12 March,2010 05:30 PM IST | | MiD DAY Team
BANGALORE ROYAL CHALLENGERS
JACQUES KALLIS: The South African all rounder, who can be lethal with bat and ball, will play a major role in leading the Royal Challengers to the top slot.
MANISH PANDEY: He remains the only Indian to score a century in the IPL - an unbeaten 114 against the Deccan Chargers last year. The 20-year old would hold high stakes when he heads to bat in IPL 3.
VIRAT KOHLI: The 21-year old who made a mark recently by scoring centuries against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would be a player to watch this season. His blistering fielding skills and hard-hitting abilities would make him a key player for the Royal Challengers.
EOIN MORGAN: An up and coming Englishman, who should prove his worth. The young middle-order batsman can be explosive as he has shown with several match-winning efforts in England.
DALE STEYN: South Africa's premier fast bowler Dale Steyn recently ripped through the Indian batting line up in the Nagpur Test and will hold the key to the bowling line up. He is also a capable hitter of the ball.
CAMERON WHITE: All-rounder, Cameron White is currently the flavour of the season in Australian cricket and his run fest could continue in the third season of the IPL as well.
KEVIN PIETERSEN: England's highest-profile IPL player (whopping $4 million for a three-year-stint) will look to reaffirm his status as chief destroyer for the team this season.
ROSS TAYLOR: Known for his explosive batting, Taylor has been a match-winner in many wins last season. He has one of the highest strike-rates among the RCB batsmen and is known to be a 'finisher'.
ABHIMANYU MITHUN: A young fast bowler who has been included in the Indian Test squad after emphatic performances in his first Ranji Trophy season could make a huge impact in the IPL too.
MARK BOUCHER: Safe behind the wickets and very dangerous in front of them. Boucher is an asset to any side and he can play an important role coming in late in the innings where he can up the scoring rate or chase down a tough total.
ANIL KUMBLE: His role as a bowler will be just as important as his influence as a skipper. Gutsy and dedicated, the legendary leggie will be key to the side's fortunes.
RAHUL DRAVID: Local boy and one of India's most dependable batsmen has shown that he can be a force in T20 cricket after what he did in South Africa last year.
ROBIN UTHAPPA: The blazing opener's show in the second edition was a bit disappointing but he has the ability to have a huge impact on the game against any kind of attack.
PRAVEEN KUMAR: A genuine swing bowler, PK has been quite successful in the shortest version of the game despite not having a great deal of pace. Possessing a good cricketing brain, he has the ability to outfox the batsman.
R VINAY KUMAR: A classical medium pacer who relies on swing and control rather than pace. Experience on the domestic circuit has made him a very wise bowler and is a good reader of the game as well.
ROEOF VAN DER MERWE: A bowling all-rounder, Van der Merwe is a very handy left-arm spinner. He could have a key role to play for the side. He is a very handy batsman capable of hitting the ball a long way.
KP Apanna
D du Preez
B Akhil
B Kumar
S Sriram
Steven Smith
Sreevats Goswami
