India legend Sunil Gavaskar picks the best opening pair of the Indian Premier League (IPL)

Feb 9, 2024

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India legend Sunil Gavaskar picks the best opening pair of the Indian Premier League (IPL)

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been a breeding ground for explosive cricketing talent, showcasing some of the finest batters and bowlers from around the world. One of the most crucial elements in the game of cricket is the opening pair, as they lay the foundation for their team’s innings with their power-hitting and strategic partnership.

Over the years, IPL has witnessed several iconic opening pairs that have mesmerized fans with their remarkable performances. From blistering boundaries to towering sixes, these duos have set the stage on fire and left an indelible mark on the league’s history.

Sunil Gavaskar names his choice

As the excitement builds for yet another thrilling season of the IPL 2024, the aspect of openers will continue to entertain fans. Against this backdrop, the esteemed cricketing personality Sunil Gavaskar has stepped into the spotlight and named the best opening pair of the cash-rich league.

Gavaskar placed his bet on the exciting pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) the joint-most successful franchise alongside Mumbai Indians (MI). Gavaskar pointed out the effectiveness of their left and right-handed combination, which adds diversity to the batting lineup and poses challenges for opposing bowlers. He emphasized their consistent ability to provide good starts during the previous season, suggesting that their performances alleviated pressure on the middle-order batter who followed them in the batting lineup.

“I feel their left and right-handed opening combination of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway is probably the best opening pair in the IPL because they always gave good starts last year. So the pressure was slightly eased on the players who used to come at No. 4 and No. 5,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports.

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Gavaskar rates the lineup good for chasing

Gavaskar highlighted the formidable batting depth of the Super Kings, emphasizing their significance in successful run chases. He noted that CSK possessed a plethora of power hitters within their lineup, a factor that bolsters their ability to chase down targets effectively.

“You always think about scoring runs in T20 cricket but chasing is also important. For chasing, you need to have a lineup where someone can come at No. 7 as well and hit big sixes. You have got an MS Dhoni and now they have got somebody like a Shivam Dube batting at No. 3 or No. 4. He is a long hitter, and then Jadeja, look at the way he finished the finals. Deepak Chahar can also play the big shots. So clearly their batting is the least of their worries,” added Gavaskar.