Kochi: After all the hiccups Kochi has its own team to to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2011-12 season. The team management has bought 17 players for $7.79 million. Can they deliver it for Kochi? Can they form the potent potion that can pause serious threat to the other teams? Let us take a look.
Everybody agrees that Twenty20 cricket is the most unpredictable form of the game and the big-spenders in the first IPL season were left in the lurch as the lowest-ranked team as far as star value is concerned, clinched the title, thanks to the magic of the Australian spin wizard Shane Warne and his leadership qualities. So no prediction can come true. However we will be looking whether the team selection has any serious flaws.
Let us start by taking a look at some of the individual talents the team has bought at the player auction.
The first and the big purchase Kochi made was Mahela Jayawardene, former Sri Lankan captain, for $1.5 million. Jayawardene was a born-again player in the last edition of the IPL and that was the reason why the team spent so much money on him. He is a no nonsense cricketer who is likely to lead the Kochi team. The certitude with which he dispatched the deliveries for his last season's team KXI,Punjab, was truly awesome. If he can replicate his last year's form the money is very well spent. He is one of the two players in this side who, at least on paper, can siglehandedly change the course of a T20 match.
Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand wicket-keeper is perhaps the most destructive batsman the team has purchased. The team got him for $475,000. Like Mahela, he too has the potential to turn the outcome of the match on his own. But it is not know how long he is available. But if he lives up to his reputation he is likely to give the most value for money as there is already a talk that Kochi was so lucky to get him for such a price.
Ravindra Jadeja, the former Rajasthan Royals player was one of the youngsters moulded by Shane Warne. The team paid $950,000 for the player, who was suspended from the IPL for non-cricketing reasons. Spending so much money on Jadeja is perhaps the most controversial decision taken by the team. The onus is on Jadeja to prove that he is worthy of the payment.
Perhaps the other controversial decision is to spend $400,000 on VVS Laxman. The amiable Hyderabadi is gem of a player as far as Test cricket is concerned. But India have not been considering him even for ODIs for a long time forget about T20s. But with the fragile nature of the Kochi top order he is a certainty to take field. He did not make any spectacular contribution to his former team Deccan Chargers either. The team management may have some special plan for this very very special Test player.
Parthiv Patel, the former Indian wicket-keeper was bought for $290,000. This Baroada man was rated as one of the best young talents in the country. More in the mould of Kiran More and Nayan Mongia, India had great expectations of this baby-faced stumper. Once the Dhoni-days dawned he was left in the lurch. He is the second keeper for the Kochi team and is expected to take field as batsman and may take up his duty behind the sticks only when McCullum is not playing. Like Laxman he too appears to be a lackluster choice for the slam bang game.
The prize catch for Kochi on the bowling front is the Sri Lankan offie Muttiah Muralitharan. He was bought for $1.1m. The ageing warhorse is likely to be treated with respect by the opposition at least in the first year. He has tricks aplenty up his sleeve to keep the opposition guessing. He is perhaps one of the better signings by the team especially with its bowling department looking so weak. He is arguably the most containing as well as attacking bowler the team has.
It was inevitable that S. Sreesanth, the local lad was bought by the Kochi team. The team paid him $900,000. He has made a big comeback to international cricket recently and has been doing well. He even got his place back in the ODI team of India. He was also a part of the T20 World Cup winning Indian team. He did not have any spectacular IPL seasons so far. Being an attacking bowler and not a containing one, Sree, as he is fondly called, may concede some runs. But if he can compensate it by taking wickets, he can prove himself to be a good buy.
His new ball partner will be RP Singh whom the team got for $500,000. Like Parthiv Patel much was expected of this left-arm seamer by India. He is not a regular member of the national team nowadays. But he did bowl his heart out in some of the IPL matches for his former team the Deccan Chargers. The biggest issue with him for the team will be his fitness. He is so injury-prone.
The two other Indian players in the side are Ramesh Powar ($180,000), Vinay Kumar ($475,000). We may expect Vinay may have a greater role to play.
As we said earlier the team has signed 17 players out of which 10 are foreigners. The imbalance of the team becomes apparent when we realise that only four foreigners will be allowed to play in a match. (Of course, Kochi will get more Indian players as they can get a total of 30 players but they will be untested entities).
The foreign players we haven't mentioned are Brad Hodge ($425,000), Owais Shah ($200,000), Michael Klinger ($75,000) Steve O'Keefe ($20,000) Steven Smith ($200,000), Thisara Perera ($80,000) and John Hastings ($20,000)
The team may expect a dark horse to emerge from these foreign players to transform it to a champion side than an also-ran.
Batting: An exceptionally good bowling line-up can rip through the top order. Except for Jayawardene or McCullum there will not be a lot of attack or defecne. Is that not enough for a T20 game? Only time can tell. And there is the possibility of a self-changed cricketer taking it upon himself and change the course of the match for the side. Can the team expect something like that from Laxman? Can he transform himself from a Test purist to an out and out improviser? This need not come from Laxman alone. It can come from anyone and Kochi fans will be hoping that someone will lift himself and do it for the team.
The team doesn't have a player with the ability to play an outlandish innings and transform the course of the game, e la Yusuf Pathan. Although on paper McCullum and Jayawardane can do that, the team may give them a more responsible roles especially with the overall fragility of the batting line up.
Bowling turn out to be the weakest part of the team in the long run. Except for Murali the opposition batsmen may not lose their sleep over the bowlers of Kochi. As in the batting the team may hope for the emergence of an unlikely hero from the known or unknown bowlers of the side.
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