A brand new squad is now saddled with the task of rising to the challenge in the Indian Premier League. The regulars over the past three seasons have moved and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), low on local flavour, has the unenviable task of extending its evolutionary progress with skipper Daniel Vettori expected to continue the good work of his illustrious predecessor — Anil Kumble.
The team has surely come a long way since 2008 when it finished seventh in the eight-team league. RCB's turnaround in the subsequent years was nothing short of dramatic as Kumble injected steel within the team. Finalist in 2009 and semifinalist in 2010 were an apt reflection of the team's credentials.
However 2011 has blown in the winds of change. Virat Kohli was the lone cricketer from the earlier squads, who was retained by the RCB management ahead of the player auction at Bangalore in January. Kumble will now get busy with his role of being the ‘chief mentor'.
During the auction, players like Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Dale Steyn and Ross Taylor were lost to other teams as owner Vijay Mallya opted for a fresh set-up. Even the local content has been diluted as R. Vinay Kumar and B. Akhil were whisked away by other squads.
The lone international player from the Karnataka ranks within the team now is Abhimanyu Mithun but coach Ray Jennings believes that the all-new RCB has what it takes to succeed.
“Players like Vettori and A.B. de Villiers give more than they receive,” Jennings said.
The Bangalore outfit has the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Saurabh Tiwary to augment its talent and the bowling features the crafty Zaheer Khan while Tillakaratne Dilshan adds zing to the batting.
The team may sport a fresh air but its fervour for battling it out will remain at a high with Kumble keeping a close watch.
