IPL 2020 | Will be interesting to see how the pitches cope in UAE, asserts Simon Katich

RCB play their game according to a select formula - in which they try to push the limit of run-scoring - but the bowling, especially the death bowling, tend to be their kryptonite in the small Chinnaswamy cauldron. Now that the Indian Premier League has been shifted to the UAE, with Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi hosting most matches, the plan will have to undergo a systematic change and Simon Katich feels that it will be really interesting to see how the tournament would shape up.

"It'll be interesting to see how the pitches cope this time of the year. Because there's been a lot of cricket played in a short span of time, then there's potential that knowing these conditions where it is hot and dry, we'll see some challenging wickets particularly from the batting point of view and that'll present a different style of cricket at times, which is exciting as well,” Katich was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"The beauty of T20 cricket is you want all types of players in action and sometimes that doesn't always happen when you play on absolute belters that don't spin or don't do much for the bowlers. If the bowlers have a little bit in this tournament, then it might be interesting to see how the batsmen cope.”

"Just like IPL in India, we've gained a huge amount of data at every venue. Sharjah is quite different to the others, the attributes it has in terms of bounce, boundary sizes - we're aware of all the statistics surrounding certain players and certain grounds, certain types of players on certain grounds. Abu Dhabi is a bigger ground, we know prevailing winds, what it does day and at night. Nothing comes as a surprise for us."

One of the areas of concern for RCB is the presence of only one leg-spinner in the form of Yuzvendra Chahal, who will have a donkey’s work to do this season. Given the fact that only three venues, instead of eight, means the wickets will develop soreness pretty fast and that will bring the wrist spinners into play. But Katich hoped that the off-spinners will do the job for them.

"But we also know we've got a number of off-spinners that can play a role in these conditions and also provide all-round ability, not just with the bat but also in the field. So between Sundar, Negi, Shahbaz Ahmed and obviously Moeen Ali. Also even with Gurkeerat Singh Mann, we've got a number of players that can play a role in these spinning conditions. We feel we've got a lot of bases covered in the spinning department but obviously just got the one leg spinner."