3 reasons why RCB dropping Cameron Green from their playing 11 vs MI was the wrong move
Cameron Green, the star Australian all-rounder who was traded to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for Rs 17.5 crore, was expected to do special things for the franchise. However, after losing four out of their first five games, the management and the captain decided to drop the all-rounder to tinker with their combination against the Mumbai Indians (MI).
The flamboyant English batter Will Jacks replaced the burly Australian all-rounder but couldn't make an impact. Bangalore went on to lose their fifth match of the competition despite scoring a competitive 196 in their allotted 20 overs.
Faf du Plessis laid the platform with a superb half-century before Dinesh Karthik launched a scathing attack on Akash Madhwal in the last two overs to take RCB to the threshold of the 200-run mark. However, the score proved nowhere close to being enough as the MI batters came out with real intent, smashing it to all corners of the Wankhede Stadium.
Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma provided a blistering start and there was no looking back from there on. Ishan went on the rampage, scoring a 34-ball 69 before Suryakumar Yadav announced his arrival by scoring his fastest T20 fifty off 17 balls. The RCB bowlers were all over the place as MI chased down the target with 27 deliveries left.
Having said that, let us now have a look at three possible reasons why dropping Cameron Green from RCB's playing XI against MI wasn't the right move:
#1 Green should have been given a role clarity
All through his career in the white-ball format, Cameron Green has been used as a top-order batter or in the top four. Playing for the Mumbai Indians last year, Green scored an exceptional century against Sunrisers Hyderabad coming out at number three.
After being traded to RCB for a whopping sum, Green was expected to either open the innings or come in the middle order. Instead, Faf du Plessis and the management decided to play him as a finisher or in the lower order which doesn't suit his style of play.
He has struggled in the tournament so far, playing in his new role which eventually led to his ouster from the playing XI. Given how special a talent Green is, RCB should have given him proper role clarity and an idea of what the team expects from him.
#2 Green is one of the most lethal ball-strikers around
Cameron Green has already established himself as one of the finest young white-ball batters going around. He is one of the cleanest ball-strikers in the modern generation and it was perhaps not the right move from RCB to remove him for the XI against his former side MI.
He can decimate any opposition bowling attack, especially in the powerplay and can take it on from there. From what we have seen in the Australian colors or in MI blues last year, Green prefers batting in the top three which was not the case with RCB. Green should have been allowed to showcase his talent where he feels the most comfortable.
#3 He brings an ideal balance to the team with his all-round attributes
Green brings the much-needed stability and balance to a side with his all-round abilities. Besides being a prolific striker of the ball, Green is more than handy as a bowler and has quite a few varieties up his sleeve.
Given his skillsets and ability as an all-round player, it was perhaps not the correct move to drop him for the XI. He wasn't particularly bad with the ball in the five matches he has played. The Aussie took a couple of crucial wickets against the Chennai Super Kings and did a holding job in the other games.