Former Indian cricket stars Mohammad Kaif and Irfan Pathan recently offered their perspectives on the upcoming IPL season, particularly focusing on the highly anticipated season opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore scheduled for March 22 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Pathan delved into a strategic analysis of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s pace bowling lineup, highlighting its importance on traditionally slower Chinnaswamy surfaces. He underscored the significance of this aspect in their gameplay.
Pathan said: “One thing I would like to say to RCB fans is that people might say that the bowling line-up is weak for the team at least what it seems, but RCB’s management has done one thing: they have bought pace in their bowling line-up. They have 3 fast bowlers who can touch one 140 km/hour speed. So there is a possibility that on a dead pitch like Chinnaswamy, this Express pace might get the job done because batting is anyway really strong.”
In addition, Kaif shed light on Virat Kohli’s impressive form and its pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s ambitions to secure a spot in the playoffs. He emphasized the necessity of Kohli’s consistent performance for the team’s overall success, notwithstanding the presence of other notable players such as Green and Maxwell.
Kaif further said: “Virat Kohli has been playing amazing cricket from the last 1-2 years; he has been in good form. I remember during the Asia Cup when he scored a century against Afghanistan; since then, he hasn’t looked back. He has been in amazing form since then, and when a player like Virat Kohli is in form, he knows how to make runs in every match; he was also the player of the tournament during the World Cup. So I think he’s going to continue this amazing form.”
“One special thing about Virat Kohli is that every time he comes back from a break, he plays really well. Most players want to be in touch and play regularly to get in form, but Virat Kohli every time when he comes back from the break, he comes across as a more dangerous batsman. Yes, there are Green and Maxwell in the team, but Virat Kohli’s form will decide RCB’s place in the playoffs. It’s important that Virat Kohli is in form with Maxwell and Green for RCB to qualify for the playoffs.”
Overall, both Kaif and Pathan emphasized the criticality of various factors, from bowling strategies to individual player performance, in shaping the fortunes of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the upcoming IPL season.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
