Royal Challengers Bangalore became the first franchise to pick four overseas players from the same country in a match against Mumbai Indians in 2009 in Johannesburg
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), overseas players are significant to every team because they bring diversity and their experience of dealing with the Indian conditions from an outsider’s point of view. Not to forget, foreign cricketers have a good fan base in India which brings an additional financial value to the teams. Therefore, the IPL teams to try to bring foreign players from a variety of nations.
However, in 2009, Royal Challengers Bangalore took an unconventional route. Instead of poaching players from multiple nations, they picked four players from a single nation. The team fielded four Proteas, namely Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Roelof van der Merwe and Dillon du Preez.
It was the 28th match of IPL 2009, just the second edition of the competition, which had to be shifted to South Africa due to the general elections in India. Mumbai Indians were facing Royal Challengers Bangalore at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
SanathJayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar opened the batting for Mumbai Indians. Jayasuriya scored 52 off 43 deliveries. Another crucial half-century from Dwayne Bravo off 40 deliveries meant that Mumbai posted 149 runs from their 20 overs.
South Africa’s Dillon du Preez was a crucial bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore and picked up three wickets while conceding 32 runs from his 4 overs.
Dillon celebrating one of the crucial wickets
Royal Challengers Bangalore chased down the target comfortably with the help of another South African, the quality all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who remained unbeaten on 69 off 59 balls and led a masterful chase. The batsman, opening the batting that day, struck five boundaries and two sixes while batting at a strike rate of 116.94.
Robin Uthappa also remained unbeaten on 66 off 42 balls with eight boundaries and two sixes, smashing runs at a strike rate of 157.14. The only wicket picked up by Mumbai Indians went to Zaheer Khan. Clearly, the South African players knew their conditions well and made good use of it.
Jacques Kallis remains one of the biggest names in the history of international cricket. He went on to have a stellar IPL career from 2008 to 2014. Kallis played 98 IPL matches and scored close to 2,500 runs at an average of 28.55 and a strike rate of 109.22 with the help of 17 half-centuries and the best of 89 not out.
Kallis and Tendulkar in a single frame
He was good with the ball as well and pocketed 65 wickets at an average of 35.27, an economy rate of 7.89 and a strike rate of 26.80, with the best of 3/13.
Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher also had a decent run in the IPL and scored 394 runs from 31 matches at an average of 28.14 and a strike rate of 127.50, apart from holding on to 14 catches and effecting 3 stumpings.
The 2009 RCB squad
