13 April,2018 10:05 AM IST | Bangalore | Satish Viswanathan
Chris Gayle
As many as three local lads, all top-order bats, will turn out for the visiting Punjab, while for Bangalore, playing for the Karnataka state is all but a curse, so few and far in between have they picked players from the once Garden City. Modern fans though don't quite see it that way. Though they will also support KL Rahul, who got the fastest 50 of the T20 tournament, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair, they will throng the venue wearing red and screaming till their faces go blue. Until of course a certain Yuvraj Singh walks out, then team loyalties will be banished.
Will the same happen with Chris Gayle, until last year the one with the most followers after skipper Virat Kohli, should he be given a chance (he was made to sit out of Punjab's opening game) is another interesting factor. Not being retained or picked by Bangalore in the auction is one thing, but to go a few rounds with no other team picking him either, is sure to have hit the big West Indian hard and there's no better revenge he could seek than to have a chance to take on his old colleagues at what was his home away from home.
According to his now colleague Andrew Miller, that's unlikely to happen but Bangalore coach Daniel Vettori is still wary of his former colleague. "We probably won't play against Chris tomorrow given the way they're set up, but if anyone is aware of Chris' strengths, it's Bangalore," said the former New Zealand captain. So, will the new Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin give him a go? Let's wait and watch!
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