RCB start firm favourites

Just one game old but Royal Challengers Bangalore have already given ample glimpse of where their strength lies, and they will be banking on that power to flourish again when they take on a rejuvenated Delhi Daredevils here on Sunday.

Batting has been RCB’s main driving force over the last few seasons and the way in which all of them, barring Chris Gayle, arrived for the opening party offers plenty of promise as they seek to lay a strong foundation in their quest for a maiden title.

Skipper Virat Kohli, in imperious form since January, was his glorious self, cracking a brilliant 51-ball 75 while maverick AB de Villiers bounced back to form following an ordinary World T20 campaign with a typically breathtaking 42-ball 82.

While the two have dished out many such performances for RCB, what fired the imagination of the fans was the fantastic act by teenager Sarfaraz Khan. The 18-year-old Mumbaikar, whose talent has been spoken about very highly, was India’s batting hero at this year’s U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh where he amassed 355 runs from six games.

Not only did he emerge as the second highest run-getter in the event, the manner in which he got them was praiseworthy, often rescuing India from difficult situations. He carried forward that confidence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, producing an entertaining 10-ball 35 to steal some spotlight from Kohli and De Villiers. Scoop shots, cover drives and a slog-sweep for a six, the portly teenager has given belief to the management that he can play the finisher’s role in the company of retired Aussie star Shane Watson.

With big-hitting Stuart Binny and Kedar Jadhav also in the ranks, the RCB batting bears too many fangs that could test even the best of bowlers.

The only concern, although the tournament is still in the nascent stages, is the form of Gayle. The West Indian, who kick-started the World T20 with a blistering century, has gone off the boil since then, his highest score being 5. While for renowned power-hitters like Gayle form is just a word as they can explode into life anytime, RCB would be hoping the giant wakes up sooner than expected.
As seen mostly, the pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is bound to be a batting paradise and the RCB bowlers will be stretched against a team that has some destructive batsmen. Quinton de Kock, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, JP Duminy and Carlos Brathwaite can score at a very fast clip and containing them would indeed be a challenge.

Delhi Daredevils have been one team that has so often flattered to deceive. Despite numerous overhauls, they’ve struggled for consistency and it remains to be seen what they bring to the pitch on Sunday.

RCB would be hoping their faithful flock to their fortress on matchday. Blame it on overkill of T20 or hefty ticket prices, the Chinnaswamy wasn’t as boisterous as it normally is with plenty of empty seats. Kohli and Co would be hoping for a packed house while the fans would want nothing but entertainment.
DH News Service