As Royal Challengers Bangalore and Virat Kohli look to avoid more misery, the ECB should take note of IPL success

While the ECB, in a desperate attempt to be trendy and relevant, try to reinvent the Twenty20 format with their laughable 100 Balls tournament, the Indian Premier League continues to go from strength to strength proving that gimmicks are no longer needed.

Wednesdays encounter, between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, emphasises that brilliantly.

Now, love it or loathe it, you cant accuse the IPL of being frippery when you look at the competitive nature of this contest. Jeez, look at the talent on show; Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers, MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh. These are greats.

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The days of cheerleaders and after-game parties grabbing the headlines are long gone. No ones laughing at the hit-and-giggle now.

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Still, it is something of a mystery when perusing RCBs roster as to how they are struggling at the bottom of the table with two wins from five.

Kohli, De Villiers and Quinton De Kock as three of their front four, you would have thought, would be unstoppable.

Its a reminder that T20 is more nuanced than a thrash and bash. The ECB would be well served to remember that as well.

RCB should be doing better, though, because in Chris Woakes and Umesh Yadav they have wicket-takers and Yuz Chahal is Indias go-to spinner these days.

The Super Kings continue to amaze us. They won again last time out, downing Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina struck half-centuries as the Super Kings somehow recovered from 32 for two in the eighth to post 182 against the best bowling attack in the competition.

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Bangalore are 4-5 with Bet365 to get the win while Super Kings are 23-20. Given the form of the two sides it is arguable that the Super Kings rate outstanding value. Taking on Bangalore at odds-on is a golden rule.

There might be some value on the Super Kings top bowler mark. Tahir is available to bet at 10-3 with Bet365. Bangalore appeared to have some problems against spin in defeat by Mumbai Indians – Krunal Pandya claimed three scalps – so Tahir will fancy his chances here of a haul.

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