*Royal Challengers Bangalore, along with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, were the favourite whipping boys in the inaugural edition in 2008, finishing seventh and eighth respectively in the eight-team league.
*
In the second edition, held in South Africa, the two southern sides turned the calculations upside down to set up the title clash. Royal Challengers, led by the inimitable Anil Kumble, after taking over the reins from Kevin Pietersen, couldn't lay their hands on the trophy but since then they have firmly entrenched themselves as one of the top teams in the high-profile tournament.
The title, though, has remained elusive for the Bangalore side despite making two finals (2009 and 2011). While they gained opponents' respect post the second edition, the addition of Chris Gayle to their ranks has put them on a different pedestal altogether. The big Jamaican, who was roped in almost mid-way through their campaign in the fourth year, has provided a different dimension to Challengers' batting with his fearsome hitting.
Reeling out boundaries as if it were a child's play, the left-hander has induced the fear of god among rival bowlers. So much so that there is almost an impression that Challengers' batting starts and ends with Gayle. While it is true that few can match Gayle's ability to turn a match on its head, the likes of Virat Kohli, now the full-fledged skipper of the side, AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan (though his place in the 11 isn't assured) can be equally devastating on their days. Who can forget de Villiers' dismantling of Dale Steyn in the last edition in Bangalore!
The powerful batting also has this uncanny ability to implode on occasions. Their failure to chase down a modest 130-plus target in their final league match against Chargers cost them a place in the play-offs. The middle-order has shown a habit of crumbling with Saurabh Tiwary blowing more cold than hot.
It's, however, the bowling that was more bothering the last time around. With the injury cloud on Zaheer Khan, the bowling still appears iffy despite some reinforcements in the form of pacemen Ravi Rampaul, Jaydev Unadkat and RP Singh and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik. Striking balance in this department will also be a tricky business for RCB. It may be recalled that in order to accommodate Muttiah Muralitharan in the side, their former captain Daniel Vettori often had to sit out to meet the four-foreign-players-only stipulation. Vinay Kumar has proved he is one of the smartest operators in this format but his wicket-taking abilities are often off-set by his profligacy. He needs to be more economical to prove more effective.
Key players: Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.
Best performance: Finalists (2009 and 2011).
Worst performance: Seventh (2008).
The squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Saurabh Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara, Daniel Vettori, Muttiah Muralitharan, Zaheer Khan, Murali Kartik, A Mithun, R Vinay Kumar, KB Arun Karthik, Syed Mohammed, Harshal Patel, KP Appanna, Karun Nair, Vijay Zol, Andrew McDonald, Prasanth Parameswaran, Sunny Sohal, Abhinav Mukund, Christopher Barnwell, Daniel Christian, Moises Henriques, Pankaj Singh, R P Singh, Ravi Rampaul, Sandeep Warrier, Sheldon Jackson, S Arvind. Reported by Deccan Herald 5 hours ago.
*
In the second edition, held in South Africa, the two southern sides turned the calculations upside down to set up the title clash. Royal Challengers, led by the inimitable Anil Kumble, after taking over the reins from Kevin Pietersen, couldn't lay their hands on the trophy but since then they have firmly entrenched themselves as one of the top teams in the high-profile tournament.
The title, though, has remained elusive for the Bangalore side despite making two finals (2009 and 2011). While they gained opponents' respect post the second edition, the addition of Chris Gayle to their ranks has put them on a different pedestal altogether. The big Jamaican, who was roped in almost mid-way through their campaign in the fourth year, has provided a different dimension to Challengers' batting with his fearsome hitting.
Reeling out boundaries as if it were a child's play, the left-hander has induced the fear of god among rival bowlers. So much so that there is almost an impression that Challengers' batting starts and ends with Gayle. While it is true that few can match Gayle's ability to turn a match on its head, the likes of Virat Kohli, now the full-fledged skipper of the side, AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan (though his place in the 11 isn't assured) can be equally devastating on their days. Who can forget de Villiers' dismantling of Dale Steyn in the last edition in Bangalore!
The powerful batting also has this uncanny ability to implode on occasions. Their failure to chase down a modest 130-plus target in their final league match against Chargers cost them a place in the play-offs. The middle-order has shown a habit of crumbling with Saurabh Tiwary blowing more cold than hot.
It's, however, the bowling that was more bothering the last time around. With the injury cloud on Zaheer Khan, the bowling still appears iffy despite some reinforcements in the form of pacemen Ravi Rampaul, Jaydev Unadkat and RP Singh and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik. Striking balance in this department will also be a tricky business for RCB. It may be recalled that in order to accommodate Muttiah Muralitharan in the side, their former captain Daniel Vettori often had to sit out to meet the four-foreign-players-only stipulation. Vinay Kumar has proved he is one of the smartest operators in this format but his wicket-taking abilities are often off-set by his profligacy. He needs to be more economical to prove more effective.
Key players: Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.
Best performance: Finalists (2009 and 2011).
Worst performance: Seventh (2008).
The squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Saurabh Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara, Daniel Vettori, Muttiah Muralitharan, Zaheer Khan, Murali Kartik, A Mithun, R Vinay Kumar, KB Arun Karthik, Syed Mohammed, Harshal Patel, KP Appanna, Karun Nair, Vijay Zol, Andrew McDonald, Prasanth Parameswaran, Sunny Sohal, Abhinav Mukund, Christopher Barnwell, Daniel Christian, Moises Henriques, Pankaj Singh, R P Singh, Ravi Rampaul, Sandeep Warrier, Sheldon Jackson, S Arvind. Reported by Deccan Herald 5 hours ago.