5 IPL seasons when RCB were dependent on just 3 batters
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), led by Faf du Plessis, have made a decent start to this year's IPL, having won four of their eight games so far. However, one glaring concern for the franchise is the weak middle order, which has already let the team down on a few occasions this year.
Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell have done really well with the bat, which has helped RCB win four games, but the question on everyone's mind is, "What if they all fail in a particular game?"
RCB's middle order, comprising Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suyash Prabhudessai, and Dinesh Karthik, has not fired yet, and thus, the question is extremely relevant.
RCB should really have done better at the auction in trying to procure the services of a couple of reliable options. Especially considering that they have made the same mistake in earlier editions as well.
On that note, here's a look at five other IPL seasons when RCB were dependent on just three batters:
#1 2022
As has been the case this year, RCB struggled with their batting in 2022 as well. RCB were heavily dependent on Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell to come good with the bat.
The trio are in good form this year, but last year, Kohli and du Plessis were not at their best, and that made RCB quite a weak side in terms of batting.
The players in the middle order, namely Mahipal Lomror and Shahbaz Ahmed, were not consistent enough to give fans confidence in them.
Towards the end of the season, RCB found a gem in Rajat Patidar, but eventually, their overdependence on Kohli, Faf, and Maxwell cost them in the 2nd qualifier, where they posted an underpar score.
#2 2020
In 2020, RCB were overly reliant on Devdutt Paddikal, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers to shine with the bat.
The team has a very weak middle order comprising the likes of Aaron Finch, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, and Washington Sundar, who were all struggling during the tournament.
This overdependence came to bite the Kohli-led side as they were beaten by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator due to a slugglish effort with the bat.
#3 2019
RCB's middle order in 2019, which comprised the likes of Gurkeerat Mann Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Shivam Dube, and Heinrich Klassen, exerted a lot of pressure on the team's three in-form batters, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Parthiv Patel.
Patel and Kohli gave the team a good start, while de Villiers gave a sense of security, but the others did not step up, and that was reflected in RCB's performance that year as they ended up with the wooden spoon.
#4 2018
Back in 2018, it was the trio of Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers who were always under pressure to perform for RCB.
Like they always do, RCB had some stars in 2018 too. They included the likes of Corey Anderson, Moeen Ali, and Brendon McCullum, but they were all inconsistent.
Once again, the failure of their middle order cost them big time, as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in a row.
#5 2015
2015 was yet another year in which RCB paid the price for being overly dependent on three stars. The three players were none other than Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers.
They had Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dinesh Karthik as part of the middle order, but they didn't really invoke confidence in the team's fans.
Gayle, Kohli, and de Villiers did all the heavy lifting and took RCB to the playoffs, but they lost the second qualifier due to their poor batting.