'Vijay Mallya said nobody is touching him' - Anil Kumble shares his IPL auction story
Contrary to popular anticipation, Kumble wasn't initially listed among the icon players for RCB, which prominently featured Rahul Dravid.
Anil Kumble, the spin maestro renowned for his remarkable feats in cricket, recently delved into the archives, reminiscing about his stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The journey down memory lane took him back to the inception of the IPL in 2008 when he was roped in by the then RCB owner Vijay Mallya.
Contrary to popular anticipation, Kumble wasn't initially listed among the icon players for RCB, which prominently featured Rahul Dravid. However, Mallya's unwavering resolve to secure Kumble's services echoed loudly during the auction. "Nobody is touching him," Mallya declared, cementing Kumble's affiliation with his hometown team.
"Yeah I mean it was one of those things where I was the captain of India in the Test and for some reason I was not a part of the icon list so I was a part of the auction. Which I obviously didn't participate in but my name was in the auction list. I remember somebody telling me that as soon as my name came up it is not how it is like now when my name came up Mr Vijay Mallya just stood up and said he's my Bangalore boy.
"Nobody is touching him and that was the end of any other bid coming. I think that was the base price that I was bought at and there was no auction dynamics that you see today. So that was what I was told there were no (other buyers) because the owner just stood up and said no way, no way he is going anywhere else other than Bangalore," Kumble said during a heart-to-heart chat with Ravichandran Ashwin on the latter's YouTube channel.
For me, it was quite a challenge to get my mind around to bowl just four: Kumble
During his tenure with RCB spanning three years, Kumble showcased his bowling prowess in 42 appearances, claiming 45 wickets. Transitioning from the rigorous demands of Test cricket to the compact T20 format posed a unique challenge for Kumble.
"For me, it was quite a challenge to get my mind around to bowl just four overs because the time that I started playing I needed four overs to warm up. The body required that kind of overs to bowl 55 to 60 overs in a Test match on an average and to come back to think that if you end up bowling 60 overs you would be done with the tournament. It was not easy for me to change that mindset. But it became very evident that the best way to approach my four overs would be try and choose the most challenging ones. That's how you probably get more into the game rather than just thinking that bowl four overs, end your spell and then wait for the batters to do their job," he admitted, referring to the shift from marathon bowling spells to the concise four-over bursts.
Despite the initial adjustments, Kumble's resilience shone through as he embraced the challenges of T20 cricket. His contributions played a pivotal role in RCB's journey, culminating in a final berth in the second IPL season, albeit falling short against the Deccan Chargers.
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