Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are all set to face defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) tonight at the Eden Gardens. RCB have some big names in their batting order who are potential match winners. Kohli feels his side has the perfect combination in comparison to earlier editions, reports the official website of IPL.
Kohli went on to laud his batting line-up, which has names like Ab de Villiers and Chris Gayle alongside him. When asked about Gayle's fitness, Kohli said: "Yesterday we saw him run and bat and field. That is probably the fittest I have seen him over the last three years. It was pleasing to see him run around and be agile and very active in practice."
"He being fit is always a boost for us and it is a thing to think about for the opposition because he can field, bat and bowl. It is a big positive for us."
Kohli seemed equally confident about his bowling attack. They have Mitchell Starc and Adam Milne up their sleeves, though the two bowlers won't be playing in the initial games. Australian pacer Sean Abott is likely to make it to the playing XI and he would look to grab this opportunity with both hands, according to Kohli.
"Sean is as talented a bowler as anyone that you want to pick in T20 cricket. He bats well; he is a power hitter and bowls really well at the death. He is a complete cricketer and to have someone like that at number 7 or 8 is obviously a huge advantage for any team," said Kohli in an interview.
He added: " We will miss Mitchell Starc at the start of the tournament but Starc coming fresh at the business end or in the middle of the tournament is going to be a huge boost for us. It also gives Sean an opportunity to come into the IPL and show what he has got, perform and become more confident as a cricketer."
He then went on to praise his Indian bowlers, saying Ashok Dinda and Abu Nechim bowl at a good pace. The team also has the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Iqbal Abdulla, making it a balanced one. "We have got the right balance; we just need to keep the guys relaxed and as confident as possible. I think that's the trick in the IPL. We have got the bowling resources for sure and it is how we use them at different stages in the IPL," said Kohli.
