Royal Challengers Bangalore began their campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in a terrific fashion. They registered a 2-wicket win in the season opener to outclass the defending champions Mumbai Indians. After a gap of four days, Virat Kohli & Co will be back in action as they lock horns with David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad in the match number 6 of the league in Chennai.
Ahead of the upcoming face-off, former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan has suggested that RCB should use their go-to batsman AB de Villiers as a finisher allow the likes of Washington Sundar and Glenn Maxwell in the top order.
While speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Pathan said if De Villiers walk out to bat after Maxwell, the Aussie all-rounder will have more time and freedom to play his natural game.
“AB de Villiers is such a player who can play in the top order, the middle order and also as a brilliant and consistent finisher. So, for that reason, RCB should play Maxwell higher up the batting order and hope that he plays fearlessly like in the first game,” said Irfan Pathan“I would like to add another point that Washington Sundar should play in the top order consistently. Even after Devdutt Padikkal returns, play him at No. 3. We have been seeing RCB for so long and they always seem an Indian batsman short. So, if Washington Sundar even scores 20-25 runs consistently then the rest of the batting order is very dangerous and they’ll get some firepower in the middle order,” he added.
Irfan further opined that Maxwell’s presence in the middle-order is ‘very crucial’ for the Kohli-led side as it forces the opposition to restructure their strategy and put their best bowlers at work.
“When a player of Maxwell’s calibre bats in the middle-order, he won’t take too much time. He is a busy contender and that puts the opposition under pressure to bring their main bowlers and their planning gets completely changed. So, Maxwell playing at four is very crucial for RCB,” said Pathan.