KPL: Namma Shivamogga bank on experience
The 40-year-old Akhil, who has the experience of playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, will undoubtedly be the key cog in the team.
Bengaluru: The T20 bubble may have burst seven years across the world, with myriad leagues being organised from Pakistan to Australia and now to South Africa. However, Karnataka took on the mantle in the shortest format at an early junction in 2009, in the guise of the Karnataka Premier League (KPL), and the tournament is set to return in its sixth iteration at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on September 1.
The auction has concluded and the league’s seven teams are ready to showcase the state’s promising T20 talent, as Belagavi Panthers and Namma Shivamogga did when they unveiled their squads in a sit-down with the media on Monday.
With a wealth of experience in players who have traditionally performed well on this stage, Shivamogga are eager to show why strength in unity matters more than big names.
“The team is looking to do well this year. We don’t have international cricketers in our ranks, but we have the most experienced players like Sadiq Kirmani (highest run-getter last year), Jonathan and Anirudh Joshi. By far, we are the most experienced side when it comes to match winners,” said captain Akhil Balachandra.
The 40-year-old Akhil, who has the experience of playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, will undoubtedly be the key cog in the team, alongside the Rs 5.8 lakh signing Joshi and R Jonathan, who joined from rivals Mysuru Warriors this season.
Meanwhile, the Panthers go into the competition as one of the early favourites, boasting big names like record purchase K Gowtham (Rs 7.2 lakh), all-rounder Stuart Binny and batsman Manish Pandey.
The latter has a small window to feature for his side, given his national side commitments, but skipper Arvind S highlighted Pandey’s importance. “We’ll definitely miss him. He’s coming back on the Sept. 7, so hopefully, we can have a few games with him. He is our trump card.”
And finally, Binny relished the opportunity of being in the limelight. “As a senior player, it’s important for me to take the young guys ahead with us. My personal goal is to win KPL for the first time. I haven’t won it yet and that’s on my bucket list at the moment,” he surmised.