International LeagueIPL-2024Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB requires its top players to perform well as they embark on a new path-IPL 2024
The team’s social media accounts have been hinting at a name change, with ‘Bangalore’ likely to be replaced by the more local ‘Bengaluru’. Despite their recent victory in WPL, this is unlikely to have a significant impact on their performance in IPL 2024, except perhaps for the positive atmosphere it creates.
Changes have been happening in the men’s team since the end of the last season, where their streak of three consecutive playoff appearances was broken. Andy Flower joined as the head coach, bringing with him an impressive resume. Mo Bobat has taken on the role of Director of Cricket. These changes were made even though there was just a year left in the current three-year IPL cycle. This decision was made to give the new leadership group enough time to analyze and plan for the team’s future before the upcoming mega auction.
The immediate challenge for Flower and Bobat will be to find a way to make the most of any home advantage at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. They also face the task of managing an almost entirely new bowling group that may lack spin strength. However, this challenge can be addressed. Teams like MI and CSK have previously compensated for weaker bowling by including strong batting talent in their XI. Could RCB follow suit? The addition of Cameron Green through a trade and the return of Rajat Patidar adds depth to their lineup alongside Kohli, du Plessis, and Maxwell. If Dinesh Karthik can deliver another strong performance, RCB will have a strong batting lineup. The potential is there; they just need their key players to perform well together if they are to win their first IPL title.
Performance in the current IPL cycle: 2022: 3rd, 2023: 6th
Key additions: Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Tom Curran, Yash Dayal, Mayank Dagar, Swapnil Singh
Key subtractions: Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, David Willey, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell
Full Squad:
Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Suyash Prabhudesai, Glenn Maxwell, Will Jacks, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Tom Curran, Manoj Bhandage, Saurav Chauhan, Swapnil Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Anuj Rawat (wk), Reece Topley, Rajan Kumar, Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, Mohammed Siraj, Himanshu Sharma, Yash Dayal, Lockie Ferguson, Karn Sharma, Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak
One area RCB will want to improve:
In the death overs (16-20), RCB lost 33 wickets and scored at only 9.62 runs per over last year. Their middle-order Indian batters collectively managed only one score of 50+ runs throughout the 2023 season. Surprisingly, after 16 seasons of the IPL, Rahul Dravid’s 898 runs remains the second-highest run tally by an Indian batter playing for RCB, behind Kohli’s 7263. The return of Patidar is expected to strengthen the middle order and add more firepower to the batting lineup.
One to watch:
Virat Kohli will be the center of attention, even at this late stage of his impressive career. It has been over two months since he last played competitively, in a T20I against Afghanistan at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He was in good form before his break and seemed to be taking more risks in his T20 batting. Nearly half of his runs last season (301 out of 639) were scored in the powerplay at a solid strike rate of 137. How he balances scoring quickly with building a substantial innings, especially against spin in the middle overs, will be fascinating to watch. This will be of particular interest to the Indian team management as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Injuries and Availability:
Unlike last year, RCB has a clean bill of health to report. They are even expected to have Cameron Green for the opener after Cricket Australia excused the all-rounder from playing in the Sheffield Shield final.
Possible XI and Impact Player Tactic:
Possible XI: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
RCB’s top order is dominated by right-handed batsmen, which could pose match-up challenges. Anuj Rawat could be a key substitute option, particularly for batting. With Green and Maxwell bolstering the lineup, RCB has a strong bowling contingent.
