From the iSport Cricket Paddock: With the IPL fever catching up, iSporter Rajas Joshi makes his debut on the iSport's Cricket Paddock with a piece on his favourite Mumbai Indians team and picks two of its ace players. Read on.
All-rounders play a pivotal role in all forms of cricket, but more so in the shorter versions as they give teams the flexibility to choose an extra batsman or bowler. There are some fine all-rounders on display in the Indian Premier League, but Mumbai Indians seem to have the edge there with the likes of Keiron Pollard, Graham Napier and Dwayne Bravo. While Bravo’s credentials don’t need to be stated as he is a proven match-winner, we take a look at Napier and Pollard, who will both be expected to play a huge role in the Mumbai Indians team in IPL-3.
Napier, a produce of the Essex youth system, has made a mark as an all-rounder in County cricket, especially in the limited over’s format. His aggressive style of batting coupled with his nippy medium-pace bowling makes him a perfect T20 player. Napier, the second highest English Twenty20 wicket-taker with 88 scalps in 63 matches, can not only prove his ace bowling skills but also be an effective batsman. He has scored a magnificent 152 of just 58 balls against Sussex in the Twenty20 Cup in 2008 which included a world record 16 sixes along with the maximum runs in an innings from boundaries (136) in a T20 game.
Though he hasn’t played many games for the Mumbai Indians, his experience in playing for Essex and Central District (New Zealand) makes him a vital player to have in the playing 11. Unfortunate not to be picked in the 30-man England preliminary squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, Napier is a man on a mission as he has decided to take this opportunity “to show the England selectors what they are missing out on”. I feel Napier, a true match winner that he is, should be playing in as many matches as possible and should also be given the license to play his natural game.
Pollard, the big swashbuckling all-rounder from the Caribbean was one of the most expensive buys of the IPL-3 auction for a reason. This right handed bloke knows only one way to bat – to try and clear the ropes! This hard hitting batsman can tear apart any bowling attack in the world on his day as he showed in the Champions League T20, where he played for Trinidad & Tobago.
Sachin can use Pollard as a floater in the batting order depending on what the situation demands. One of the scintillating out fielders in modern cricket, he is more than just a handy medium pacer, who has the ability to take wickets as well as restrict the scoring when needed. Pollard is almost a certainty in the team once he is back from the series against Zimbabwe and will be out to prove he is worth for every penny spent on him!
T20 is no doubt a format that belongs to the all-rounders, and in Napier and Pollard, Mumbai Indians have two players, who have the ability to thrill spectators and win matches for their side almost singlehandedly, with bat and ball! This deadly duo will be the ones to watch out for as they come out on the field in deep blue with golden stripes, with a truly ‘Duniya Hila Denge’ attitude! Would you agree?
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