Abu Dhabi: Virat Kohli, on a high after being named player of the tournament in the recently-concluded World Twenty20, will be aiming to take Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a maiden IPL title this season.
In this year’s auction, RCB recruited six overseas players and, in all probability, their retained big-impact players Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers will always figure in the playing XI. Gayle and De Villiers on their day can tear apart any opposition and they will hold the key to RCB’s success.
However, the biggest worry will be their big-money signing Yuvraj Singh. The left-hander had to face the wrath of India’s fans following his pedestrian innings in India’s World T20 final loss to Sri Lanka in Bangladesh. Yuvraj struggled to put bat to ball and chewed up precious deliveries as he scored just 11 off 21 deliveries, leading to some upset fans pelting his house with stones.
But Yuvraj has the experience of leading India to two World Cup titles — the 2007 World T20 and in the 50-over format in 2011. The all-rounder, who battled cancer before making a comeback, is known for his fighting qualities but this recent jolt would have hurt him dearly. It will be interesting to see if he is in the right frame of mind to make an impact.
The presence of Parthiv Patel in the ranks adds more depth to the batting and it also offers Kohli the option of having an extra stumper, in case he doesn’t want to persist with de Villiers.
Good-time for youngsters
Among the youngsters who can make an impact is India Under-19 captain Vijay Zol. This season will be a great learning curve for Zol, especially under the aggressive skipper Kohli. Other prospects are Kuldeep Singh Yadav, Anureet Singh and Shardul Thakur, while Haryana player Sachin Rana is capable of make his bat talk.
The bowling department also has a great mixture of youth and experience, with Mitchell Starc, Albie Morkel, Ravi Rampaul, Muttiah Muralitharan and Nic Maddinson all figuring in the list.
Also figuring in the long list of bowlers is Ashoke Dinda and Varun Aaron.
The decision to recruit Murali again is, however, a big surprise considering he only figured in six matches last year. Paying $21,700 (Dh79,704) for the Sri Lankan legend and then leaving him on the bench is a waste. Hopefully, RCB will have some plans for the veteran spinner this time round.
