LUCKNOW, May 23 -- There would be a special flavour of locals in the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) here on Friday even though everyone's favourite Virat Kohli would be there to entertain fans with his batting at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. If young leg spinner Zeeshan Ansari will be doing the tricks for SRH against 'King' Kohli, veteran speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar and young left-arm pacer Yash Dayal will put their best foot forward for RCB as all three have played a lot of cricket at this venue for Uttar Pradesh as well as for different franchise in the UP T20 League last year. With just six wickets in 12 matches so far, local boy Ansari, who conceded 22 runs in his two overs in his very first of the IPL at this venue only on Monday, is expected to do well on the red soil turf after a change in weather conditions here over the last few days. His best so far is 3/42 against Delhi Capitals and the wickets included of Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk and KL Rahul, including a caught-and-bowled dismissal of Fraser-McGurk. As far as Kumar and Dayal are concerned, they too have been doing well for the RCB, which stands at the second position in the table with 000 points and have already qualified for the playoffs. While Josh Hazlewood leads the bowlers' chart with 18 wickets at an economy of 8.44, Kumar has so far taken 12 wickets at 8.92 whereas Dayal has 12 wickets at 9.61. Kumar's 193 wickets in 186 matches at 7.64 speaks volumes of his credentials as a consistent performer in the cash-rich Indian Premier League as he has been part of the event since 2011 when he had just three wickets in four matches in his debut before bagging eight wickets in 11 matches in the second season in 2012. But thereafter, Kumar, 35, continued to show his mark with 13 wickets in 2013, 20 wickets in 2014 and 18 wickets in 2015 before bagging 23 and 26 wickets in following seasons in 2016 and 2017 respectively. He could get three and six wickets in 2020 and 2021 respectively, but he again had 16 wickets in 2023. Undoubtedly, Meerut's Kumar is an IPL superstar as no quick bowler has taken more wickets than his 193 in the tournament, second after Yuzvendra Chahal (219 wickets so far). "I am back in RCB after 16 years and I am very happy," Bhuvneshwar said in a video released by the franchise recently. "From the 2008-09 or 2010 season to now in 2025, things are very different. I had come in as a young player and now I have come back with so much more experience." He also talked about his pacer bowling partners Hazlewood and Dayal, "If you talk about Yash and Josh, and the three of us - we are the same but different as well. If we talk about the aspects that are similar, the three of us can swing it. And then if you look at Josh Hazlewood, he has the height and Yash is a left-arm pacer, which helps create a different angle altogether. And the best part is that all three of us can bowl at any stage of the game, and we have done it as well. These qualities help complement each other a lot." "And if you look back in the season, there have been times that I have not done well, but they have backed me up, or if someone hasn't had a good day, the rest of the bowlers have stepped up. So we are complementing each other and it is a great sign," he added. Like Kumar, Prayagraj's Dayal has established himself as a key death-over bowler for the team. Dayal was one of three players retained by RCB ahead of the 2025 mega auction, indicating high expectations from him in RCB's quest for a title. He has been praised for his ability to bowl effectively in both the powerplay and at the death, making him a crucial part of RCB's bowling strategy. Dayal has a strong record in IPL 2025, particularly against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he delivered a crucial last-over performance. He has also been praised for his focus on execution and his ability to stay calm under pressure. RCB captain Rajat Patidar has called him the "main bowler of the team" and a "death specialist," highlighting his importance to the team. In addition to his IPL performances, Dayal plays for Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit and has a range of variations in his arsenal. "Certainly, it would be quite entertaining to see all three UP cricketers Ansari, Kumar and Dayal playing before the home crowd for two different franchises as Lucknowites hope to see them playing well," said former Uttar Pradesh captain Gyanendra Pandey....