Virat plays a major part in RCB’s success but last year the bowling too did well: Kumble

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Virat Kohli will once again be in the focus as the 19th edition of the TATA IPL is set to begin on March 28, with all 10 teams gearing up for the marquee tournament.

Virat Kohli has been with the team since the start of the tournament and is a very influential player for them. The Kohli factor weighs in a lot as they prepare to defend their title.

Fans will throng to see Virat, says Kumble

Former India captain and legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble feels that though Kohli is a major reason for their success, last year the bowlers too had come to the party and that made a lot of difference.

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“Virat plays a major part in RCB’s success. But if you look at last year, whenever RCB were successful, their bowling unit also came to the fore. I feel Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar certainly contributed a lot. The two spinners, Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, were also a surprise package. The bowling unit performed exceptionally well for them to win the trophy. So, I think the fans will certainly throng the Chinnaswamy Stadium to watch Virat Kohli. But I’m sure the fans will also be proud that they have a really strong bowling unit that can defend,” Kumble said on JioStar’s TATA IPL show.

Can’t distinguish between MI and CSK: Kumble

Every IPL the topic of hot interest is which is the greatest team in the IPL history. Kumble feels Mumbai Indians are almost on par with Chennai Super Kings.

“Mumbai Indians are very close to, or almost the same as Chennai Super Kings when you talk about the greatest team in the IPL, because you can’t really distinguish one from the other. Chennai Super Kings have always been consistent with their selections. They go for people who have been there and done that. Only last year did we see a few youngsters come through.

“Whereas Mumbai Indians have gone slightly out and looked at players whom nobody had seen before, some who had done well at the domestic level. So, people like Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah all came through those ranks. And then we saw what happened. Recently, you had the likes of Nehal Wadhera, who has now moved to PBKS, but performed really well for Mumbai Indians,” Kumble said.

No point in Dhoni batting at No.8 or 9: Pujara

Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni have been inseparable. They are like two sides of the same coin. The question being asked is at which position will Dhoni bat this season. Last year, he was floating around with no fixed batting position. Will things be the same or will the legendary player think of moving up the order?

If he bats for only five or ten balls, imagine what Mahi bhai can do if he plays 25 or 30 balls,” said former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara. Pic: CricTracker

“I don’t see a point in MS Dhoni batting at Number 8 or 9, because he has the potential to turn games around single-handedly, something no other batter in the CSK team can do. If he bats for only five or ten balls, imagine what Mahi bhai can do if he plays 25 or 30 balls,” said former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara.

On CSK’s mantra of trusting their players for a long time, Pujara said: “I’ve been in the CSK setup. In that environment, players are very comfortable, it’s like a family. When you’re in that setup, there is clarity about what is expected of you as a player. Loyalty also comes into the picture because most of CSK’s players, if you look at the history, once a player is part of that setup, he stays there for a long time. There is a transition in the team now, so there is a bit more preference for young players.”