Think local, act global

By the end of this Indian Premier League season, Yusuf Pathan should have an identity of his own. He strikes the ball cleanly and with breathtaking power, a lot like his brother really. The Deccan Chargers were destroyed by his strokeplay at the top of the order on Friday night, and with Shane Warne giving him license to express himself; they might not be the last to suffer.

The progress made by Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Siddharth Trivedi and the pint-sized Swapnil Asnodkar is a slap in the face for those teams that put all their best eggs in the foreign-player basket. More than halfway through the inaugural season, two of the most expensive franchises are sinking quicker than a torpedoed submarine. Bangalore's travails are not entirely unexpected given the rather bizarre composition of the squad, but Hyderabad will wonder how an envied collection of heavy hitters have performed like pea-shooters under pressure.

With the mercury soaring and limbs tired from the constant travel and play, bench strength will become even more important as the tournament nears its conclusion. If the opening three weeks have taught us anything, it's that even the abbreviated format rewards team work. Sprinklings of stardust can bring in the crowds, but if you have too many weak links, they tend to be ruthlessly exposed. Those teams that have built from the bottom have been rewarded, while those with mediocre Indian contingents prop up the table.

For Bangalore, the failure of Jacques Kallis, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Cameron White will be the subject of much heartburn. Rahul Dravid worked on the assumption that quality would prevail no matter what the format. It hasn't, and the South Africans, the charged-up Dale Steyn apart, have exhibited the lethargy that you'd expect from men who've just played marathon international seasons.

The local back-up has been non-existent. The Chennai Super Kings can boast of special talents like S Badrinath and Suresh Raina, while even a struggling Mumbai side has unearthed gems like Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni and Rohan Raje. For the Royal Challengers, B Akhil, Bharat Chipli and Vinay Kumar have all looked short on quality, while Sunil Joshi resembles someone who wandered in expecting a veteran's game.

The fielding of the Indians, Virat Kohli apart, has been diabolical, and contributed in no small measure to three narrow defeats. The only silver lining from the loss in Kolkata was the batting of J Arunkumar, a Karnataka exile who was perhaps unlucky not to be capped in the late 1990s.

The Chargers' plight is as pitiable. VVS Laxman has played a couple of fine innings, but more often than not, he has looked as much of a misfit as Leonardo might have in an Andy Warhol world. But with him missing games through injury, they have been reduced to a two-card trick. When Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma don't score, the game is as good as over. Scott Styris and Herschelle Gibbs have been shown up for what they are, old stagers whose halcyon years are long gone.

Shahid Afridi has been more bust-bust than boom-boom, and while Pragyan Ojha has shown flashes of inspiration, you can't seriously expect a side fielding D Kalyankrishna and Arjun Yadav to be challengers. Yadav's presence in the squad is merely proof that India's who-you-are-and-who-you-know culture is alive and well. You can only wonder how much more successful they would have been with someone like Ambati Rayudu, an ICL 'rebel', in the picture.

Even an erratic Kolkata team has done well in the local stakes, with Ashok Dinda, Wriddhiman Saha and Laxmi Ratan Shukla all impressing at various times. Bangalore haven't even managed to squeeze much out of Kohli's undoubted talent. The batting line-up has gone through more changes than Cher's face, and he's had no opportunity to get into any sort of groove. Contrast his fortunes with those of his great friend, Shikhar Dhawan, in the Delhi side. Dhawan has excelled at No.3, and the Daredevils have piled on the runs largely as a result of a settled top order.

It's probably too late for the Royal Challengers and the Chargers to revive their seasons now. Those that make the tough decisions will learn from this though. No matter how many flamboyant [or not, in the case of Bangalore] cowboys you bring in, you're only as good as the weakest Indian in the ranks. It's time for the talent scouts to earn their corn and discover a Manpreet Gony or two.