‘If Kohli bats till 17th or 18th over then…’: Gambhir suggests what RCB skipper can do against KKR to win the Eliminator
Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday will take another step in the quest for their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title victory as they face 2-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli who has decided to step down as the RCB captain following the conclusion of this season.
The Royal Challengers have had a great run in IPL 2021. Unlike past seasons, they easily qualified for the playoffs but still have several challenges in their way ahead. To put their hands on the trophy, they need to win tonight and then outfox Delhi Capitals on Wednesday, if they manage to make it to the second qualifier.
IPL 2021 Eliminator, RCB vs KKR Live Updates
Ahead of the knockout game, former KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir has spoken about what should be Kohli’s approach with the bat in hand against Eoin Morgan & Co. While speaking with ESPN Cricinfo, the ex-India opener was of the opinion that the RCB skipper needs to play longer in the game in order to put the opposition under pressure.
“The platform is set for Virat Kohli, and he is a big match player. I would like to see Kohli not take too many risks in the first six overs. I feel if Kohli bats till the 17th or 18th over then the likes of Maxwell, de Villiers, Dan Christian and KS Bharat can play around him,” Gambhir told ESPN Cricinfo
“Kohli will be the crucial cog for RCB if they are to set a target of 150 or 160 runs while batting first as he is the only player who can consistently rotate the strike in the middle-overs. RCB have the bowling attack to defend a total of around 155 to 160,” he added.
Gambhir also went on to speak about the batting position of AB de Villiers. The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that the South African legend should bat at no. 5.
“He should bat at number 5 as Maxwell needs to bat at number 4 because he is the in-form batter and KS Bharat has done well at number 3,” Gambhir concluded.
Kohli’s RCB finished the league stage with 18 points in their kitty and are placed third on the points table. KKR, on the other hand, stood 4th with 14 points.