When character intertwines with skill - RCB rise from their own ashes to fuel quest for the holy grail
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are finally living up to their name by royally challenging opponents left and right to spark an unprecedented and resounding comeback in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Faf du Plessis-led side had sought refuge at the bottom of the table after a joint-worst start to the season, drawing harrowing memories from their forgettable 2019 campaign.
RCB were stuck in a place where only resigning to fate seemed an option, play out their remaining games and be part of statistics, and not in a good way. But such is the high-performance environment of the IPL and the never-ending zeal of the fans that giving up is never an option.
There is just no room to droop your head and shoulders. You are forced or rather fully willing to give your 100 percent on and off the field, and that is why RCB are where they are now. A bruised ego is a whole other element, but it certainly plays a factor.
Although the script is unfinished, the second act has certainly spurred on the fans. The clicks on the calculators have intensified with each RCB win, and all they want now is to have fate in their own hands.
Since RCB's stellar comeback did not just happen by chance or sheer dumb luck, let us delve into how they have orchestrated a fine run from barely salvageable ruins.
Finding the right combination through radical decisions
In cricket, on paper, and on the field are two vastly different perspectives to view things, and RCB showed why the latter reigns supreme during their turnaround.
RCB are yet to taste defeat when Swapnil Singh has taken the field for them in IPL 2024. Hardly a single person would have had the left-arm spinner in their predicted playing XI for RCB, and yet here we are. Once again, the on-field vs on-paper argument prevails, and so does the trial and error method. Safe to say that RCB have found their combination, but it was an arduous process, with doubts stemming as to whether such a thing even exists or not.
As they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and the necessity in this case arose due to crippling poor form. RCB needed to make some radical changes to concoct this particular combination, and the principal change was Will Jacks for Glenn Maxwell.
Maxwell's form dictated a place on the bench, but it was still a bold decision that needed to be taken. A match-winner of the stature of Maxwell, a bonafide X-factor cannot just be sidelined as easily as one might think. The Australian's poor form has led to Will Jacks not being a reincarnation of Finn Allen, and to his credit, he repaid the faith almost straight away.
Karn Sharma's absence in the first half of the season was quite puzzling, and it took RCB quite a while to rectify that error. With Chinnaswamy aiding spin more than any venue this season (a bar that has been quite low this season), the spin duo of Karn Sharma and Swapnil Singh has been a masterstroke, with the latter capable of bowling with the new ball as well.
Play Bold and Feel Bold- Unwavering and indomitable spirit
RCB advertise their Play Bold mantra (maybe a bit too much perhaps), but it was finally translated onto the field. Siraj summed up the team's simple yet indelible mantra after RCB's triumph over DC that extended their winning run to five matches.
"If we qualify then great, if not, we will continue with the brand of cricket we are playing."
Taking one game at a time is easily one of the most overused phrases in cricket's vocabulary, only because it has proved to be effective. To that, if the nothing to lose spirit is included as well, then it creates quite an interesting mix.
If you take away the points table, on-field performances, form, and everything associated with cricket apart just for a moment, and just focus on the demeanor and body language of the players, there were hardly any indications that RCB were struggling.
Yes, there were odd moments where the frustration may have gotten the better, but skipper Faf du Plessis has remained level-headed throughout, Kohli was the inextinguishable bundle of energy and the team spirit was well intact.
This aspect was highlighted by Yash Dayal recently, who said in the post-match press conference:
"There has been a positive change. Even when we were losing, no one was pointing anyone's name out. This supportive atmosphere, coupled with a newfound aggressive approach, seems to be the winning formula for RCB. There has been a positive change. Even when we were losing, no one was pointing anyone out, so it's a big positive point. And all through the season, we were positive. And now we have become more attacking."
RCB's stars align to form a whole constellation
At the end of the day, if things do not transpire on the ground, everything else ends up being futile. To RCB's credit, they have firstly peaked, and secondly, at the right time as well. It is no mystery that the franchise have witnessed a turnaround in their fortunes when their players have found form.
The likes of Rajat Patidar and Mohammed Siraj have turned around their respective campaigns completely. There is a reason why Rajat Patidar was constantly trending after RCB's batting exploits in the 2023 season. The franchise were missing the link between their blockbuster top order and the rest of the batting unit. The right-handed batter has played his role to perfection, elevating his game against spinners to a whole other level too.
Mohammed Siraj's form as the experienced member and spearhead of the bowling attack was crucial, but Lockie Ferguson has been the much-needed final piece of the puzzle for RCB. Initially overlooked for Alzarri Joseph, the base price buy at the mini-auction may just turn out to be the difference maker for the franchise.
Following a rough start, he is finally settling into a groove and could be key in the middle overs along with Cameron Green from a bowling perspective.
Virat Kohli has been near faultless, and has spurred on Faf du Plessis at the other end as well. Will Jacks has fit in well at No.3, while Cameron Green and Yash Dayal are also quietly going about their business, making crucial contributions.
All of this was missing to an extent in the first half of the campaign. Barring Virat Kohli, and perhaps Yash Dayal, no other player showed any sign of consistent form, which now seems a problem of the past.
From delusion to hope to reality - RCB's roller coaster track has more loops and curves
After escaping the losing streak du Plessis had revealed that he had forgotten the way to the post-match presentation, and now the path is etched into his muscle memory, based on how the last few matches have gone. The skipper will certainly hope that long may it continue.
Their narrow defeat against KKR or the questionable batting approach against RR may all come back to haunt RCB soon enough, but from 1 percent chance to 99 percent faith, they have come a long way, and more importantly, they have done themselves proud irrespective of how the season ends.
Chinnaswamy was prepared for war when RCB were faced with a must-win situation in their final league stage match of IPL 2023 against the Gujarat Titans (GT). While tears were shed and hearts were broken on that day, RCB will be hoping for a different outcome if they are faced with a similar situation this time around as well.
If it does pan out that way, rest assured that RCB and their fans will be prepared either way the result goes. They will be ready to deal with sheer joy if they beat the odds or handle the pain if it all goes awry yet again, because if they cannot, then who can?