Pune Warriors – Indian Premier League 5 – Team Assessment
Doubts were cast over the future of the youngest Indian Premier League franchise before the commencement of the fifth season. Illness to their most prized player and leader, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yuvraj-Singh-c98364, meant that they were without their most bankable signing.
His opting out of the tournament left their owners, Sahara group, in a perplexed situation. The giant business venture sat out the final auction, held in Bangalore, and announced that they were no longer the sponsors of the Indian Cricket team.
With the Kochi franchise already been terminated, Warriors’ longevity hung in the balance before they found a voice in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/A-Mentor-c41238 and leader, after joining the franchise last year, and started to recruit many of the overseas players, which went unsold in the auction.
It included some shrewd signings – Marlon Samuels was snapped up, while Michael Clarke also announced his availability, albeit after his international commitments. With the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SPD-Smith-c2555 already in the squad, Warriors had an excellent mix of experience and upcoming youngsters.
A win in the first game against the pre-tournament favourites, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Indians, kick-started their campaign and gave the team and, more importantly, their owners the belief that the franchise could deliver this time around.
Since then, the Warriors have been inconsistent in their performances and have slipped to seventh, just above Deccan Chargers and Kings XI. However, one point separates them and fourth placed Chennai Super Kings, so to an extent their destiny remains in their own hands.
Their early success was largely attributed to Pune’s ability to play as a collective unit. Jesse Ryder had been performing well upfront, while Steven Smith had been a revelation, filling the finisher’s role for the side.
However, back to back defeats suffered at the hands of Chargers and Daredevils have been a blow to the Warriors, as they seem to have lost that early season spark. They will be happy to see an injection of experience in the team, with Clarke is all set to join them.
After a gruelling time in the Caribbean, the Aussie skipper will now shift his focus to his first ever stint in the Indian Premier League, after having previously denied offers to play in the lucrative tournament. He has retired from International T20 cricket but his knowledge of the game could work wonders for a young franchise.
His recent form has been decent, and though he is not a sure starter, his all-round ability could be key. For the remaining campaign, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 combinations are interchangeable.
Apart from that, their local recruits have been a real asset to the team. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashok-Dinda-c1098 has been performing exceptionally well.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/CH-Gayle-c1221, who hit him for five consecutive sixes.
Final verdict: while the Warriors have done justice following a disappointing first season, but they will need the extra energy and spark to keep pace with the so-called big guns. A timely inclusion of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Clarke-c1978 might be their answer.
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