Hoping for a Knight to remember

Mumbai: If Brendon McCullum exploded in the first-ever IPL match, two years ago, Anil Kumble bamboozled defending champions Rajasthan Royals on the first day of the second edition.

McCullum’s bar-raising 158 not out came at the Chinnaswamy in Bangalore; Kumble’s five for five was scripted at Newlands in Cape Town.

Is it going to be as headline-making on Day I of IPL III, at the Dr D.Y. Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai, on Friday evening?

Those in the business of betting would probably lay a wager on another stunning opening day.

Over the 40 overs that is, not taking into account the hour preceding the first ball, where (among others) Lionel Richie and Deepika Padukone will be holding centre stage.

Given the short history of this T20 tournament, which has quickly impacted big, current holders Deccan Chargers aren’t taking anything for granted.

Last April, after all, they were in the same position as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) — starting an IPL edition from the bottom.

Captain Adam Gilchrist, who helped turn the Chargers’ fortunes around, admitted as much. “I don’t think it’s a mismatch, given the nature of the game and the format.”

Owing to the turmoil in Andhra over the Telengana issue, it’s an adopted home game for the ‘uprooted’ Chargers.

For KKR, things can only get better.

Sourav Ganguly, who is most comfortable being the leader, is back as captain. In John Buchanan’s place is the more conventional (perhaps more sensitive, too) Dav Whatmore.

And, yes, the franchise’s defining colour is now purple, not black.

“The girls like purple and I hope more girls will be supporting us,” principal owner Shah Rukh Khan quipped the other evening.

More supporters alone won’t do, though.

Plenty of planning has, of course, gone into the about-to-begin campaign, but as Sourav pointed out, the key lies in execution.

“This game is all about execution... I believe planning is 10 per cent and execution the remaining 90,” Sourav said.

Sourav doesn’t have the hottest names from overseas at his disposal as yet. There’s no Chris Gayle, no McCullum and no Shane Bond either, but the other franchises have also been affected.

Gilchrist was spot on, when he talked about the “skills of management,” in ensuring that a team wasn’t hit that hard because of the IPL clashing with cricket between nations.

A window, clearly, is needed.

Meanwhile, two positions in the KKR XI hadn’t been decided till late on Thursday.

Either Manoj Tiwary or teenaged Mandeep Singh will open with Brad Hodge; either Rohan Gavaskar or Laxmi Ratan Shukla will take one of the middle-order slots.

According to sources, the Tiwary/Singh decision is going to be influenced by the look of the wicket.

Should it have a fair sprinkling of grass, then the team management will opt for the experienced Tiwary, who was in the Delhi DareDevils’ camp in the first two years.

Even otherwise, because of the occasion, Sourav and Whatmore may just give Tiwary the thumbs-up.

Besides Sourav and Hodge, those certain (barring a review) to feature in the XI are Owais Shah, Cheteshwar Pujara, Angelo Mathews, Wriddhiman Saha, Murali Kartik, Charl Langeveldt and Ishant Sharma.

Ashok Dinda was in the running, but Ishant has got the nod.

Ajit Agarkar, by the way, has developed a right calf strain and is unlikely to be available for the first couple of matches.

Match begins: 8 pm.

Lokendra Pratap Sahi, The Telegraph