IPL 2022: 3 early positives for RCB
On the back of a tight win against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will look to build on their momentum against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday, April 5.
RCB's 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign began on a disappointing note as the bowling fell apart against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). But Faf du Plessis and his men gritted it out in the second game, coming up with a fighting batting display despite being without key players to complement a solid bowling performance.
Here are three early positives for RCB despite their inconsistent start to IPL 2022.
#3 RCB have placed great trust in young talent
With talk of Virat Kohli opening the batting doing the rounds, RCB's opening combination was under scrutiny heading into IPL 2022. But the IPL team management made it clear that they'd open with Anuj Rawat alongside Faf du Plessis, and the youngster showed real intent during his first outing for the franchise.
Even as Du Plessis struggled at the other end and farmed the strike, Rawat was confident in defense and played a few tasty shots. He was eventually castled by Rahul Chahar, but not before he had given a clear indication of his talent and intent.
In the second game, Shahbaz Ahmed stepped up for RCB. Coming to bat with his team in a tricky situation, the all-rounder struck three sixes in a 20-ball cameo that effectively titled the scales in RCB's favor. Sherfane Rutherford and Wanindu Hasaranga are on the right side of 25, making up the rest of the franchise's young core in the playing XI, while Mahipal Lomror is bound to play a role as the season progresses.
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#2 Dinesh Karthik's well-defined role as a finisher
In Glenn Maxwell's absence, Dinesh Karthik moved up to No. 4 and proved why he's one of the best finishers in the world. The experienced keeper-batter smashed an unbeaten 14-ball 32 to help RCB cross the 200-run mark and finish their innings on a high.
Karthiik continued his good form in the second game. After being held back in the batting order, he walked in at No. 7 and stroked an unbeaten 14 off 7 balls to take RCB over the line in the final over with four deliveries to spare.
RCB clearly trust Karthik to play an important hand for the franchise, one that could define their season. Finishing off the innings is what the veteran is best at, and his well-defined role is a sign that augurs well.
#1 Faf du Plessis' rich vein of IPL form
Faf du Plessis was fresh off a second-place finish in the 2021 IPL Orange Cap, but whether he could shed his yellow colors and perform in red was a massive question mark. In the first game against PBKS, he dispelled all such doubts.
Although Du Plessis barely laid bat on ball for the first half of his innings, he accelerated with great panache. He struck three fours and a whopping seven sixes to finish with a 57-ball 88, taking the attack to the PBKS bowlers. The former Proteas captain even put the spinners to the sword in the middle overs in a spurt of run-scoring.
Against KKR, Du Plessis lofted an early boundary before being outfoxed by the wily Tim Southee. Although he couldn't make it count on the day, his rich vein of IPL form and relentless consistency could prove to be RCB's biggest driving force this year.