IPL 2021: 3 RCB players who will need to have a great second half
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have looked a different outfit in IPL 2021 and much of it has to do with their settled team combination and a beefed-up middle order.
However, it can also be safely said that the team has reached optimal strength considering the form of some of the side's key players.
While the young guns and their international imports have done enough to give them five wins from seven matches, the onus is on the big guns to deliver.
We take a look at some of the players who will need to have a great second half when the IPL resumes on September 19.
Yuzvendra Chahal - RCB's main tweaker in the IPL
Matches: 7, Wickets: 4, BBI: 2/34
RCB's trump card ended the first half of the season with just four wickets from seven matches. Chahal has always been in the wickets column for Bangalore and will be keen to climb the wickets chart when IPL 2021 resumes in the UAE.
Chahal also had his worst economy of 8.26 since 2015 (8.86). The leggie had a comeback of sorts in the ODIs against Sri Lanka in July, picking up five wickets from two games.
RCB will be hoping for the spinner to deliver as they head into the second half of the edition.
#2 Virat Kohli
Matches: 7, Runs: 198, Avg: 33.00. SR: 121.47
Barring the unbeaten 72 against the Rajasthan Royals, Kohli has done little to set the IPL on fire. He has just one fifty from seven games and has been guilty of not making the starts count.
Kohli had three 30+ scores in the first half of the edition and come the second leg, he will be keen on getting RCB off to solid starts in the company of Devdutt Padikkal (195 runs from six matches)
RCB fans will be hoping their talismanic captain has a great outing in the remaining Tests against England and that he can carry that form into the IPL.
#3 Navdeep Saini
Matches 1, Wickets 0
Navdeep Saini was one of the key players who Kohli would toss the ball to during the death overs. However, the speedster has struggled to hang on to his place in the side.
He was part of India's new-look squad against Sri Lanka but suffered a shoulder injury in the second T20I.
Saini had no wickets to show for on the tour and that makes the remainder of IPL 2021 a lot more important for him to make his mark.