RCB batting or bowling- What is their biggest weakness in IPL 2024
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are already having flashbacks of their disastrous 2017 and 2019 campaigns after their bleak start to the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Faf du Plessis-led side have only won one out of their first five matches and are already languishing in the ninth place.
The three-time finalists have some tough encounters coming up as well, beginning with a trip to the Wankhede Stadium to face a Mumbai Indians (MI) side that are on the rise.
RCB were hopeful of transitioning to the next level after Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar's departures from the coaching staff, but are now in a dangerous familiar territory under Andy Flower and Mo Babat. A combination of problems have been plaguing the franchise, just as their recent results suggest.
With their star players not stepping up and a lack of credible options on the bench across all departments, it might be yet another long season for RCB.
On that note, let us take a look at the issues that have been troubling the franchise across batting and bowling, and determine which is the biggest contributor to their fragility.
Poor form and unassertive intent makes the batting unit a tangled mess
During the 2023 edition, the trio of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Faf du Plessis all fired, but it was the middle order devoid of Rajat Patidar and Dinesh Karthik's horrid form, that became the pressing concern for the team.
Although there is still debate surrounding his price tag, Cameron Green was specifically brought over to resolve this problem, and bring more balance to the side. The Australian all-rounder and an injury-free Rajat Patidar were expected to leave RCB with no apparent batting weakness for the 2024 season, but it has not panned out that way.
None of the middle-order batters have a designated spot, with the team management leaving the slots up to the conditions and the matchups. That approach has not worked so far, and their poor form does not help things either.
Faf du Plessis's shaky form at the top of the order is also a concern, and as things stand, it is Virat Kohli who has been steering the ship alone. Although Dinesh Karthik's form has considerably improved, his role is redundant if the batters above him do not do their part.
RCB might need some fresh faces in the batting unit, with Mahipal Lomror and Will Jacks being solid options. The former has had a couple of good knocks as an impact sub, and brings variety with him as a left-handed batter.
Although what they are putting out currently is potentially the ideal batting lineup on paper, form is also an important factor. To make matters worse, there have been no signs that a turnaround is imminent, especially the manner with which Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar are progressing.
It is hard for a batting unit to click with so many players looking out of rhythm. The only two ways out of it are to wait it out, no matter how long it may take, or make personnel changes.
Furthermore, the issue with form is also affecting their approach. The majority of the teams have adopted an all-out aggressive approach and have made the most of an extra batter. However, RCB have lagged behind so far, with the two-paced surface at the Chinnaswamy playing a small role as well.
Hardly a threat on paper, even less on the ground - RCB's perennial bowling conundrum proves to be their downfall yet again
RCB had somewhat assembled a reasonably good bowling attack at the 2022 mega-auction, and it is no surprise that it ended up being their best season in recent times.
RCB surprised one and all with their decision to release almost their entire bowling unit ahead of the 2024 mini-auction. The call to release Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, and Harshal Patel would have been justified to a degree had they replaced them well at the auction.
However, with a huge chunk of their purse spent on Cameron Green, RCB could not revamp their bowling attack as hoped. With Mohammed Siraj still being the spearhead, RCB added the likes of Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, and Yash Dayal to their ranks, which is hardly intimidating for the opposition.
One would hope that the strength in the spin bowling unit can potentially overshadow the woes in the pace bowling unit, but that is not the case. With Mayank Dagar, Karn Sharma, and Glenn Maxwell, RCB have assembled a make-shift department of something the rest of the franchises deem one of the most crucial aspects of the playing XI.
Alzarri Joseph has been a plain disaster so far while Lockie Ferguson has not been tried out. The decision to bring Reece Topley is just hampering the good chemistry that Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal were forging in the powerplay, which was perhaps the only small positive for the bowling attack this season.
RCB's batting at the peak of their powers can do wonders, but the same cannot be said for their bowling unit. The batting unit's poor form and questionable decision-making cannot be mistaken for weakness. Whereas, the bowling unit needs to do something special on a consistent basis for it to be not termed as the weak spect of the side.