Easily one of the most star-studded squads in the history of IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore were expected to come out all guns blazing. The finalists last year, RCB had added more firepower to their squad with the addition of Tymal Mills and Kedar Jadhav expected to light up the event.
However, things have gone from bad to worse, with them being bowled out for 49 against the RPS their lowest point. Here are a few reasons why RCB have struggled this IPL:
- KL Rahul’s loss is no one’s gain:
Top-order batsman KL Rahul was ruled out of the tournament in the beginning and no one has been able to replace the right-hander. RCB have always benefitted from Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli giving them flying starts before Rahul and the others have stepped up to add impetus at the end. This time around however, the likes of Travis Head and Sachin Baby have not really grabbed the opportunity presented to them.
- No Kohli, no party:
Virat Kohli was still nursing a shoulder injury at the beginning of IPL, during which RCB really struggled. Despite his return, he has tried his best to make the team tick, but seems to get no response from them this time around. Kohli will need to erase memories of this IPL and come back strong next year.
- Big guns fizzling:
Chris Gayle, Shane Watson and AB De Villiers were two batsmen who RCB could always bank on throughout the years. However, in IPL 2017, they have not shown their best, losing their wickets early and thus applying pressure on the rest of their team.
This IPL, RCB have not been helped by some injuries, poor bowling and fielding. They will look to regroup next year and prove that this year was a flash in the pan.
By Rohit Nair
