It's that time of the year when fan wars become a norm. Yes, it's time for another season of the Indian Premier League. Before previewing and analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the ten teams, let's give you a brief on the major talking points in the lead-up to IPL 2024.

Oh, and all Bazball sympathisers, it's time to concede defeat. India hammered England 4-1 to kill the hype around England's much-talked-about approach to Test cricket.

Also, it's time to credit the BCCI for trying to put Test cricket where it belongs with their new 'Test cricket incentive scheme'. More on it is on www.indiatoday.in/sports.
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The most significant talking point is Rishabh Pant's return. The Delhi Capitals star has been declared fit to keep wickets in the new IPL season by the BCCI medical team. Should the Capitals hand over the responsibility of captaincy to Pant or allow him to ease back into competitive cricket?

Regardless of how he performs on his return, Pant has to be lauded for his courage and grit to recover as quickly as he has from a life-threatening car crash.

What about Chennai Super Kings? Will this be MS Dhoni's last season? If so, who will the 5-time champions look to as their future leader? Do they have someone in their squad to take over from Dhoni, or will they bring someone to the mega auction in 2025? Is Rohit Sharma an option?

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari share a glimpse of what will happen in this space in the coming weeks.

Tune in!

Produced by Sachin Dwivedi