Rohit Sharma is spot on when he points to the top order making it count. That has been the early trend in 2020 IPL; be it setting a target or chasing one, top order performances have been decisive.
From Faf Du Plessis’ 44-ball 58 that guided Chennai Super Kings to victory in the tournament opener against Mumbai Indians to Shubman Gill’s 62-ball 70 not out on Saturday that took Kolkata Knight Riders past Sunrisers Hyderabad on a wicket not conducive for stroke play, top order has had a say.
“After our first loss to CSK, we had a few days to understand what we need to do as a team. One (we spoke about) is that batsman, especially in the top-four, if he is in, needs to carry on,” Sharma said in the second episode of Captain’s Corner on the Mumbai Indians’ website.
The MI top-order looks settled with openers Quinton de Kock and Sharma and No.3 Yadav. If they have an off-day, lot will depend on Saurabh Tiwary at No. 4, followed by Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Krunal Pandya. Their performances under pressure will decide how deep the reigning champions go in this IPL.
MI look a bit more formidable in bowling, especially in the seam department with Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and James Pattinson offering more variety than RCB trio Navdeep Saini, Dale Steyn and Umesh Yadav, who all bowl similar line and length.
