IPL 2014, DD vs RCB: Analysing the RCB batting line up

RCB will face the Delhi Daredevils in their first match of the 7th edition of the IPL and their primary aim would be to begin their campaign on a winning note.

Published: April 17, 2014 5:04 PM IST

By Abhimanyu Shahi

IPL 2014, DD vs RCB: Analysing the RCB batting line up

Royal Challengers Bangalore will face the Delhi Daredevils in their first match of the 7th edition of the IPL and their primary aim would be to begin their campaign on a winning note. The RCB franchise spent a major part of the amount allotted to them for buying their players on strengthening their batting line up.

The batting line up boasts of major T20 starts like Chris Gayle, Ab De Villiers, Yuvraj Singh, Albie Morkel and the Indian batting sensation, Virat Kohli. Here, we take a look at exactly how good is this extraordinarily strong looking batting line up and how far can they take their team in this year’s IPL.

Chris Gayle, by far the most feared and relentless batsman in the T20 format features at the top of the batting line up. Chris Gayle has set various records over the past few editions of the IPL for the RCB team. He is the only batsmen to have scored 4 centuries in the IPL, has hit the most number of sixes and won the most number of orange caps in the history of the tournament.

But the current form of the Caribbean star is a matter of concern for the B team. He has looked out of touch for a long period of time now and people have started doubting if he can repeat his heroics in this edition of the IPL. But at the end of the day, it’s Chris Gayle and a single good game can change the momentum in the southpaw’s favor. For that period of time though, it’s a question mark from our side.

Virat Kohli has been in form for almost 4 years now. Whenever he walks in the middle to bat, you know that things are going to be just fine for the side. He can chase any total that has been put up on the board and he will do that without taking any risk. It would just be unfair on our part to doubt the ability of this genuinely awesome batting star.

Ab De Villiers is arguably the best batsmen of our generation. He can mould his game according to the situation and there is not a spot on the pitch from where he cannot hit the ball. He lit up the last edition of the IPL with his amazing and innovative stroke play. Like Virat Kohli, it would be an insult to question his ability under any circumstance and under any conditions.

Yuvraj Singh became the most expensive player at this years auctions and the question about whether the amount that he bagged is deserved by the southpaw has been circulating ever since. What has triggered the voice of the critics even more has been the constant failure of the southpaw in recent times.

The south paw failed to deliver on the big stage of the finals of the T20 world cup. We hate questioning his abilities as we have all seen what he is capable of, the question is that how long is it going to be before he finally delivers..

Albie Morkel is a very dangerous option to bank on. Yes he can hit big and yes he is great prospect with the ball too, but if he can deliver on a regular basis is a question. He has won games from impossible positions for his previous team but his performance with the bat has been very inconsistent and that again raises problems for the RCB side.

The rest o the batting lineup mostly consist of Indian locals and upcoming stars like Vijay Zol and Parthiv Patel, and both of them are capable of playing their part, but when you analyse the on paper strong team that RCB boasts about you can see many loop holes in it. If all of them deliver, its hands down RCB as the favorites to win this year’s tournament, until then we just need to wait, watch and enjoy.

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