IPL 2020: 3 changes RCB need to win against MI
After registering a victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first game of IPL 2020, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of Kings XI Punjab in their second fixture. Except for Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar, none of the bowlers made an impact in the match.
Royal Challengers Bangalore had some big names like Dale Steyn, Umesh Yadav, and Navdeep Saini in their fast bowling attack. However, the three fast bowlers could not scalp even a single wicket in their combined 11 overs.
RCB's death bowling woes continue in IPL 2020
To make things worse for RCB, the trio leaked 129 runs in the first innings. While one can say that the fielding levels were not up to the mark, fast bowlers also struggled with their line and length. Kings XI Punjab aggregated 74 runs in the last four overs, highlighting Bangalore's death bowling issues.
Skipper Virat Kohli did not have a good day on the field, while overseas stars Aaron Finch, Joshua Philipe, and AB de Villiers could not make any difference with their batting. Royal Challengers Bangalore will battle Mumbai Indians on Monday, and here are the three changes that the team management should make to perform better in their third game of IPL 2020.
3. Parthiv Patel in for Joshua Philippe
When Royal Challengers Bangalore signed uncapped Australian wicket-keeper batsman Joshua Philippe in the IPL 2020 auction, not many fans expected him to feature in the playing XI. However, the team management backed the youngster and gave him a place in the XI ahead of the seasoned pro, Parthiv Patel.
Joshua Philippe was a match-winner for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. He opened the innings and provided a fantastic start to the team on many occasions. Philippe has batted further down the order during RCB's first two games. In the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he came out to bat at number six, while RCB sent him at number three ahead of Virat Kohli versus Kings XI Punjab.
The youngster has not fared well under pressure, so Bangalore should consider including the experienced Parthiv Patel in the playing XI. Patel played for RCB in IPL 2014 and had scored 118 runs in five matches of the UAE leg.
2. Moeen Ali in for Aaron Finch
English all-rounder Moeen Ali was one of the biggest positives for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the last season. The left-handed batsman scored 220 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 165.41, so he could solve RCB's middle-order problems by backing Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to perfection.
The issue with Aaron Finch is that the Australian skipper has not played well in the IPL after Gujarat Lions' exit from the league. Finch scored only 134 runs in 10 games for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2018. His average was just 16.75. In two matches of IPL 2020, Finch has scored 49 runs at a strike rate of 102.08.
His slow starts have put pressure on the young Devdutt Padikkal, who lost his wicket early in the game against Kings XI Punjab. Parthiv Patel can open the innings with Devdutt for RCB, while Moeen Ali can bat at the number five position.
Also, Ali has a brilliant record against leg-spinners. Mumbai Indians have Rahul Chahar and left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya as their spin bowlers. Thus, the Englishman's inclusion can make a massive difference in RCB's upcoming IPL 2020 game against Mumbai.
1. Isuru Udana in for Umesh Yadav
Royal Challengers Bangalore signed two overseas fast bowling all-rounders in IPL 2020 Auction. South African all-rounder Chris Morris is not 100% fit to play, but Isuru Udana is available.
One of the main reasons behind RCB's failure against Kings XI Punjab was the monotonous pace bowling attack. All the four pace bowlers were right-arm pacers. All teams that have done well in IPL 2020 picked at least one left-arm seam bowling option in the playing XI.
Punjab had Sheldon Cottrell, Chennai had Sam Curran, Mumbai had Trent Boult, while Rajasthan had Jaydev Unadkat. Even Sunrisers Hyderabad did a decent job with the ball as they had T. Natarajan in the bowling attack.
These results signify the importance of variety in T20 cricket. Kolkata Knight Riders did not have much variety in their fast bowling attack against Mumbai Indians, and they conceded 195 runs in 20 overs. Similarly, KXIP managed to dominate RCB in match number 6 of IPL 2020.
Thus, Isuru Udana's presence could add some variety to the RCB fast bowling lineup. On top of that, Udana can also bat in the lower middle order. Besides, there has always been an 'X-factor' about left-arm fast bowlers because of their unique angle. Hence, Udana could solve RCB's fast bowling problems in IPL 2020.