Reaping benefits of spending wisely

JAIPUR: They were ranked No 8 before the IPL started and after four games, have already proved experts wrong. Team Jaipur is on a high after beating the Bangalore Royal Challengers on Saturday and their manager Shamsher Singh feels these victories were only to be expected.
"As per the rules, we knew that we would not be able to play more than four foreigners in any game and so, we did not waste our resources on them," Shamsher Singh told TOI from Bangalore on Sunday.Instead, they decided to get some good local players like Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja and Dinesh Salunkhe, all of whom have lived up to expectations.
"When we were forming the team, we had discussed the composition and knew exactly what we wanted. Experts referred to us as underdogs, but we were confident that our team would be doing well."
The absence of Graeme Smith proved costly for them in the first match against Delhi Daredevils. "Smith's going back to South Africa was a late decision and we could not do anything about it. He was very much a part of our plans from the first match, but now that we have him, we'll utilise him well," Shamsher Singh said.
Unlike other teams, Jaipur will be not lose any of their international players. "We were particular about that," Shamsher said. "Shane Warne is a retired player and he will stay with us throughout this tournament. We won't even miss Shane Watson (one of their heroes so far). He has not been called by Australia for the Tests against the West Indies. He has only been asked to report for the One-dayers, which will start after the IPL."
In fact, Team Jaipur will be boosted by the arrival of England's Dimitri Mascarenhas on Monday. "We'll have one more all-rounder as an option," Shamsher added.