Why RCB's squad lacks batting depth and how they can solve the problem
Royal Challengers Bangalore played against Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening game at the Eden Gardens and they had a few glaring weaknesses.
During Bangalore's innings, AB De Villiers was on fire and it looked like RCB would comfortably post a total of 200. But Dinesh Karthik's smart bowling changes turned the match around as Nitish Rana dismissed both AB De Villiers and Virat Kohli in successive deliveries.
That shifted the game in KKR's favor as Sarfaraz Khan struggled and Mandeep Singh took some time to get going. The away team fell about 30 runs short which made a huge difference in the game.
Over the years, the Men in Red have not had an explosive batsman lower down the order which has hurt the team. During the last two seasons, they tried to plug this gap by bringing in Kedar Jadhav.
Again, in this year's auction, they didn't pursue an explosive lower order batsman.
In the match against KKR, Kohli's side was cruising at 106-2 after the 12th over but lost momentum towards the end and managed to score a paltry 70 runs in the last 8 overs.
The role of a finisher is pivotal in modern day cricket, and his primary job while batting first is to quickly adjust to the conditions and give the team an additional 20 to 30 runs at the end. Andre Russell's recent innings against CSK is the perfect example of a finisher's knock. Russell played a whirlwind knock of 88 which included 11 sixes and helped the team recover from a precarious position.
If batting second, the finisher's role is to see the team through in pressure situations.
A good finisher is vital for the team as he can either help them post a good total or win while chasing a challenging score. Consider the case of CSK, who have MS Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo, while Mumbai Indians have Kieron Pollard and one of the Pandya brothers. On many occasions, these finishers have turned the game in their side's favour with big hitting at the end.
In the first game of this year's IPL, Krunal Pandya’s innings helped Mumbai Indians post a decent total. CSK’s Dwayne Bravo meanwhile played a scintillating knock and ensured that CSK won the match from an impossible position.
Since the beginning of the IPL, Bangalore has had an explosive top order and relied on it for some quick starts. This year, the inexperienced duo of Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan are playing lower down the order. Mandeep did well against KKR and hit Vinay Kumar out of the park, but he is not a specialist at that position, and in high-pressure situations, can’t be relied upon to take the team home.
This season, Royal Challengers Bangalore retained Sarfaraz Khan as he is considered one for the future. It was their firm belief that he will play the role of a finisher this season, and his small cameos at the end would help RCB post decent totals.
But it would be unwise to expect an inexperienced player like him to play a knock like Dwayne Bravo or MS Dhoni, at the end.
There is also the case of Chris Woakes, who seems to be more of a bowling all-rounder and not particularly suited for this role.
Kohli is currently one of the world's best batsman, if not the best, and when he and the rest of the star-studded top order fires, it looks like a completely different side. The question is, what happens if there is a top-order collapse? The squad lacks batting depth and a world-class finisher.
Fortunately for them though, there is a solution in sight.
The RCB think-tank can experiment with Quinton De Kock or Colin de Grandhomme at No 6. De Kock has played in this position for South Africa in Test cricket, while De Grandhomme is a decent player in the lower order and also gives the side bowling options.
The second alternative is to bring in Corey Anderson to bat at No. 6. The New Zealander is an experienced campaigner and will be well-suited for this role. Mumbai Indians used him down the order and he impressed in the few opportunities that he got there.
RCB's title ambitions will depend on how they address this issue. If they do bring in one of the aforementioned players to bolster the lower order, they could well end up as IPL champions for the first time ever.