Riders in the making

29th May 2008

The Kolkata Knight Riders did not have a lasting impact in the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL), but local boys Ashok Dinda, Wridhhiman Saha and Debabrata Das have certainly found room in the limelight.

Dinda's debut in the IPL will be remembered by many and treasured by the pacer himself. In a match-winning performance against Bangalore Royal Challengers, Dinda took 2 crucial wickets conceding only 9 runs. In the 13 IPL games that he played for his side, he took nine wickets with a decent economy rate of 6.67.

He made his first class appearance in the 2005-06 season and was a routine member of the Bengal team that made it to the final of the Ranji Trophy next year. The fast bowler was glad that 'Dada' (Sourav Ganguly) entrusted him with the responsibility along with other bowlers like Ajit Agarkar, Ishant Sharma and others in the Twenty20 championship.

Dinda reckons he has bettered his deliveries with improved pace from IPL experiences and few inputs by Kolkata teammate and Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar. With consistent pace attack, we're likely to see more of this young man.

Another Knight Rider, Wriddhiman Saha began his stint as a wicketkeeper with the Bengal Ranji team just last year. With his lunges, his did a good job with the gloves as he has 10 dismissals to his credit - the most by a wicketkeeper in the IPL so far. In the batting department, Saha has played credibly in the Kolkata Knight Riders' first tie against Kings XI Punjab with an impressive 59.

Incidentally, he is the only the 15th Bengal player to score a hundred on debut. Saha believes a player should have the ability to adapt to the different formats of the game. Whether or not he lives up to his belief will be known soon.

On the other hand, youngster Debabrata Das has not exactly shone exceptionally but from the six opportunities that he got, he scored 103 runs. With lots of lessons to be learnt, he may be a reliable pick in the future in domestic tourneys. It is notable that Das is yet to make his first-class appearance.

In a fiercely competitive realm, they certainly do not seem to have unrealistic goals. With their IPL feats, they will be expected to attract more eyeballs in the future.