IPL 2022: 3 ways in which AB de Villiers' retirement impacts RCB
South African legend AB de Villiers bid adieu to all forms of cricket on Friday. One of the most remarkable players to have played the game, De Villers has a glittering highlight reel full of phenomenal contributions with the bat.
Possibly one of the most impactful overseas players in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, De Villiers briefly played for the Delhi Daredevils before becoming one of the pillars of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Along with long-term skipper Virat Kohli, De Villiers was heavily relied upon by RCB throughout his time at the franchise.
With De Villiers choosing to hang his boots up prior to the IPL 2022 auction, RCB have been dealt a significant blow as the Proteas star defied age to conjure up magical innings time and again for the franchise. Here are three major ways in which De Villiers' retirement impacts RCB.
#3 RCB need to invest in a new finisher
One of the franchises that rarely needed to spend big on finishers due to the presence of De Villiers, RCB will now have to tweak their auction strategy. With the franchise now all set to retain Glenn Maxwell among their overseas retentions, they have insurance for the middle overs but lack someone who can pick up the momentum in the death overs against pace.
RCB picked up Tim David as a replacement player in the 2021 IPL season, but did not show much faith in the Singapore-born hard-hitting batter after one failure. With Virat Kohli's ability to force the pace no longer at its peak, the franchise will need cover for an area which De Villiers used to own.
#2 RCB can go for a big-ticket overseas bowler
One of the biggest issues for RCB over the years has been the absence of a reliable overseas bowler. The franchise has traditionally been batting-heavy, with Chris Gayle holding onto an overseas player spot for many years before Maxwell arrived. RCB's expenditure on their overseas batting duo, along with a colossal sum for Kohli, often meant they have not had a competitive chunk of their auction budget available to break the bank for a good overseas bowler.
The retirement of De Villiers opens an option for RCB to change their strategy and address their long-standing issue of team balance by investing in a strong overseas bowler - particularly a death bowler - with the money that would have gone in retaining the South African. Although RCB's current Indian bowling core of Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj is potent, their overseas counterparts let them down in 2021, and the team will look to rectify this issue.
#1 Pressure on Maxwell to fill De Villiers' shoes
Unless RCB are able to net a big-hitter who is also highly experienced, RCB will rely on Maxwell to bail the team out of trouble. AB de Villiers has a history of saving RCB the blushes when they looked all but out of the contest, and his combination of a 150+ strike rate and average close to 40 in the IPL is unparalleled.
With Kohli still in the midst of a dip in form and KS Bharat too new to the setup, expectations will be on Maxwell to deliver like he did in 2021. Unlike the South African, Maxwell has been rather unreliable in the IPL apart from two great seasons in 2014 and 2021. Should Maxwell's unorthodox shot-making attempts not come off, RCB could be staring down the barrel in IPL 2022.