Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have qualified for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 playoffs after four long years. Nishad Pai Vaidya writes that this RCB team is in a better position now than they were four years ago.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have qualified for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 playoffs after four long years. Nishad Pai Vaidya writes that this RCB team is in a better position now than they were four years ago.
The last time Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made it through to the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs was in 2011. Chris Gayle almost single-handedly took them through to the final, where they lost to the Chennai Super Kings. It has been a painful wait for RCB since then as they stumbled despite some good performances in the subsequent editions.
Four years down the line, they managed to sneak in after a tough start and overcoming a few rain-marred games.
When compared to the 2011 unit, this team seems to be more dynamic. Back then, one got the sense that they were too dependent on Gayle alone. While there were other big names such as Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, the big West Indian played a major role in their fortunes.
This year, the pressure has been shared by the trio and Gayle does not take it all on himself. The promotion of de Villiers to No. 3 has also helped matters as it strengthens their top order big time.
Earlier, de Villiers had to bat down the order as they did not have enough strength there. In Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan, they have found a pair of youngsters who can pack a punch in the middle. David Wiese hasn’t been used a lot with the bat, but can be a very useful player for RCB. At No. 7, he is that all-rounder. The fact that he is playing ahead of Darren Sammy shows the faith RCB have in his abilities.
Perhaps the only cause for concern has been Dinesh Karthik, who has not been as consistent as the team would have liked. The last time Karthik had a good IPL season was in 2013 for the Mumbai Indians. Batting at No. 3, he anchored numerous innings and was very consistent right through. If he can settle in at No. 4 for RCB and turn it on the playoffs, they will find a good link between the top order and the middle.
Also, the inclusion of Mitchell Starc has had a huge positive effect on RCB. Bringing his World Cup form into this tournament, Starc has been the go-to man. He bowls a menacing spell upfront and is very accurate in the slog overs. His four overs are worth their weight in gold for RCB. They only have to zero-in on his fast bowling partner.
Ashok Dinda has come in, but in the past Varun Aaron has done the job. Harshal Patel has been the constant third seamer. Not to forget the spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been quite consistent.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45. The above article was first published in CricketCountry)
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