Page 122 - IPL 2
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W hatever the flamboyant Dr Mallya does, he   world thinks of their decisions. They think big,





 does big. So it was no surprise when he paid top   they  live  big!  The  Bengaluru  fans  were  up  in
 dollar for the franchise of his home city. Owning   arms at the idea that their poster boy, Dravid,

 the  Bangalore  team  was  not  just  a  business   had to hand over the reins of the team. But Dr
 decision but also a matter of great pride. Super   Mallya did not flinch. This was a new team and

 successful men like him can bear a hit on the   after the first season’s debacle they were going
 pocket, but a hit on their pride is unacceptable.   to do things his way.
 After  the  dismal  first  season,  the  expected

 followed  the  unacceptable.  Dr  Mallya  did  not   At IPL 2009 in South Africa the Royal Challengers

 mince his words, he never does. Everyone was   Bangalore  were  drawn  to  play  defending
 in  the  line  of  fire.  The  captain,  Rahul  Dravid,   champions Rajasthan Royals in their first game.
 the coach, even the team management. Heads   It  was  fitting,  almost  poetic.  The  Royals  of

 rolled and he took greater control in an attempt   Season 1, facing the Challengers to their Royal
 to modernise his team that was labeled the test   supremacy. When RCB lost their first two wickets

 side in the T20 format.  with no score on the board, no one would have
 been blamed for writing off their challenge. But

 In  all  the  changes  that  Dr.  Mallya  made  in-  Rahul  Dravid  had  not  had  his  say  yet.  He  had
 between the two seasons, there was one rather   stayed quiet on the field in the weeks leading

 significant and high profile one: the bid for Kevin   up to the opening day, and as always he let his
 Pietersen. VJM was single minded in his focus to   bat do the talking. And what a roaring speech

 acquire him, and paid 1.5 million dollars to sign   it made that evening in Capetown. He showed
 the English batsmen. Money didn’t matter, VJM   the world that neither was he too old for this

 wanted  KP  to  wear  the  RCB  colors  and  that’s   format nor was he one to put self before team.
 how it would be. It’s easy to see why. KP is in the   As wickets fell all around him he stood like a wall.

 same  mold  as  his  team’s  owner.  They’re  both   A solid half-century saved his team the blushes.
 flamboyant, they both do things differently, and   But  the  old  boys  were  not  nearly  done  for

 are unabashedly controversial. They’re ruthless   the day. The second half of the game saw Anil
 and do not seem to care much about what the   Kumble bowl a spell that was just as the name


 110  ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE                                                                                                      ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE  111 kevin pietersen
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