BENGALURU: The pandemic hampered sporting events all around the world and IPL 2021 was no exception. Its suspension was no-brainer with the virus breaching the bio bubble.
Did the halt, which was a must then, rob Royal Challengers Bangalore of a golden opportunity to win their maiden title?
Truth be told, IPL is an unpredictable beast and it could have been anybody’s game despite their impressive start with five wins from seven games. However, when they resume their IPL campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on Monday, they will be expected to carry that momentum into the second leg in the UAE.
Bangalore, who lie third on the table, need their heroes of the Indian leg to deliver once again. The new signings including Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, and others also need to contribute. The inclusion of the Lankan spinner in the UAE could be a trump card. There is no doubt Bangalore will be under pressure, especially after increasing hopes of ending their title duck with an impressive first leg, where many players delivered.
Maxwell looked in great form. He is the highest run-scorer for the team so far (223 from six innings). Their Achilles heel was also more or less sorted with Harshal Patel doing the job -- the highest wicket-taker in the league with 17 scalps. At one point, it looked like whatever Kohli touched, turned into gold. The likes of AB de Villiers, Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Jamieson and Mohammed Siraj among others played their role to perfection. Suddenly, they were no longer a team dependent on Kohli and de Villiers only. Also, the opening pair of Kohli and Padikkal looked good. This ploy could hold even more importance in the UAE for the right-hander considering he will be up against the new ball, probably the best time to bat as the conditions could get tougher in the middle stages when the slower bowlers are in action. Also, there have been times when Kohli has not looked comfortable against the spinners in such conditions.
Now, the big question remains if Bangalore can come up with a repeat performance. It is not going to be easy as the competition is only going to get intense with teams expected to go all out in the race to the play-offs. Despite their good start, Kohli is aware that no team can be taken for granted in this league.
“Having played the game at this level for so long, you understand that whether you are seven wins in a row, you still have to start the eighth with the same kind of commitment and passion and professionalism. Whether you have no wins out of five, six games, like we have experienced as a team (in the past), you have to find that passion and motivation to change the result. You just cannot afford to take anything for granted - not wins, not losses. You should not be disheartened by losses and definitely not take wins for granted..,” said Kohli on Saturday.
There will be newfound hunger for some of the players in the squad. Yuzvendra Chahal will have a thing to prove after his omission from the T20 World Cup, which will be Kohli’s last competition as captain in the shorter format. And winning a title like the IPL before his last jig as T20I captain would be a big statement.