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RCB thrive on home-grown talent

Last Updated 24 May 2009, 16:30 IST

Unlike other IPL teams, Bangalore preferred to bank more on Karnataka players in the inaugural edition than importing them from other parts of the country. The results, however, were disastrous as the team finished a rung above bottom, with the local talent offering precious little.

While lack of firepower among the foreign buys was one of the main reasons for the debacle, local players’ inability to string together consistent performances didn’t help Bangalore’s cause either. Credit should go to Rahul Dravid, captain during the ill-fated inaugural campaign, for giving opportunities to young Karnataka players, but his noble intentions didn’t bear the desired fruit.

Cut to the second season in South Africa, and it’s a different story altogether. Obviously, the much-hyped Robin Uthappa, swapped with the Mumbai Indians for Zaheer Khan, has been a big letdown but the likes of Manish Pandey, R Vinay Kumar, B Akhil and to an extent KP Appanna have played their part in shaping the Royal Challengers’ stirring run.

The performances of Dravid with the bat and Anil Kumble with the ball -- apart from the small matter of leading the team when everything was going downhill -- aren’t a big surprise given their credentials. What is certainly heart-warming is the lesser-known Karnataka youngsters coming to the party.

Quality bowling

Kumble himself has gone on record singling out Vinay’s quality pace bowling up front.

The 25-year-old medium-pacer’s seven wickets, including Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, from 10 matches may not fire the imagination, but in the context of the team’s performances, they have been vital.

All-rounder Akhil has blown hot and blown cold, but his miserly spell against Deccan Chargers in the last league match was a major factor in Challengers clinching victory.     

It is, however, the 19-year-old Pandey’s exploits at the top of the order that has been a revelation.

Like Uthappa, Pandey too is an import from the Mumbai Indians but unlike his senior mate, this son of an Army officer has justified the faith. His breathtaking unbeaten century -- the first by an Indian in the IPL -- against the Chargers and his stylish 48 against the Super Kings in the semifinals earned him consecutive man of the match awards, underlining the increasing influence of local players within the Challengers set-up.

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(Published 24 May 2009, 16:30 IST)

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