Graeme Smith: RCB look like IPL title favourites

In his latest column, the Betway ambassador discusses the teams at the top of the IPL standings, the race for the Orange Cap and the impact of T20 cricket on batting technique.

I said in my last column that you expect the first half of the IPL to have a lot of power batting, but the run-scoring this season has been even higher than I was expecting. Batters are going much harder.

The Punjab Kings lead the way at this stage, and their batting has been outstanding. They have a lot of power options through their top order, but when they get to crunch time there may be some nerves around their bowling.

For me, RCB look to have the best balance between bat and ball. They have firepower in both. But for Punjab, that’s something that they’ll want to get right now at this key phase.

I always joke with the Rajasthan Royals owner that I’m the only man to put a star on his chest, but my former team are looking good this season. I’ve spoken before about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi potentially being the standout, but he’s just continuing to surprise everybody.

His maturity and ability to strike from ball one, combined with Jaiswal at the top order, make them really strong. But where these things always get interesting is whether other players can perform.

I was happy to see Donovan Ferreira get them over the line recently, but it’s important to have more players in good form coming to this phase of the tournament, because that top four slot is never as easy as you think.

Young batters are pinging it from the word go

We’re seeing a great race for the Orange Cap this season, and despite his struggles in the World Cup and the impressive Sooryavanshi, I think Abhishek Sharma will have the best chance.

Those at the top of the order always have a longer time to bat, so any dip in form means you could have a chance get it back quickly. I certainly think that’s the case on these flat pitches where there’s not a lot in the surface.

Sharma plays a lot more square than most batters, certainly over the off side. But there’s a lack of fear in the youngsters these days, there’s so many across the board that are pinging it from word go.

I was a little bit worried about Heinrich Klaasen’s recent form over the last year and a half, but he’s played well and he’s also in the hunt. I think in the early phase of the tournament, some of his knocks were key. He showed maturity in the way that he’s played, and that’s sometimes more difficult than just going out and smashing it.

Bumrah’s drop in form exposes Mumbai Indians

It’s very rare that Jasprit Bumrah doesn’t dominate, so that has been a key factor in MI’s struggles. But other big franchises like the Chennai Super Kings have also had their issues, so the teams down the bottom will all be very disappointed.

Bumrah is an iconic bowler, and his performances usually take the pressure off other guys, but that’s not been the case this season. So when the pressure shifts and the impact of a gun bowler like Jasprit is no longer there, it exposes the whole team.

When I look at MI over the last two seasons, maybe there’s an element of not keeping up with the IPL’s style of play. There is maybe an element of figuring out how they can compete with that type of power hitting.

To me, they look like a squad that isn’t gelling right now. Whether that’s leadership, whether it’s a personality thing, it just doesn’t seem like an environment that’s playing for each other and getting along well.

Test cricket is paying the price of T20 batting

It was all about ODI and Test cricket when I was playing the game, so your technique was set up to perform in those styles of play.

Now, the platform is T20 cricket and I definitely think batters are developing differently. Watching the current youngsters, it’s all about the lap, the reverse lap, and setting up for power hitting. That also doesn’t really help when you get into Test cricket and you’ve got to fight out a session.

It’s not simply a different technique; it’s a different mentality. The natural instinct of batters now is to take the game on instead of fighting though a session, getting through the new ball and saying, “I’ll get you after lunch.”

The IPL’s flatter pitches, smaller boundaries and Impact Player rule are providing depth for batters to go as hard as possible, so it’s setting a standard that I hope doesn’t impact bowling.

If I take the Betway SA20 as an example, we don’t have the Impact Player, so bowlers definitely have more of a role to play. You always want to see a slight balance between bat and ball, and I truly believe when it gets to crunch time, it’s those key bowlers who can change the landscape that win you games.

So when it comes to the next generation coming through, hopefully they are developing in a way that makes their skillset different.

Betway SA20 has helped retain South African talent

If we hadn’t built the SA20, I think free agency in South African cricket would be dramatic. The league has gone a long way in helping to retain and develop South African players because it’s provided a great global platform.

Klaasen’s retirement is obviously a big loss for the game, and I can’t speak for him, but it seems like a slightly bigger issue than just him retiring. There might be one or two personal issues around certain leaders in South African cricket, but I don’t know.

We’re also seeing things like David Miller’s contract situation, but my guess is that he’s made himself available for as much cricket as possible in the run-up to 2027 World Cup. Whether that is him wanting more freedom to play in other leagues or not, he’s pretty much down to playing just white ball cricket.

Picking two or three leagues to play in is something I think you’ll see a lot of top players doing – and then they’ll get involved with international cricket around that.

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