The Bangalore Royal Challengers
March 29th 2008 16:36
Finally - I have got round to profiling the teams for the Indian Premier League. We start with the IT capital of the World - Bangalore. The team is headed up by Indian test superstar Rahul Dravid. Here is the squad in full
1. Rahul Dravid
Captain
Age 35 years 60 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm offbreak
Dravid might average well over 50 in test cricket and might stoically see off some of the most feared bowling attacks but a fast entertaining scorer - he sure ain't. The fact he is no longer a member of the national one day side is testimony to that. He has the nickname of the "The Wall" pity for Bangalore it isn't something like "the bazooka" - can also keep wickets
2. Abdur Razzak
Age 25 years 270 days
Batting Left-hand bat
Bowling Slow left-arm orthodox
Left Arm spinner from Bangladesh - has a good solid record in one day cricket - will be interesting to see how he copes with the hurly burly of the truncated game.
Balachandra Akhil
Age 30 years 156 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm medium-fast
Veteran of the Indian Domestic scene - can bat and bowl with good strike rates in both disciplines at domestic level.
KP Appanna
Age 19 years 82 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Left-arm slow
Young untried left arm spinner - only played at domestic level in India
Jagadeesh Arunkumar
Age 33 years 53 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm offbreak
Domestic journeyman with a long record in Indian cricket though never to grace the international stage. Classy batsman.
Mark Boucher
Age 31 years 99 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm medium
South Africa's wicket keeper holds the record for dismissals in test cricket. He also is a punishing right hand batsman who has played many fine rescue innings in the lower middle order for his national side. Can hit the ball hard and long.
Nathan Bracken
Age 30 years 181 days
Playing role Bowler
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Left-arm fast-medium
Bracken has a superb record for Australia in limited overs cricket - he is a wily exponent of the art of bowling and uses both variation in movement and speed to deceive batsman. One feeels he will be a great asset for the side.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Age 33 years 208 days
Playing role Batsman
Batting Left-hand bat
Bowling Legbreak
Veteran West Indian batsman who has a great record at test level but might struggle to score quickly enough at the Twenty20 - still could be a valuable player
Bharat Chipli
Age 25 years 44 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm medium
Domestic Indian cricketer with a lot to prove - Solid but not spectacular results to date and no international experience.
Shreevats Goswami
Wicketkeeper
Age 18 years 298 days
Batting Left-hand bat
Another teenager who keeps wicket at under19 level. Left hand bat will be a handy back up to Mark Boucher
Wasim Jaffer
Age 30 years 24 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm offbreak
A star in Indian domestic cricket who hasn't lived up to expectations in the International test arena - more of a defensive player who will need to lift his scoring rate in this form of the game.
Sunil Joshi
Age 37 years 279 days
Batting Left-hand bat
Bowling Slow left-arm orthodox
Veteran left arm spinner with a lot of experience at domestic level. Never really made the grade internationally but gets another chance in Twenty20
Jacques Kallis
Age 32 years 147 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm fast-medium
For many years now the outstanding allrounder of international cricket. The broad South African has more than 9000 runs and 200 wickets in both test and one day cricket. No doubting his ability with the bat but will have to score faster to be effective in this form. Bowling will be a very handy addition as will his reliable catching hands.
Zaheer Khan
Age 29 years 156 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Left-arm fast-medium
The elder statesman of India's faster bowlers - might have been overtaken by the younger brigade at international level but will be able to show his wares here. He has a good test and one day record but can be a touch on the expensive side.
Virat Kohli
Age 19 years 127 days
Playing role Lower middle order batsman
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm medium
Exciting teenager who has shown he can make it in all forms of the game at a domestic level.
Praveen Kumar
Age 21 years 161 days
Playing role Bowler
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm medium
Showed unbelievable maturity on the recent Indian tour to Australia and troubled the might Australian top order continually - will spearhead the Bangalore attack.
Anil Kumble
Age 37 years 146 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Legbreak googly
Kumble is the Indian test captain and has been the mainstay of the Indian bowling attack. Ranks only behind Muralitharan and Warne as great spinners. Doesn't make the cut for the international one day side anymore. This form of the game might also have passed him by.
Misbah-ul-Haq
Age 33 years 288 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Legbreak
Punishing veteran Pakistani right hand batsman with an outstanding record at Twenty 20 cricket. Will definitey be one to watch.
Devraj Patil
Age 23 years 96 days
Batting Right-hand bat
An Indian one day right hand bat who can also keep wickets. Has a good record as a fast scorer at domestic level.
Dale Steyn
Age 24 years 258 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm fast
Young South African fast bowler with an outstanding record as a fast bowler in both tests and one day internationals. Will be a key member of the bowling attack.
Ross Taylor
Age 24 years 3 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm offbreak
Dynamic young New Zealand opening batsman who is a fast aggressive scorer - look for him to open the batting for this team. A good field.
Vinay Kumar
Age 24 years 28 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm medium
Local Karnataka batsman with a good record domestically in the shorter forms of the game. Might break through into this side
Cameron White
Age 24 years 206 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Legbreak googly
The tall Australian has been called on at international level to do some late order big hitting. Captain of the Victorian team in Australian domestic cricket is still also learning his trade as a legspinner. Also a great fielder but its his big hitting batting that will wow the crowds.
Venkatesh Prasad
Coach
Age 38 years 219 days
Batting Right-hand bat
Bowling Right-arm medium-fast
Veteran Indian paceman not long out of the game.
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