Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore made a blistering start to their IPL 2021 campaign. The team – as a group fired in the tournament but former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has picked RCB’s surprise package in the 14th edition of the competition.

Virat Kohli & Co were in third place with five wins from seven outings before BCCI decided to postpone the tournament due to the COVID-19 crisis. Royal Challengers Bangalore ticked all boxes with their all-round show and deservedly found themselves at the top half of the points table.

In his column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar hailed the way RCB pulled up their socks this season having struggled for consistency the past few seasons. While AB de Villiers was at his absolute best once again, Devdutt Padikkal also shone with the bat after coming in late having contracted the novel coronavirus.

“The Bangalore team had a marvellous run thanks in the main to its batting dominated by the peerless AB de Villiers. Young Devdutt Padikkal got a terrific century and looks a great prospect for the future in all forms of the game,” wrote Gavaskar.

Glenn Maxwell was the surprise package for RCB – Sunil Gavaskar

Meanwhile, when it came to the player that surprised Sunil Gavaskar the most, the original Little Master took the name of Glenn Maxwell. The Australian all-rounder had become a huge topic of discussion for fetching big bucks in the auctions and not delivering with performances. In the RCB shirt, however, Maxwell showed once again why he is one of the finest batters in limited-overs cricket at the moment.

“Glenn Maxwell was the surprise as he batted like he bats for Australia and not like someone who has accidentally strolled onto a village green and been asked to fill in to make 11 players. That he has the talent has been known for a while, but this was one season where he has also shown the inclination to make the most of that talent with admirable temperament,” wrote Gavaskar.