KC Cariappa: 10 things you need to know about Kings XI Punjab spinner
K.C Cariappa made heads turn after he was purchased by the Kolkata Knight Riders for an astonishing price in the 2015 IPL Auction. The Bangalore-born spinner, who has been compared to the Caribbean star Sunil Narine for his mysterious bowling style, didn’t have too much experience to count on.
Coming from a humble background, the 22-year old weaved yet another inspiring story last year, but has not lived up to the expectations of cricket fans who were anticipating to witness his much-hyped variations.
In the 2016 IPL Auction, he was bought by Kings XI Punjab, who have used him sparingly this year. Let us take a look at 10 things you need to know about K.C Cariappa
1. Cariappa started out as a fast-bowling all-rounder before he switched to spin, and bowls with an orthodox round-arm action. He once said that the leg break is his regular one, but has variations like googly and the faster ball. He also bowls off-spinners without changing the grip, which makes it tough for the batsmen to read him.
2. He denied that his action strikes a resemblance to that of Narine or Sri Lanka's Ajanta Mendis and also clarified that his action was as per the ICC and BCCI regulations. Cariappa, whose stock also includes carrom ball and a back of the hand googly, started playing with the tennis ball and picked up the leather ball only when he was 17.
3. Cariappa played for the Bijapur Bulls in the Karnataka Premier League in 2014. He took 11 wickets in the tournament at an economy rate of six and finished as the third highest wicket-taker, for which he received a lot of praise. This performance was an antecedent for his IPL call.
4. After an impressive spell in the KPL, Cariappa was called to give a trial in September 2014 for the Kolkata Knight Riders in Hyderabad before the Champions League T20. It is said that KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir had failed to read his bowling and told the team management about this. He was immediately asked to sign up for the auction that followed.
5. Cariappa was subsequently included in the list of probables for the Karnataka Ranji Trophy team that year, but failed to make it to the final selected playing list.
Also read: Shivil Kaushik: 10 things you need to know about the Indian Paul Adams and Gujarat Lions' Spinner
6. The turning point in Cariappa's career came in 2015 when he was bought for Rs. 2.4 crores by KKR after the franchise fiercely contested with Delhi Daredevils. Cariappa said in an interview that he was confident about being picked for his base price, but never thought he would go for such a grand amount.
7. In the 2015 IPL auction, he was more expensive than the likes of the Australian legend Michael Hussey (1.5 crore), England skipper Eoin Morgan (Rs. 1.5 crore) and star batsman Kevin Pietersen (Rs. 2 crore)
8. He made his IPL debut during KKR's second match of the eight edition against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens on April 11. Though he ended up with the highest economy rate that evening, he picked the wicket of AB De Villiers.
9. After being dropped from KKR squad the next season, he was bought by Kings XI Punjab for a lesser price of Rs. 80 lakh. He has featured in a couple of matches for the team and is yet to make a striking performance this season.
10. Even after finding his name in the IPL for two subsequent seasons, the Karnataka cricketer has not prominently featured or fixed his spot in any team or tournament. He has played only six games this year, four for Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January and two for KXIP in the IPL.