IPL 2020: Sunil Gavaskar wants Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to open for RCB

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar reckons that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) would be better off, sending Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers as their openers for the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL). It goes without saying that Virat, the RCB skipper, and De Villiers are indispensable members of the Challengers, being their leading run-scorers in the history of the tournament.

Even in the upcoming season, RCB’s fate would depend a lot on how Kohli and the former South African batsman perform. Gavaskar said that by sending the duo at the top, RCB can take advantage of the powerplay before the opposition spinners come into operation.

Gavaskar also believes that Yuzvendra Chahal can be a tough prospect for the opponents on the slow and low wickets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Chahal made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians (MI), but has tasted most of his success after moving to RCB.

Any team that has Virat and de Villiers should never be short of runs: Sunil Gavaskar

“On pitches that will get slower, it may be a good idea to have both the champion batsmen open the batting while the ball is hard and new and will come on to the bat nicely than when the spinners are operating. Leggie Yuzvendra Chahal could be a match winner for RCB on those pitches,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Moreover, Gavaskar was surprised by RCB underperforming over the last 12 seasons. Though they have qualified for the final three times, they are yet to get their hands on the coveted trophy.

“Why a team like Royal Challengers Bangalore hasn’t won the title as yet is a puzzle. Any team that has Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers should never be short of runs and maybe that’s also a problem, for when these two failed, as humans sometimes do, then the others haven’t put their hands up. They have a new coach and will be hoping that this will be their year,” he added.

The Challengers will kick off their campaign against David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday, September 21 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.