As the Cape Cobras trooped into the Chinnaswamy Stadium, opener Herschelle Gibbs gushed to his team mates about how the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) had seen a packed house here a year-and-a-half ago.

Gibbs went on to tell stories of full stands, India's crazed spectators, and how one good inning creates stars in this country. As the Champions League kicks off here on Thursday, the general mood in a dressing room full of players who have never been here before is of a strange anxiety — a good performance could be a possible return ticket for the cash-rich IPL, which for this bunch of aspiring cricketers is one piece of cake they want to have and eat too.

For Cape Cobra's 21-year-old Sybrand Engelbrecht, for example, seeing some of his senior colleagues earning big money in the IPL has been an incentive to perform.

Engelbrecht is a young off-spinner, who came in the limelight during the under-19 World Cup in Malaysia after his fielding was compared with Jonty Rhodes. He is now waiting for an IPL scout to spot him during the tournament.

“This is the best opportunity. I need to grab it with both hands. You don’t get a chance like this -- a good show and you never know you’ll see me playing IPL next season,” Engelbrecht told The Indian Express.

Making a pitch

His expectations are not out of place, especially when he sees senior players such as JP Duminy making a hefty sum from the city-based T20 league. While the game demands more all-rounders, especially those who can bat well, Engelbrecht feels his reputation as a fielder should hold him in good stead. “If I can save 20-25 runs that will be handy. I know teams are eyeing more all-rounders but one needs good fielders too,” he says, making his pitch before quickly adding: “But at the moment we want to go back home victorious from the Champions League.”

... contd.