3 reasons why RCB need not worry despite loss to CSK in IPL 2024 opener
The 2024 IPL season saw a grand opening with the high-octane clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) living up to its hype at the Chepauk Stadium on March 22.
While the encounter had its share of ebbs and flows, the outcome was an all-too-familiar tale of the home team upstaging their South Indian rivals, as CSK cruised to a six-wicket victory. An eighth consecutive defeat at CSK's fortress meant RCB was off to a losing start despite flexing their muscles at different stages.
Although the final score, with CSK emerging victorious by six wickets in the 19th over, felt routine, the game wasn't without several twists and turns. And while the lack of capitalizing on those defining moments may have left RCB fans deflated, there were numerous positives that they can carry forward into the rest of their campaign.
If anything, this was one of RCB's better performances against CSK in Chennai in recent years, which further reduces their cause for concern.
On that note, let us deep dive into three reasons why RCB need not worry despite the CSK defeat in the IPL 2024 opener.
#1 RCB's frontline batting collapse - More a blip than a trend
RCB can easily dismiss the top-order batting display as an aberration, with none of the fearsome top five of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green scoring over 35.
If history and the pedigree of the batters are anything to go by, there is little to no chance that the side will stumble to 78/5 in the 12th over again in the rest of the tournament.
For context, four of the five mentioned above were in the top 20 leading scorers last season, with Maxwell's 400 runs the lowest. And when last seen in the IPL in 2022, Patidar averaged over 55 at a strike rate of 152.75.
RCB were off to the races at 41/0 in the fifth over, with skipper Faf going strong. However, losing five world-beating batters for only 37 runs turned the game on its tide. While Mustafizur Rahman deserves credit for destroying the RCB batting innings, it is unlikely that arguably the best top five in the competition will endure a similar collapse.
#2 Unexpectedly pleasant fightback from a pair of glovemen
It would have made for interesting reading if a poll ensued when RCB was 78/5 on what they would end up with. An educated guess would be that even the die-hard RCB optimists may have settled for 150 at best.
Yet, the wicket-keeping pair of Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat stunned CSK with an incredible resurgence in the second half of their innings. After a brief period of milking the singles and twos, the duo tore the CSK bowlers with shot-making of the highest order to propel RCB to a formidable 173/6 in 20 overs.
Often accused of being a top-heavy batting unit, No.6 and 7 coming to the party and saving the side from the blushes has to be the biggest takeaway for RCB from the encounter.
While Rawat showcased glimpses of his talent last season, this was arguably the coming out party of his IPL career, finishing on 48 off 25. Meanwhile, Karthik was back to his vintage best after a disappearing act in 2023, where he averaged under 12 in 13 games.
RCB historically has had the bulk of their runs in most matches scored by the top order, leaving the lower middle order often short of game time heading into the business end of the tournament. It could be a 'moral victory' that RCB scored over 170 after losing half the side with only 78 on the board.
#3 New Indian bowling recruits held their own amidst CSK's onslaught
Since the conclusion of the IPL 2024 auction, RCB's supposedly weak bowling has been the biggest talking point when analyzing their chances of winning an elusive title.
Yet, amidst the more headline-grabbing trades involving Hardik Pandya, Devdutt Padikkal, Avesh Khan, and Cameron Green was the move of Mayank Dagar from SRH to RCB. The left-arm spinner played only three matches for SRH last year, picking up the lone wicket.
However, the 27-year-old used all his wits to deny the rampaging CSK batters any freedom in the middle overs. Despite bowling just two overs, Dagar conceded only six runs and bowled with tremendous control and game awareness.
The other positive for RCB would have been the new-ball spell from Yash Dayal, their recruit at the mini-auction last year. After a dismal 2023 IPL season where he picked up only two wickets at an average of over 82 and an economy of almost 12, the left-arm pacer going ₹5 crore surprised fans across India.
With a point to prove, Dayal bowled an impressive opening spell, troubling the classy Ruturaj Gaikwad before removing him caught at first slip. While his final figures of 1/28 in three overs may not appear too flashy, RCB may have found a new ball bowler to partner Mohammad Siraj for the remainder of the season, thanks to the seam movement he generated.
The two new Indian recruits provided RCB fans with hope for a prosperous season despite the seemingly inevitable defeat in the season opener at Chennai.