Kulkarni has been the surprise package for Mumbai

MUMBAI: When Kings XI Punjab prepare to face Mumbai Indians, the one key area they will focus on will be the home team’s pace attack led by Lasith Malinga. But after the hosts tripped up Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday, the one man who will be on their radar will be Dhawal Kulkarni. The Mumbai Ranji pacemen rocked the RCB batting to return figures of 3/19. The tall paceman with a compact action has been in the fringes of the India team — he recently made it to the India 'A' side on the back of a brilliant performance in the Ranji Trophy triumph.

With a lively Wankhede pitch expected for the game on Monday, Kulkarni, along with Malinga, will hold the key for the Mumbai Indians.

LIMITED EXPERIENCE

Kulkarni's experience in the T20 league has been limited with few opportunities coming his way. On Saturday, he provided a glimpse of what he can achieve if given a pitch that can complement his strengths, having worked on adding extra pace to his deliveries as well as developing varia- tions. Mumbai Ranji coach Sulakshan Kulkarni believes Kulkarni can only improve with more such opportunities. "The three big wickets of AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli were crucial, but the difference between most bowlers on the domestic circuit and Dhawal is his ability to deceive batsmen with his out swing."

With the foreign batsmen in the Kings XI ranks having struggled, the team are depending heavily on their domestic players. However, the experience gained by Kulkarni in domestic tournaments and his ability to read pitch conditions makes him a potent force.