IPL 2020: 'It may be a good idea to have both Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers open the batting,' says Sunil Gavaskar

Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar believes that star duo Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers should open the batting for RCB in IPL 2020 to take maximum advantage of better conditions at the beginning of an innings.

The latest edition of the IPL will be played in the UAE where the slow, turning wickets will make run scoring difficult. In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar wrote that the side’s best batsmen should go into bat as early as possible because it will be difficult to score off spinners later.

“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, who was the first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs, wrote.

The former India captain finds it very surprising that RCB have not won the IPL yet despite having some of the biggest names in their side. The franchise has appointed Mike Hesson as director of cricket operations, and Gavaskar is hoping their fortunes flip in IPL 2020.

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“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,” the former India opener wrote.

Delhi Capitals have best chance to win IPL out of teams that have never lifted the trophy: Gavaskar

IPL 2019 Qualifier - Chennai v Delhi

Another IPL franchise that has never won the coveted title is Delhi. And Gavaskar feels that the Delhi Capitals have the best chance – among the three teams that have never had their name engraved on the trophy – to break that jinx this year. The third team is the Kings XI Punjab.

“Out of those three, the Delhi Capitals team looks to have the best chance as it has some of the most explosive batsmen in the world. Its bowling attack can also prosper on the slow surfaces of the Emirates which will get slower as the tournament progresses... They will learn from him (Ricky Ponting) how every match matters and how not to be satisfied with anything less than a 100 percent effort in every game,” Gavaskar added.

While RCB finished runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016, Delhi has never made the finals. In IPL 2019, the Shreyas Iyer-led side reached their first playoffs since 2012.