IPL 2018: 5 current players who are carrying RCB's playoff hopes
If you are a fan of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, you are almost certainly frustrated with the way the team have started the eleventh season of the Indian Premier League. Captain Virat Kohli was adamant that this season would be the one in which the team would finally lift the trophy, but given the current situation, it appears very likely that this campaign is on track to be a repeat of the last.
There were a lot of changes made to the squad that was selected during the last season. The most notable change was the omission of the big-hitting Chris Gayle - a man who has been a regular part of the RCB squad in the past.
The squad selected is a very talented one and even though things may appear to be gloomy at the moment, there are plenty of star cricketers RCB have at their disposal to get their campaign back on track.
In this article, we will take a look at five such cricketers who will be crucial to RCB's hopes of making the playoffs and winning their maiden IPL title this year.
#1 Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock is a cricketer who needs no introduction. The talented South African batsman has set the cricketing world alight with his aggressive batting style and his immense cricketing talent.
He was previously a member of the Delhi Daredevils but finds himself in Virat Kohli's camp during this season. Without Chris Gayle in the squad, RCB needed a suitable replacement, and seem to have found one in the young de Kock.
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de Kock showed his ability to be a destructive opening batsman when he smashed 108 runs off a mere 51 balls during the 2016 IPL season against RCB. He has since moved to RCB from his former franchise (Delhi Daredevils) and has taken this form with him. He has looked dangerous and has been hitting the ball cleanly. With a half-century already to his name, de Kock certainly looks to be warming up to his best.
What does he need to do?
de Kock has been used by RCB as an opening batsman - which is the right move by the franchise. He has done fairly well and has notched up one half century in this year's tournament thus far. However, he has been unable to convert these starts into really big scores - which is something that the young batsman needs to correct.
He usually gets RCB off to a flying start, which is something that the franchise would have been expecting from the aggressive opener. However, he needs to really make these starts count and develop the same presence which David Warner has when he gets to the crease.
This will add pressure on the bowling side and allow the rest of the batting lineup to capitalize on a solid foundation when they come in to bat. He is a game-changer and he rarely spends time at the crease without making an impact. It, therefore, follows that in order to make a greater impact on the game, he needs to spend more time at the crease.