Anil Kumble, the legendary spinner who scaled unprecedented heights in international cricket, recently shared his memories of being acquired by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in 2008.
Despite being the captain of the Indian Test team at the time, Kumble was not included in the initial list of icon players. However, former RCB owner Vijay Mallya intervened at the auction, declaring that “nobody” was to bid on Kumble, as he was “my Bangalore boy.”
Kumble, who holds the record for taking all ten wickets in a single Test innings, was subsequently picked up by RCB at his base price. He recalled the moment, saying, “Mr. Vijay Mallya just stood up and said he’s my Bangalore boy. Nobody is touching him.”
During his three-year stint with RCB, Kumble made 42 appearances, claiming 45 wickets at an average of 23.51 and an economy of 6.58. The transition from Test cricket to the shorter T20 format posed a challenge for Kumble, who was accustomed to bowling long spells.
“For me, it was quite a challenge to get my mind around to bowl just four overs,” he said. “I needed four overs to warm up. But it became very evident that the best way to approach my four overs would be try and choose the most challenging ones.”
In the second season of the IPL, RCB reached the final but lost to the Deccan Chargers. Kumble’s experience with RCB was a memorable one, and he remains grateful for the opportunity to have played for the franchise.
