Over 24,000 runs, 550 wickets and 300 catches in international cricket. A champion gamer would be proud of achieving these numbers while playing a cricket video game. However, there’s a man who has actually piled up these figures on the field while playing around the world, against different opponents, at the highest level, for over 17 years.

Numbers don’t lie. And these numbers scream at the top of their voices that Jacques Kallis is the greatest all-rounder of all time. The fact that he has been batting one-down and bowling genuine pace for so many years speaks volumes about his fitness and consistency. It’s not an easy job, and hence, the breed of pace bowling all-rounders is becoming rarer by the day. Kallis believes the increasing quantity of cricket is the reason for this decline.

“There are probably not too many around at the moment. It’s probably because of the amount of cricket being played. It seems to be a little low at the moment, but hopefully in a few years time there will be a few that will come through,” he said.

Known for his class and solidity in Test cricket, Kallis has incredibly cracked the Twenty20 code as well. A great testament to his versatility is his success in the IPL. In a tournament where the cream of international cricket amalgamates, there are few pace bowling all-rounders. And iplt20.com got the best of the lot to speak about the rest.

Here’s what Kallis had to say about the few men who represent the rare breed that he belongs to:

Shane Watson

Shane has been around for a while and he has produced goods for Australia for a long time. He is a quality cricketer and an important part of Rajasthan Royals.

Albie Morkel

He is a dangerous hitter down the order. He is a different type of all-rounder. He uses the new ball up front and gets the bowl to swing nicely and is aggressive with the bat.

Dwayne Bravo

He is a quality all-round cricketer. He can bat pretty much anywhere, and he is a clean striker of the ball and he is also very useful with his medium pacers.

Paul Collingwood

He has been around for a while as well and obviously knows his game. He has got a real mature head and understands the game pretty well. I think these are his strengths.

Kieron Pollard

He is sort of new to the scene and has been around only for a couple of years. I’m pretty impressed with him. He’s obviously a very dangerous player and very important to his team.

Subramaniam Badrinath has been an important cog in the Chennai Super Kings’ line-up due to his ability to anchor innings. A consistent performer in the domestic circuit, the middle-order batsman from Tamil Nadu has a knack for scoring runs and holding up one end.
Ahead of CSK’s match against the Delhi Daredevils, the 31-year-old spoke to iplt20.com about adapting to different formats and his team.

CSK has been a consistent performer in IPL. What is the secret?

There are several factors [involved in the team’s success]. One of them is that we are a team that has gelled really well. The important thing is it is the same unit right from the time IPL started. Right from the time that CSK came into existence the core team has been the same, and we have a tremendous captain, the world’s best captain with us. All of these, put together create an ideal team environment. That goes a long way in progressing yourself and the way we play.

Being one of the seniors in the team, what is your role, and in the absence of Hussey is there any added responsibility?

Yes, my role is very specific, and as far as my role goes I don’t want to really reveal it. But it is just that there is a lot of flexibility in my role as far as CSK is concerned. I am always prepared to bat at different positions and [fulfill] different roles in different situations. It is all about adaptability in T20 cricket. We have got tremendous big hitters, and it is important that I play to set up the game for the big hitters to follow and try and make a big score.

You have been the anchor for CSK and also for your domestic side Tamil Nadu. How do you adapt to the different formats of the game?

I am a firm believer that if you are a good player you can adapt to all formats of the game. So that is what I have been working on. It is not something that has happened overnight, but I have worked hard on it. I have consciously developed the game around what can suit me best. The important thing for me is that I always stick to the basics and try and get maximum of what I can do. As of now, I have played enough cricket to know what my game is and what my role is and how to play as per the situation. I use my experience and try and do the best I can. Hopefully, I can keep doing well for CSK.

Ajinkya Rahane just showed that you can win games and score prolifically by playing pure cricketing shots. You are a batsman of the same mould. What are your thoughts on that?

If you are good player in any one format you can be a good player in all formats so it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to play certain brand of cricket to suit a certain format. It is all about adaptability and sticking to the basics like I said. [...] playing proper cricketing shots is indeed my strength and I always stick to it. And in that sense, coach Stephen Fleming has always been a key factor in reminding me that I am player of that sort and I have to always stick to my strengths and play the way I know to play.

Tell us something about Fleming that we might not know.

He is a major influence in getting our team together. He focuses a lot on team building and the way we can work together as a team, and is always looking to push us and take it to the next level. That is very important as a coach and he always lets us know that we have to come back to the basics. Even if we have a good game or a bad game it doesn’t affect him too much. He stays very stable. Having people like Fleming and [MS] Dhoni in our side really helps team bonding, and it really shows on the field.

MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo and Albie Morkel at Nos. 5, 6 and 7 is a big plus, isn’t it ?

Yes, and this year, with Ravindra Jadeja as well, we bat very deep down. So it gives us an added cushion when it comes to batting. And we can look to be more aggressive even in the middle overs and because we bat so deep, we can afford to take more chances in the middle overs. And with these hitters to come, we can set the game up for them to take over in the last seven to eight overs.

How does IPL help players in the domestic circuit?

It is a tremendous platform to showcase the talent of all domestic players. It is great an opportunity to play international cricket without even playing for the country. It gives you a lot more exposure. How much ever you play in domestic cricket, you don’t get to play against foreign players. So this is a platform where you can face a Brett Lee and you can play against the likes of Dale Steyn and great fast-bowlers, etc. [...] that I think for me is the greatest benefit that all domestic players who have not played international cricket can get out of this.

Blue is the colour of the Mumbai Indians. But a look at their bowling attack and you’ll see a lot of purple as well. In RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Lasith Malinga, MI have three IPL purple cap winners. For a team to have the highest wicket-takers of the last three seasons in a tournament that’s only into its fifth edition is an incredible blessing.

Besides their numbers, the three men add immense value to the team with their varied styles of bowling. While left-arm pacer RP banks on swing and lateral movement, Malinga hunts down his victims by yorking them at high pace. In Ojha, the accurate left-arm spinner, skipper Harbhajan Singh has an able spin partner and an anchor.

The three purple cap winners have not yet played together for MI in IPL 2012. But given that two of them are Indians, the possibility of them featuring in the same match is not distant. iplt20.com caught up with the trio, who spoke about each other and their own bowling plans.

RP and Ojha have shared each other’s success in their three seasons together with the Deccan Chargers. Ojha played the role of Robin as RP the Batman demolished their opponents to lead the unfancied Chargers to IPL glory in 2009 with 23 wickets. The next year, the spinner stepped up to top the wicket-taking charts with 21 scalps as the pacer played the supporting role.

“RP is a skill bowler. His strength is his swing and accuracy,” Ojha said of his mate. “I have played a lot with him and can say that he is one of those bowlers who put a lot of thought behind their bowling. RP is always keen on setting up the batsman."

RP, in return, said he admired Ojha’s temperament and the ability to perform in crunch situations. “Pragyan is a superb bowler. He plays to his strengths – line and length – and always delivers when the stakes are high.” Now, as the two pair up for MI, their understanding of each other’s game will bode well for their new team.

Along with the two Indian left-armers, MI have the most deadly Twenty20 weapon in their armoury in Malinga. The sling-arm fast bowler was the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2011 with 28 scalps. He was also a crucial factor in MI making it to the play-offs.

So what is it like to share the attack with a wicket-taking machine like Malinga?

“Malinga is match-winner. He can win the match for us from any situation,” RP said of his new bowling colleague.

Ojha mirrored his views and added, "Lasith Malinga is just the best man when it comes to bowling in the death overs. His inswinging toe-breaking yorkers with the kind of pace with which he bowls them are simply awesome.”

After speaking to Malinga, it was evident that the admiration was pretty mutual. “RP and Ojha are very experienced and have taken a lot of wickets in the IPL. They know their strengths and bowl accordingly,” said the quietly-spoken Sri Lankan.

Malinga’s pace and yorkers combined with RP’s swing and skill would make a lethal pace duo. In fact, the former said, he has already started working out strategies to form a successful fast bowling partnership with RP. “We have different abilities; RP has good swing and slower ball. The main thing is to know how to handle situations. We discuss matter in between training sessions.”

Being a part of such threatening bowling attack can lead to high levels of peer pressure. But Ojha insists, his gameplan will not change. "I am just trying to keep things very simple. I’m not thinking of too many things and will just bowl what I know and what I am confident of. I will try and stick to a basic plan and everything will follow," the left-arm spinner from Hyderabad said.

With all the attention on the purple cap winners, RP didn’t forget the man who will lead the pack. Harbhajan Singh, along with captaining the side, is looking to regain his old touch with the ball.

"Having 3 Purple Cap winners in the squad speaks about the might of Mumbai Indians,” RP said. "But we must not forget that our captain Harbhajan Singh is a world-class act. His experience will be handy and also the deciding factor of how things shape up with our bowling unit.”

RP, perhaps, summed it up best. With the purple cap trio and Harbhajan, MI have the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Clint McKay, Munaf Patel and young Abu Nechim Ahmed. As captain in their ranks, Harbhajan will bear the onus of selecting the best combination from the plethora of talent at his disposal. How optimally he uses these rich bowling resources will decide the fate of MI’s bowling unit.

RCB vs DD

Royal Challengers Bangalore battled their way to a 20-run victory over the Delhi Daredevils in their opening encounter in Bengaluru. AB de Villiers scored a well-made 64*, while Muttiah Muralitharan took three for 25, as last year’s runners-up began their IPL 2012 campaign with a win.

After being put in to bat, Royal Challengers Bangalore began in aggressive fashion with openers Andrew McDonald and Cheteshwar Pujara looking comfortable in the middle. McDonald was particularly brutal on the Daredevils bowlers. His powerful hitting was causing DD all sorts of problems, exacerbated by some sloppy catching. But the Daredevils battled through the initial onslaught to fight back with quick wickets.

Pujara was the first to go after he holed out trying to pull a short delivery from Morne Morkel. McDonald’s luck eventually ran out even as Doug Bracewell’s athletic effort paid off. 46 for two quickly turned to 59 for four; the in-form Virat Kohli’s uppish drive found Yogesh Nagar off Bracewell, while Saurabh Tiwary was unlucky to be given LBW after getting a huge inside edge. RCB were floundering and 21-year-old Mayank Agarwal added to their woes by mistiming the ball straight to long off. The Daredevils were well and truly on top by the 13th over. But AB de Villiers’ heroics with the bat, which included two audacious reverse flicks to the boundary, helped the visitors reach a competitive total of 157 for seven.  

The Daredevils started their chase with a bang. Aaron Finch smashed Zaheer Khan’s first three balls to the boundary, but the left-armer came back to dismiss Delhi skipper Virender Sehwag off his fifth delivery. Naman Ojha hit and missed his way to an unconvincing 33 off 26 balls before he was snapped up at slip off Murali. Finch never looked comfortable against spin and it was Murali once again who caught him plumb in front. Glenn Maxwell, too, was all at sea against the wily Sri Lankan and his attempted sweep found the short-leg fielder. The Daredevils tried to keep up with the required run-rate but Venugopal Rao’s 23-ball stint came to an end after Agarwal took a brilliant leaping catch to dismiss him. RCB were in the ascendency and it showed as the visitors looked for quick runs. Skipper Daniel Vettori got into the action by deceiving Yogesh Nagar, reducing DD to 115 for six.

Irfan Pathan (24) tried his best to see the Daredevils home but was run out by Harshal Patel. The Daredevils could only muster up 137 for seven, 20 runs short of the RCB total.

DC vs CSK

With a 48-run blitzkrieg followed by a fifer, Ravindra Jadeja helped the Chennai Super Kings seal their first victory of IPL 2012. His all-round performance helped CSK beat the Deccan Chargers by 74 runs at the at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

Earlier, by rattling Murali Vijay’s off-stump in the first over, Ankit Sharma dealt an early blow after Cameron White won the toss and asked CSK to bat first. Dale Steyn then bowled a tidy couple of overs to give DC a good start. However, Faf du Plessis hit Manpreet Gony for a four and two sixes in the fifth over and collected 18 runs off it. 

But in the next over Daniel Christian sent back Suresh Raina as the southpaw's mistimed heave over mid-wicket rose high in the air only to be pouched safely by the bowler himself. du Plessis though, continued to milk the bowlers and launched Daniel Harris and Ankit into the stands. It was finally the highest wicket-taker in the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy, TP Sudhindra who claimed the South African off his first delivery in the IPL – caught at long-on as he tried to send the pacer over the ropes. And a while later Christain dismissed S Badrinath to add another scalp to his tally.

But Ravindra Jadeja, who had replaced du Plessis, took over where the former had left off after seeing a few overs through. He clobbered Ankit for a boundary and two huge sixes and continued his onslaught even as CSK skipper MS Dhoni walked back when Harris took a low catch at mid-off off Steyn. The left-hander’s 29-ball cameo ended as his left foot nudged the off-stump to dislodge the bails as he tried to guide the ball through fine-leg. He was also unfortunate to have missed out on his half-century by just two runs.

It was then Dwayne Bravo’s turn to entertain the crowd with a 18-ball 43* that included five hits over the ropes. This took the CSK score to 193 for six in their allotted 20 overs.

Chasing 194, the hosts got off to a slow start. Harris and Shikhar Dhawan put up a 32-run opening stand before Doug Bollinger claimed the former in the fourth over. With R Ashwin bowling a tight first spell, conceding only 12 runs in three overs, pressure started mounting on the DC batsmen.

A couple of overs later Shikhar Dhawan was caught by Bravo at deep mid-wicket off Raina bringing out the DC skipper to join Parthiv Patel in the middle. With the run-rate creeping up, the Chargers needed to take charge of the situation, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. The over after Patel was castled by Jadeja in his first over, White found Raina at long-off after hitting Shadab Jakati for a six over the same region off the previous delivery.

Jadeja then dismantled Bharat Chipli’s wood work after being hit for a six, while Jakati followed-up with the wicket of Christain.  It was again Jadeja’s turn to deal two quick blows. The left-arm spinner, who could do no wrong today, then dismissed Manpreet Gony and Ravi Teja in the same over and then trapped Steyn lbw to finish with five for 16. Bollinger then finished the match with the wicket of Ankit Sharma to clinch a comprehensive victory for the visitors.