Published: Apr 10, 2011, 10:22 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 19, 2014, 07:02 PM (IST)
By Dhruv Rupani
In 2010, an auction for the two new teams in the IPL was held. The tournament was to increase in magnitude from eight to 10 teams from the next season onwards. Pune and Kochi came out as the winners with Sahara India Group bagging the Pune franchise and Rendevous Sports Ltd. getting Kochi in their grasp.
Subrato Roy had a dream to form an IPL team, since his company has also been the primary sponsors of the Indian cricket team for over a decade now. Today he is the proud owner of the most expensive team in IPL history. The name of this team has been justified with their performance in the 2011 player auction as, in my book; this is the team to watch out for.
Yuvraj Singh was in their radar after their prime target; Sachin Tendulkar was retained by the Mukesh Ambani-owned Mumbai Indians. The Pune team did their homework very well to realize that Yuvraj’s all-round skills are crucial to being successful in the T20 format. The factor that also led to his selection as captain, after being picked for $1.8 million, is the fact that he made a good leader for Kings XI Punjab in the first two seasons. His fitness has also improved drastically. He is onlyl 29, and has a lot of cricket left in him. Pune is blessed to have the man of the 2011 World Cup.
Ashish Nehra is a worthy pick for $850,000, spearheading Pune’s bowling attack. He was a good bet for the Mumbai Indians in the first season, and his home franchise the Delhi Daredevils in the next two seasons. Although he was a disappointment in the World Cup, T20 is a different format and Nehra with only four overs to bowl.
Angelo Matthews is Sri Lanka’s numero uno all-rounder at the moment, and Pune bid for him well picking him for $950,000. He is a 24-year old cricketer, smart, young and athletic. This is exactly what T20 demands from players. Though he is unfit at the moment, when 100% fit he is a game changer with the bat, bowl and in the field. Kolkata Knight Riders were unfortunate to have Matthews available for only one season for them.
Murali Kartik was a last-minute pick from the Pune Warriors for $400,000, but it’s a brainy pick. Though he is 34, Kartik is one of the most economical bowlers in the IPL, giving away just 6.25 runs per over. He was the backbone of Kolkata’s bowling attack in the first three seasons, and since Pune needs Indian players from other regions, Kartik brings in his skills and experience from English county cricket to good use. The Indian contingent also has youngsters such as Kamran Khan and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, who played for Rajasthan Royals and showed talent they possess.
Manish Pandey and Tim Paine, the young Australian wicket-keeper batsman, can make an attacking opening pair. Of course, there is the former Proteas’ skipper Graeme Smith, who would be refreshed from the World Cup disaster. Smith can be vital with his inputs about leadership, and can assist Yuvraj on the field just as he did for Warne when he was with Rajasthan Royals.
Callum Ferguson and Jesse Ryder form a mouth-watering middle order alongside Yuvraj, if they all play together. Ferguson is still in his early 20s, and has the T20 style of batting, as seen with South Australia. Ryder can be dangerous on his given day, but he needs to keep his fitness in check. Robin Uthappa is of course an obvious choice as wicketkeeper, if required and has a balanced style of batting, but is more or less attacking.
The foreign player reserves impress me further with the likes of Mitchell Marsh, the under-19 World Cup winning captain of Australia, and the younger son of Pune’s head coach Geoff Marsh. There is Nathan McCullum, who can be a handful with his spin and batting at No 7 or No8. Wayne Parnell, Jerome Taylor and Alfonso Thomas complete the bowling depth Pune possesses.
The team might face selection issues as there are several flexible players in the team. However, that can be positive also as T20 is all about gambles and experimentation, and not just safety. There is only one player above the age of 31 in this team. Though, what will be interesting to see is Yuvraj performing as captain once again. Will he have the temperament to deliver with a team with players of the same age as him? And make him follow his command? Subrato Roy would only be hoping that this is a winning combination and Yuvraj should be having the season of his life, by lifting the IPL also, after the World Cup.
