore the team to beat in ninth season

The ninth season of the Indian Premier League gets underway with the Mumbai Indians taking on debutant franchise Rising Pune Supergiants at the Wankhede Stadium on 9 April.

Pune, led by India captain MS Dhoni, pack plenty of batting power, with the likes of Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane and Kevin Pietersen in their ranks. However, their lack of bowling strength is a concern. They are placed at 5/1 by Betfair to go all the way in their inaugural campaign.

Defending champions Mumbai made a major statement by capturing England's Jos Buttler, while the rise of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya in the recently-concluded World T20 tournament bodes them well. They are backed at 5/1 to successfully defend their title.

In Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and Samuel Badree, Royal Challengers Bangalore boast both world class batting and bowling talent, and are priced at 16/5 to clinch their first IPL title.

The Suresh Raina-led Gujarat Lions, the other new entrant in this year's competition, are 8/1 to win the tournament.

Kohli and Gayle are evenly-priced at 5/1 to be the top run scorer in the tournament, with Kevin Pietersen at 11/2 and Jos Buttler at 13/1.