Virat Kohli's RCB look favourites for IPL 2020 title: Dilip Vengsarkar

For legendary batsman Dilip Vengsarkar this IPL season Virat Kohlis Royal Challengers Bangalore RCB could break the jinx of not winning the title in 12 attempts and the former India captain rates them among the hot favourites citing their wellrounded team as one of the factorsThe RCB at times referred to as the perennial underperformers have come closest to winning the IPL crown thrice in 2009 2011 and 2016 when they reached the final but on each occasion disappointment came their wayIn this T20 format it is very difficult to say who the front runners will be But I would say Bangalore are winning it this time because they havent won it so far Kohli AB de Villiers and Yuzvendra Chahal will come good They have a lot of good players in the squad Pacer Navdeep Saini bowled extremely well in their first game against SunRisers Hyderabad So I will be interested to see their progress in the tournament Vengsarkar 64 told IANS in an exclusive interviewVengsarkar however underlined that nothing could be said with certainty in the fast fluctuating fortunes of 20overperside matchesWell the RCB could be the favourites one of the favourites but I cant stick out my neck and say that X Y or Z will surely win But they could be one of the favourites he saidKohli too feels that since 2016 this is the most balanced I have felt about the squad He was referring to a batting lineup that includes Aaron Finch new sensation Devdutt Padikkal besides himself and de Villiers pacers like Navdeep Saini Dale Steyn and Chris Morris and spinners Chahal Washington Sundar and Adam ZampaThis is the second time the IPL is being staged in the United Arab Emirates UAE due to the Covid19 pandemic Earlier the first half of the IPL was played in the UAE in 2014 due to the general elections in IndiaThere are a lot of players in the eight teams who havent played in the UAE before They are new to the conditions and the pitches are different from IndiaBasically the conditions are humid in the UAE But then that is bound to happen because in these months its quite warm and humid there And of course IPL in India is played in 1012 centres and in the UAE you are playing only at three centres so there will be wear and tear of the pitches as you go along It will be interesting said VengsarkarThe spinners can come into play later on with the help of pitches And the weather will definitely improve because October and November are relatively cooler especially in the evenings in the UAE I say this because I used to play in Sharjah etc so I know a bit about the weather he averredThe IPL final is slated for November 10Then there is the dew factor due to which many captains have opted to bowl after winnings the tossThe dew factor is very important because if there is dew it becomes tough to grip the ball especially for the spinners Thats bound to happen So you take chances when you win the toss and have to decide what you want to do But you dont get the dew every day only on some days said the articulate former Mumbai captainWhen Vengsarkar says spinners would come into play later on in the IPL does he take into account the dew factor It depends everyday there might not be dew But as I said spinners might come into prominence as the tournament progresses he saidAll the teams match officials and broadcasting crews etc have been secured in bio bubble because of the pandemic Vengsarkar appreciates the move and says it is the need of hourIt is tough on the players that you cannot go out of hotels etc But if you see the entire pandemic situation theres no option You cannot expose yourself to the outside world If you are playing a team game and if you get infected and if you are asymptomatic that could pose a threat to the team he reasonedDid he get any impression that players hadnt given their 100 per cent due to the bio bubble restrictions It is too early to say You can say about this only in the second half of the tournament It is not fair for me to comment on that at this stage he saidDue to the pandemic spectators are not allowed in the stadia and large billboards and LED screens have been put in the stands at all three venues Abu Dhabi Dubai and Sharjah besides simulated sound systemI dont know if it empty stadiums reduces the performances but if it is a full house the atmosphere is fine What happens is a full house inspires you So that part might be missing in this tournament and it is all because of the pandemic You cant really help But of course any player would like to play in front of a full house said VengsarkarEverybody takes pride in his performance and in contributing to his teams cause whether there are crowds or not That is the top priority And if there is a crowd it adds to it you are charged up he emphasisedKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates hereAlso download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay 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