IPL 2017: Chris Gayle should take cue from Virat Kohli, feels Trent Woodhill

With Chris Gayle famous for his big innings, fans are eagerly waiting for him to fire and lead Royal Challenegrs Bangalore to a few wins.

As Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) slumped to their third loss of the tournament against Mumbai Indians (MI), in Match 12 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, RCB’s fielding coach Trent Woodhill had some piece of advise for opener Chris Gayle. Woodhill feels Gayle should take a cue from RCB skipper Virat Kohli and try to regain his lost touch. Gayle has fired up yet in the IPL 2017 so far, having not scored more than 32, his highest score in the opening tie. With Gayle being associated with his explosive innings all these years, RCB’s dilemma is apparent with the West Indies cricketer being dropped for the tie against KXIP at Indore, but returning in the home match against Mumbai Indians. Full Cricket Scorecard, RCB vs MI, Match 12

“Chris Gayle is hitting the ball very well in the net. He is not far away from making a big score, and hopefully it happens tomorrow. Gayle has had a fantastic record here. Gayle and somebody else can take a cue out of the knocks played by Virat and Pollard, last evening. They mastered the conditions and came out with flying colours, with their bats,” said Trent Woodhill, as reported by PTI.

Apart from Gayle, Woodhill also talked about Mandeep Singh, who has shown signs of rich form. “He [Mandeep] is a quality player. He did really well last year for us in the lower middle order. I am hopeful he will turn the screws on. He is going to come out blazing tomorrow or against Gujarat. He is a quality player. He did well to build a partnership in Indore with AB on really tough surface. He started well in Hyderabad as well, so he will get his chance and I am sure he will grab it,” said Woodhill.

Speaking on the other players in the side, Woodhill said the recent injuries to Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul should allow other players in the side to take the opportunity and make an impact. “Obviously we have been hit with injuries. We lost two world class players, KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan before the start of the tournament which was a massive loss for us, but absence of players creates opportunities for other players. They need to grab them,” he said.

Woodhill also spoke on RCB’s chances in the tournament following the return of Kohli and AB de Villiers, after recovering from injuries. “Having Virat and AB back is great, and we need to capitalise on their return and build our fortunes, and build it quickly in their presence,” he concluded.

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