Valthaty has caught the eye

By young, I don’t mean young in terms of age but in terms of experience and exposure to top-flight cricket. No one has shone brighter than Paul Valthaty, easily the star of the tournament after his brilliant performances with the bat and the ball.

His century against Chennai Super Kings was an outstanding effort, under tremendous pressure given that Kings XI Punjab needed almost 190 runs for victory, but what was more impressive to me was the way he followed it up with another sterling knock in the next match.

With his superbly crafted innings against Deccan Chargers, Valthaty showed that he is not a one-match wonder. Sometimes, the most difficult thing is to stay in the present. After his century against the defending champions, there was this buzz around Valthaty. He was the name on every lip, and newspapers and television channels predictably went to town.

It would have been easy for someone not used to all this adulation and attention to get carried away. What has been impressive is that Valthaty has remained unaffected by all the praise. His match-winning all-round effort in Hyderabad suggests to me that he has got a very balanced and mature head on his shoulders.

Valthaty is 27, an age where batsmen in India at least have already made a strong case for themselves. In that sense, he is something of a late bloomer, but he has suddenly caught the eye and could well be here to stay, at least in the limited-overs format. He and Ambati Rayudu have been the most impressive of the Indian batsmen who haven’t played for the country in this year’s IPL so far, and while both aren’t spring chickens anymore, if they continue to build on their earlier successes and remain focussed and consistent, I won’t be surprised if greater laurels lie ahead of them.

I was also particularly happy for the way Lakshmipathi Balaji bowled on Sunday night.

Bala showed great promise and potential when he made his international debut more than eight years back, but he has been extremely unfortunate with injuries.

I am sure the Royal Challengers fans are disappointed at the three consecutive losses the team has suffered, but Twenty20 cricket is a very funny game where things can change extremely quickly. One or two victories can turn fortunes around, and that’s precisely what Daniel Vettori and his boys will be thinking going into Tuesday’s match at home against Rajasthan Royals.

Hawkeye/ Chivach Sports