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Follow UsIPL 2023 Finish: 6th
New additions: Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan
Bengaluru was euphoric like it had never been before. The bustling South Indian city that has been a cultural melting pot for many migrants around the country has gathered all its senses to celebrate the end of a long wait.
No matter which part of the country you’ve moved out from, if you happen to be in Bengaluru on Sunday (March 17) night, it is hard not to be infatuated by the pure and unbridled joy of RCB fans. What the RCB men couldn’t do in 16 years of their Indian Premier League (IPL) presence, the ladies, led by a reticent Smriti Mandhana and powered by an effervescent Ellyse Perry, managed to grab it in both hands.
Comparing them, however, would be apple to orange - as the WPL is still in its infancy and needs more teams to create a competitive structure - but the Faf du Plessis-led side couldn’t have asked for a better inspiration to convert “Namde” to “Namdu” as the IPL 2024 comes calling.
What can win them the trophy?
A strong batting core, with Maxi Power
Virat Kohli is back in form. Glenn Maxwell is doing Maxwell things. And then there’s Faf du Plessis, whose legend in the IPL is as lethal as anything. If they come together, there’s a strong chance teams will be playing catch up to RCB.
In IPL 2023, du Plessis managed 730 runs at a strike rate of 153.7. Kohli scored 639 runs at a strike rate close to 140. Then there was Glenn Maxwell, whose 400 runs came at a scarcely-believable SR of 183.5. Three of them came good to deliver one batting masterclass after another, leaving enough for their bowlers to play around.
A side that has created a legend of a fanbase at the Chinnaswamy can never be content with whatever is in store for them at the venue, for the shorter boundaries have worked against them more than helping them. With a weaker bowling line-up, the batting order delivering big-time on every single occasion is no longer an option; it is a story they need to tell themselves repeatedly to manifest it into reality.
What could cost them the title?
Lack of bowling penetration
As much as they would like to believe that they have the best batting line-up in the competition, Royal Challengers Bangalore have a very weak bowling line-up with the likes of Mayank Dagar, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Siraj, and Yash Dayal forming the core of the bowling attack.
Even if you want to induct Lockie Ferguson, it would come at the expense of Joseph - something the team management wouldn’t be very comfortable with in the first few matches.
On the other hand, there is an opportunity for Karn Sharma or Himanshu Sharma to be picked ahead of Dagar to provide variety with wrist spin, but whatever the way you look at it, there’s a considerable lack of depth. If history is anything to go by, RCB’s fortunes have never worked well in such situations.
Concerns around death-over bowling
In IPL 2023, only Mumbai Indians, with a death-over economy rate of 11.8, conceded more runs than Royal Challengers Bangalore, who had an ER of 11.1. Mohammed Siraj was going for runs, as were Harshal Patel and Josh Hazlewood.
No assurance was enough, and everyone expected the coaching set-up to fill that void in the IPL 2024 auction. However, as it turned out, they garnered a squad filled with no pedigree and multiple spots needing reinforcements.
Things to watch out for
- Virat Kohli’s batting against spin
- Faf du Plessis’ form, especially after his recent struggle in SA20
- Dinesh Karthik’s finishing abilities
- Yash Dayal’s performance at the small Chinnaswamy Stadium
- Usage of Will Jacks
Probable XI
RCB Likely XI: Faf du Plessis*, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell*, Cameron Green*, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Mayank Dagar, Alzarri Joseph*, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal
Will RCB take the bold step of using Will Jacks at the top of the order instead of Faf du Plessis to make maximum use of the powerplay? Kohli can lead the side in that situation, as he did multiple times in IPL 2023.
Uncapped X-Factor
Rajan Kumar can be an X-factor for RCB, having averaged 23.28 for Uttarakhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has a career T20 average of 18.94 and a List A average of 24.85 - which adds value to the side.
Schedule till April 7
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, March 22
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings, March 25
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, March 29
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants, April 2
Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, April 6
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