17 April,2016 03:00 PM IST | | Subodh Mayure
If we all agree that at least at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, T20 is still very much a batsman's game, then tonight's clash here between RCB and Delhi Daredevils can straightaway be termed as a battle between youth and experience
RCB's Chris Gayle and and Virat Kohli during a training session ahead of their match against DD in Bangalore on Saturday. Pic/PTI
Bangalore: If we all agree that at least at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, T20 is still very much a batsman's game, then tonight's clash here between RCB and Delhi Daredevils can straightaway be termed as a battle between youth and experience. Make that extreme youth against tremendous experience or simply 32 vs 22.
RCB's Chris Gayle and and Virat Kohli during a training session ahead of their match against DD in Bangalore on Saturday. Pic/PTI
The math is basic. The top four RCB batsmen - Gayle, Kohli, De Villiers and Watson are aged 36, 27, 32 and 34, making the average age to be 32 and they will be up against a bunch of kids, who going by their last two games, average 22, a good 10 years less. Whoever is fitted into the top four for DD, save for a Duminy being pushed up the order, they are all about the same age, be it a De Kock, Iyer, Samson, Nair, Negi or Agarwal. Any younger and you can bet a PIL would have found its way into the courts, accusing the IPL of child labour, albeit very well paid 'labour' at that.
Dravid in opposite camp
Bangalore's very own Rahul Dravid finds himself in the 'opposite' camp' yet again. He's had mixed results so far, what with DD losing badly in their opener and winning their second one most comfortably. Yet it is such challenges that drives the man and if he indeed has as free a hand as he had while with the RR then he could be the one to finally get the team out of the rut its been in for more than a few seasons now.
The main problem with DD has been the impatience shown by the management, again in stark contrast to the home side. RCB has always started as one of the favourites each season but they are yet to win a title and yet that has never led to wholesale changes. Delhi, on the other hand, have been about chopping madly all the time. They have appointed a new captain almost every other season if not every season and by appointing Zaheer Khan this season, they have given all indications that another change will be made next year or given the otherwise fantastic seamer's fitness issues, the change could happen mid-season too.
So then make it experience vs youth as also consistent vs inconsistent but then don't forget that in a T20 match, none of it need matter. One good hand be it from a wisp of a lad or a hardened veteran and the match can be turned around.
