To put things into perspective for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), apart from their talisman Virat Kohli, no other batsman has scored even a half-century in the five matches they’ve played this IPL season.
It’s also a bit ironic that while Kohli wears the Orange Cap with an impressive 316 runs, his team is languishing second-last in the IPL table with just a solitary win. RCB have lost three matches in a row and another one — they play Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Thursday — will make it the longest losing streak this season for any team. They are nearing the point of no return.
While in cricket, it’s not uncommon to see an in-form player be a catalyst to his team’s success, it hasn’t been the case with RCB and they would want to change their abysmal run when they face Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Thursday.
Unbreakable spirit: That’s the fabric of our Royal Challengers. No matter the setback, we always make a comeback.
Bring nothing but positivity for tomorrow, 12th Man Army! We’re in this together 🙌#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 #MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/oVaQAGxy1Z
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) April 10, 2024
A top-of-the-table clash is often the one that grabs highlights, but both Mumbai and RCB are struggling with form – Mumbai have won one out of four and are eighth on the table — the match promises to be a must-watch, with both teams wanting to change fortunes.
RCB’s woes
While Kohli has been consistent, he is not a power-hitter and RCB need the big-hitters to complement Kohli’s consistency.
Like RCB’s game against RR, it was Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 58-ball 100 and his 148-run partnership with Sanju Samson (42-ball 69) that simply blew them away.
Mumbai too produced some big-hitting in their first win of the season on Sunday against Delhi Capitals. It was their debutant Romario Shepherd who smacked 32 runs in the final over to set DC a challenging 235-run target.
(2/2) pic.twitter.com/1gk5NNidOs
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) April 10, 2024
It’s not like RCB don’t have power-hitters. In fact, they have some of the best. The very dangerous Glenn Maxwell has failed to click, scoring just 32 runs so far — and he’s scored 28 of that in a single game.
He’s also gotten out for a duck twice. Cameron Green, whom they signed from Mumbai this season has scored 68 while Rajat Patidar, who was slogging it out at the nets for over an hour on Wednesday, has scored just 50 in the four innings he’s played.
Skipper Faf du Plessis has scored 109 runs while Dinesh Karthik, who has 90 runs in his four innings, has the best strike rate for RCB at 173.07.
Bowling issues too
The IPL is difficult for any bowler, but they too can have a significant impact. Sadly for RCB, it just hasn’t been the case. Their best bowler has been pacer Yash Dayal, who has taken just five wickets in as many games. Their pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj has been extremely inconsistent, taking just four wickets at a poor economy rate of 10.10.
“the big cat crouches low, eyes fixed intensely on its unsuspecting prey. Every muscle tenses, poised for the imminent chase.”
That’s probably how David Attenborough would describe the shot and he wouldn’t be wrong! 😬#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/1rUoVPR0Hs
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) April 10, 2024
Their primary spinner Mayank Dagar has managed just one wicket with an economy rate of 10.14 and has been targeted by batsmen.
RCB’s medium pacer Reece Topley said on the eve of the match that despite his team’s poor run of form, there’s still time for them to turn things around.
“I do not think anyone needs to be an expert to sort of look at everyone’s performances and say they haven’t been up to scratch and that’s all aspects of the game. The exciting part is that it’s still relatively young into the tournament. There’s a lot still to play for and what is exciting is that there’s a lot of time to turn that around and still showcase how good we are,” he said.
The English player said being under pressure brings the best out of the team, and that could be the case with RCB on Thursday.
“I think one of the spectacles about sport is that you see an athlete’s real passion and skill set when they are under pressure. That’s why hopefully we will have a fantastic game (against Mumbai). The goal is still to qualify for the finals and we’re taking each game as it comes,” he said.
Get latest updates on IPL 2024 from IPL Points Table to Teams, Schedule, Most Runs and Most Wickets along with live score updates for all matches. Also get Sports news and more cricket updates.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
