Don’t be surprised if RCB wins their first final – Ricky Ponting

Talking to ICC, Punter said, “The strike rate is vitally important. I think that’s one of the things that have changed a little bit now. The mantra I think for the teams three or four years ago was making sure that someone at the top of the order made 80 or 100 even if it took them 60 balls, it didn’t really matter. I think it’s somewhat shifting now to be more of a strike-rate based game where you can have a massive impact on the game with 40 off 15 balls rather than getting an 80 off 55 balls sort of thing.”

He continued, “So that sort of feeling, I got through the IPL this year and you have only got to see what the Sunrisers that are there, obviously on the back of what Travis was doing and what Klaasen was doing in the middle-order but then you look at the other side of it and RCB has qualified as well on the back of Virat making a truckload of runs at the top of the order.”

Shifting his focus to VK, Punter added, “It’s funny with Virat. I think people in India just always try and find a reason not to pick him or a reason why he is not as good as some of these other guys in the T20 game. But he’s the first pick for me in India. He can play his role at the top and if you have got the right guys around him, Suryakumar’s going to be there, Rohit Sharma’s going to have a high strike rate, these other guys can go out there and play their way and they will be pretty tough to beat.”

Ponting also said, “Virat has had another record-breaking year in the IPL and on the back of what RCB’s done in the last six games, don’t be surprised if they win their first final as well.”