General / Andrew Hughes / 16 April 2009 /

IPL 2009 is going to be all about the batsmen, right? Wrong. Whilst the tournament will certainly showcase some stunning strokeplay, there will be plenty of opportunities for bowlers to grab the glory, writes Andrew Hughes.

Last year Sohail Tanvir wreaked havoc by making regular early breakthroughs for Rajasthan, demonstrating that there is no better way to stem the flow of runs than taking wickets. And with boundaries expected every other ball, it is a lot easier to put pressure on batsmen in Twenty20 than in the longer versions of the game. Providing you've got the necessary control and guile, it is possible to thrive in the apparently unforgiving environment of Twenty20. So here's the Betfair guide to the bowlers likely to do well in IPL 2009.

Murali Karthik

One of the most underrated bowlers in world cricket, he is something of a rarity in the Twenty20 format. He bowls orthodox left-arm spin, with a classically high action, gets plenty of revolutions on the ball and gives it a fair amount of air. Conventional wisdom says he should be just the sort of bowler to struggle at this version of the game. But his mastery of length means that he is infuriatingly difficult to get away. And because he gives the ball such a tweak, he is always likely to take wickets. He had a great deal of success with Middlesex in the Twenty20 cup last year and his partnership with Ajantha Mendis for Kolkata is an exciting prospect for connoisseurs of the spinning arts.

Glen McGrath

The admirable McGrath is in his 40th year and has not bowled a ball in anger since last year's tournament. The death of his wife Jane and the ongoing demands of running the charity she founded, not to mention the responsibility of raising a family on his own must be taking a huge toll on his physical and mental well-being. But you can put your mortgage on Pigeon turning up fit and ready to play and putting his all into spearheading the Delhi Daredevils attack. He was one of the bowlers of the tournament last year and we can expect more of the same from the old warhorse.

Daniel Vettori

The New Zealand skipper is an old-fashioned left armer, relying on flight, drift and control - qualities that have also helped to make him one of the best Twenty20 bowlers in the world. An over from Vettori is a master class in subtle variations, tying batsmen down until they get themselves out in sheer frustration at being unable to score. He is available for the whole tournament this time and is one more component in the formidable Delhi bowling machine.

Ajantha Mendis

He only featured briefly for Kolkata in IPL 2008 but he is as deadly in the Twenty20 format as he is in Test matches. His bewildering array of deliveries, from googlies to cutters; doosras to flippers are near-impossible to read from the hand. And because he bowls at a brisk slow-medium pace, batsmen have less time than they think to try to read him off the pitch. Staying back to him is dangerous but advancing down the pitch is equally fraught with risk. What makes him such a potent force is his phenomenal accuracy, without which the variations would be easier to cope with. An attacking bowler who can also contain, it would be no surprise at all if he were to finish as top bowler in this year's competition.

Dirk Nannes

Another Twenty20 performer cleverly snapped up by Delhi, Nannes is not your archetypal Aussie cricketer. The bearded left arm quickie was once a World Cup skier, speaks fluent Japanese and runs his own travel company. Though he is a late bloomer in cricketing terms, he has put in some strong performances for Victoria over the last couple of seasons and has been instrumental in helping them to their recent Twenty20 successes. He has the precious ability to swing the ball very late at high speed and he could prove quite a handful in South Africa.

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