IPL 2021: AB de Villiers Should Open The Batting Or Bat At No. 3 For RCB, Reckons Gautam Gambhir

AB de Villiers is one of the stylish and decorated batsmen in modern-day cricket who can take on any powerful bowling attack to cleaners and turn the game for his team.

The former South Africa captain has been a lynchpin of the RCB batting line-up over the years and is the only other player apart from skipper Virat Kohli to play for the franchise for more than a decade.

Time and again, de Villiers has proved his mettle by winning numerous matches for RCB in the death overs where the situation wasn’t ideal for the team like in the opening game against Mumbai Indians this season.

Batting AB de Villiers at No.6 makes no sense: Gautam Gambhir

The match against SRH wasn’t the same as the South African batsman who failed to hit 13 runs in the final over bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

De Villiers, who came in to bat at N0.6, made 19 from 13 balls but couldn’t dispatch the ball in the stands when the team needed six off the final ball.  Former KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir feels that the South African batter should either open the innings or bat at no.3.

” I was of the opinion that he should open the batting or bat at No 3 for RCB. Batting AB de Villiers at No.6 makes no sense to me. I personally want to see him go early and take the game by the scruff of the neck. He’s been a fantastic player, so I would love to see him being utilized more,” Gambhir told ESPNcricinfo. 

RCB should not persist with Daniel Christian: Gautam Gambhir

Australian all-rounder Daniel Christian was promoted to bat at No.3 to slog with some impetus runs, but the team management’s move didn’t pay any dividends as the 38-year-old registered scores of 0 & 1 in the last two games.

Gambhir reckoned to play either of the Sri Lankan player Wanindu Hasaranga or Dushmantha Chameera, in place of Christian as RCB’s fourth overseas player against Delhi Capitals.

“No, they should not persist with Daniel Christian, but they will. And the reason is because I don’t know. It has to be superstition. So I would pick Hasaranga and Chameera instead,” Gambhir asserted. 

“I think it is an opportunity for Bangalore to see what Dushmantha Chameera or Wanindu Hasaranga can give you, if not both, in the final fixture,” he added.

RCB will play their final league match against Delhi Capitals on Friday in Dubai. For both sides, the match will be to test and experiment with their core strengths as both of them have already qualified for the playoffs.

Also Read: IPL 2021: I Would Definitely Retain Glenn Maxwell Ahead Of AB de Villiers – Gautam Gambhir