Rain dampens RCB revival plans
SPOILSPORT Virat’s boys came back from a similar situation last season, but another point loss makes it more difficult
In an Indian Premier League that pulls in the biggest stars of cricket, Royal Challengers Bangalore have stood out for the ‘galacticos’ in their ranks.
Even if two of their big guns — Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, skipper Virat Kohli and Shane Watson — boom in a game, the opposition will find it difficult against the Bangalore side that has risen and fallen with their batsmen.
However, at the halfway mark in the 2017 IPL, Virat Kohli’s team are languishing at the bottom of the table, having won just two of their seven games.
On Tuesday, with talks of a strong comeback from Virat Kohli’s boys doing the rounds, RCB’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad was washed out without a ball bowled.
RCB can be written off at one’s peril. Last season, they came racing up the points table by winning six of their seven games before finishing runners-up.
However, this time things look dire. What should the legion of RCB fans expect now? After collapsing for the lowest IPL total of 49, in the 82-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at the weekend, they won’t get their hopes high of the team making it past the league stage.
A lack of momentum at the start, with both Kohli and de Villiers not starting the season due to injury, has hurt RCB. Gayle has scored just 144 runs in five innings, and if one takes out the 77 in a 122-run match-winning partnership with his skipper, four innings have fetched only 77 runs. Shane Watson has hardly been the impact all-rounder, scoring 61 runs in four innings with the highest of 24. Add two wickets to that and it is average.
Virat Kohli, despite his firstball duck against KKR, has been steady, scoring 62, 28 and 64 on joining the side. Other than that only Kedar Jadhav has been consistent, scoring 175 runs in the seven games RCB have played.
But he has got little support from all-rounder Stuart Binny, who averages 19.25 in the seven
LEFTARM PACEMAN, TYMAL MILLS, REGARDED AS A T20 SPECIALIST, HAS ONLY FIVE WICKETS TO SHOW FOR IN FIVE GAMES.
games, with a highest score of 18 not out. The experiment of using batsman Vishu Vinod didn’t work either.
The absence of opener KL Rahul and Aussie spearhead Mitchell Starc this season due to injury is hurting RCB. And in a season where fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada , Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mitchell McClenaghan and Nathan Coulter-Nile have been so effective, RCB’s man has not fired.
Left-arm paceman, Tymal Mills, regarded as a T20 specialist, has only five wickets to show in five games. The top three wicket-takers are all spinners with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (10 wickets) alone reaching double figures.
The 2017 IPL has been about taking wickets with clever variations keeping the batsmen guessing. It is not an area where RCB have looked convincing this season.
The failure to chase down 162 at home against Rising Pune Supergiant, a team whose bowling was one of the weakest at that point, showed RCB are struggling to get their balance right.
Virat Kohli and de Villiers read the riot act after the capitulation against KKR, but it will take a lot for the team to respond.