Kiwi stars help Vettori meet the challenge
Imagine a pick-up game where you get to sign your mates, play a tournament in full cricket stadiums and pay them hundreds of thousands to do it.
It’s not quite that simple, but coach Daniel Vettori certainly went to those he knows best in assembling his Royal Challengers Bangalore roster for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 after their baffling last-placed finish last year.
The former Black Caps skipper has exactly half New Zealand’s IPL contingent for this year’s edition starting early tomorrow: Brendon McCullum, Tim Southee, Colin de Grandhomme and Corey Anderson.
He raised the paddle at
NZ$770,000 for McCullum at January’s auction, and added de Grandhomme for $470,000 and Southee at the second chance auction for his reserve of $214,000. McCullum and Southee are two of Vettori’s closest chums and played for him at Middlesex last year.
Anderson, after a long layoff due to back surgery, got lucky last month when Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile was ruled out with injury and Vettori snapped the allrounder up as a replacement, for his reserve of
$418,000.
Described by ESPNCricinfo as the IPL’s ‘‘perennial underachievers’’, Vettori has another powerhouse roster to weave some magic with. With captain Virat Kohli, star legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and other overseas players AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali there are no shortage of options for the top XI where he can field only four imports.
De Grandhomme and Anderson will probably compete for one spot, as will Southee and Woakes.
Of their 2017 woes, Vettori said on the RCB website: ‘‘We had a lot of injuries and we had a wicket that we didn’t adapt to. The pitch seems to have improved this season.’’
Two of New Zealand’s top T20 exponents Trent Boult and Colin Munro join the Ricky Ponting-coached Delhi Daredevils who also underwhelmed last year, finishing sixth. Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris and Jason Roy are their other prominent imports.
In Hyderabad there was upheaval when captain David Warner was handed a year-long ban by Cricket Australia after the ball-tampering scandal. The IPL concurred, and it meant Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson, purchased for $640,000, was handed the reins and powerhitting opener Alex Hales replaced Warner.
The Sunrisers finished fourth last year and were champions in
2016.
Mitchell McClenaghan completes the New Zealand contingent after he was a surprise omission at the auction. He got a reprieve from defending champions Mumbai Indians last month as an injury replacement for Australian Jason Behrendorff.
For bookmakers it’s a guessing game and Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore are joint favourites ahead of opening weekend. The final is scheduled for May 27.
Coach Stephen Fleming’s Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals return from twoyear bans for the betting activities of some officials, showing there’s no competition quite like the IPL. Rising Pune Supergiant, the sub franchise for Chennai, were beaten finalists last year under Fleming and Steve Smith who joins Warner on the sidelines.
Chennai will be without Black Caps spinner Mitchell Santner who got his first IPL contract in January but is sidelined by knee surgery.
It’s a thinner New Zealand contingent after Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry weren’t re-signed at auction.