This is a new series begun in Sportzwiki where we profile the top buys of Indian Premier League auction 2014 and dissect the reasons the franchises paid these players such huge money.
We first begin with the Prince of Indian cricket, India’s biggest match winner sans Sachin and Dhoni, YUVRAJ SINGH. He was dropped from the Indian team on account of poor form, yet he generated great interest in this year’s auction and was finally snapped by Royal Challengers’ Bangalore for Rs 14 crores. We take a closer look and try to figure out the reasons why Yuvi went for this price.
- Grand Finisher – Yuvraj in full flow might be too hot for the opposition to handle. His finishing skills need no explanation as he has time and again rescued India from critical situations. In a format like T20, where runs would be the need of the hour, Yuvraj walking at No 4 might stir some butterflies in the opposition. He has all the strokes in his repertoire and using the full backlift of his he can easily clear boundaries.
Crucially Bangalore’s batting paradise might well suit the batting of Yuvi, because he loves the ball coming onto bat. Just as Chris Gayle could not deliver when he was with KKR and blossomed during his regime with RCB , it might be a new beginning for the poster boy of Indian cricket. - All round option – In a format where all rounders are gold, his left arm spin would come in handy. No one can forget the role he played as India’s all rounder in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. That enabled India to play an extra batsman in Suresh Raina which well suited the team balance. He can definitely deliver four overs of left arm spin and might be the rude pie chucker as Kevin Pieterson once famously found out.
- Deliver throughout – Another major aspect of Yuvi’s performance is, once he finds his mojjo he consistently performs throughout the series. Since he thrives on confidence he can extend his batting form in all of the matches. His impact during the 2007 T20 world cup where he was in full flow, in almost most of the matches, the ODI series against Pakistan where he and Dhoni consistently strung partnerships to rescue India, and the 2011 world cup all indicate of his value to the team. For a team like RCB which has not won an IPL title so far he could be the catalyst.
- X – Factor – RCB was lacking the X factor at the middle order with AB having to shoulder most of the burden if Gayle and Virat Kohli fell early. Yuvi can and will almost impose himself on the opposition bowlers. Yuvi batting alongside AB would be a treat to watch as fans could see the left hand and right hand versions of pure classical hitting.
- Brand Value – The IPL teams don’t necessary rely on winning matches to generate revenue. IPL is much more than cricket. His cool demeanor, cassanova image and his name would generate more brand value to the RCB team. With already Virat and Gayle, they also have the services of Yuvi. One can expect adverts featuring these and as KKR and Shah Rukh Khan showed, with the right amount of publicity and marketing they can make huge money. No better person than Vijay Mallaya who knows a thing or two about publicities.
