CRICKET WORLD

Bangalore captain Anil Kumble admits he faces a selection headache ahead of their IPL match against the Chennai Super Kings.

The Royal Challengers are sitting pretty in second place on the IPL table after winning four of their six matches so far. However, after losing their game against the Delhi Daredevils on Thursday, they will be keen to get back on track against Chennai.

Luckily for them their bid will be boosted by Kevin Pietersen and Cameron White who are now available for selection.

Captain Kumble says it's tough to fit all the international stars into the starting XI.

"It's not easy, given that we have only 11 spots available and a maximum of four for foreign players," he wrote in his column in the Hindustan Times.

"The fact that we're playing a day game in hot, humid Chennai will be taken into account - whoever's out there, will be battling the elements as well as the opposition.

"Cameron White was already here, but KP (Kevin Pietersen) joined us on Monday and Ross Taylor joins us soon. Which means once he's there, we'll have a full house. This is where planning and strategising come in. But our final team, however, depends on the pitch. We'll take a look at the conditions and then assess matters. For instance, if you believe, say, that both White and KP are required, you fit them in. If you believe that only one out of the four fits in, you bring in one player.

"It's tough to leave out people, but only 11 can play. A spinner might play ahead of a fast bowler, if the conditions suit spinners. Similarly, a batsman might have to go ahead and keep wickets, if you have to leave out a keeper to make room for that extra spot."

Coach Ray Jennings has already confirmed that White is up against Eoin Morgan for a place in the starting XI.

"Whitey's been in fantastic form over the last season and he and Morgan essentially compete for one spot," he told the official Bangalore website. "We had some practice games but the combination will be decided before the match and after inspecting the wicket."