For sixteen years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's ‘Ee sala cup namde,’ or, ‘this year, the cup is ours,’ has been a mirage. An undying aspiration for some, an audacious daydream for others, but for a team that has an incredible fanbase with little success to show for it, a pledge of repaying unwavering loyalty.
The seventeenth season was supposed to be different. In only their second attempt, the women’s team of RCB lifted the Women’s Premier League (WPL) title. That, there cannot be any logical comparison between two teams from two different leagues, cannot be disputed. But try telling that to the RCB fan, for whom, the WPL triumph arrived as an assurance.
Bengaluru, too, can win titles. The Indian Premier League (IPL), too, can be conquered.
Alas! Now, on 22 April – more than an entire month before the final – Bengaluru find themselves lurking near the elimination zone, having lost seven of their first eight matches.
But, what exactly is broken at RCB? Instead of resorting to a counter-question, asking ‘What isn’t?’, let us have a look at the key issues ailing RCB, and if they can fix it – not with the hope of securing a playoff spot, as it might be out of their reach, but to go out not with a whimper, but with a bang.
Prelude – The Seeds of Troubles Were Planted at the Auction Table
In a tournament like the IPL, a lot of ground can either be won, or lost, even before a ball is bowled. RCB have found it the hard way, having planted the seeds of their mistakes at the auction table on 19 December 2023.
Spending Rs 11.50 crore on Alzarri Joseph, who has had a T20I economy rate of 10.16 runs per over since the last IPL for the West Indies, and Rs 5 crore on Yash Dayal, who was not among the top 50 wicket-takers at the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Uttar Pradesh, could not be justified after the auction.
After eight matches, the task is nearly impossible.
Considering they cannot miraculously alter the composition of the team now, let us have a look at the major areas of concern and find possible fixes.
Problem 1 – Most Runs Conceded by Any Team, and It All Starts in the Powerplay
As has always been the case with RCB, bowling has emerged as the franchise’s Achilles’ heel. They have conceded 1616 runs in their first eight matches – the most by any team.
The handouts start from the powerplay overs. Between overs 1-6, when the fielding restrictions are at play, RCB bowlers have conceded 518 runs in 48 overs at an economy rate of 10.79 runs per over. Not only do they have the worst economy rate by any bowling unit at the 2024 IPL, but they also have taken the joint least number of wickets in the powerplay (7).
Among the bowlers who have bowled at least a couple of overs for Bengaluru in the powerplay, no one has been able to maintain an economy rate south of 9 runs per over.
Possible Fix – Pairing Lockie Ferguson & Reece Topley With the New Ball
With reliable options being rare, captain Faf du Plessis has been forced to rely on Mohammed Siraj with the new ball, albeit barring a few occasions, the move has not worked in the team’s favour. In the 13 overs Siraj has bowled in the powerplay, the pacer has conceded 143 runs, with only a couple of wickets to his name.
Bangalore can consider giving Reece Topley another shot, who might have been expensive against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but so were all of his teammates in a match where RCB conceded a record-breaking 287 runs. In the short-format matches Topley has played since IPL 2023 – for Durban’s Super Giants at the SA20 and the Northern Superchargers at The Hundred – the Englishman has an economy rate of only 7.70 runs per over from overs 1-6, and an average of 26.
In the three T20Is he played for England during this period, Topley conceded only 6.38 runs per over in the powerplay.
Reece Topley’s numbers from overs 1-6 in SA20 and The Hundred (since IPL 2023):
Overs – 40.3
Runs Conceded – 312
Wickets – 12
Economy Rate – 7.70
Average – 26
Lockie Ferguson, though he too has been expensive, could be paired with Topley in the powerplay. The New Zealand pacer has been decent with the new ball in whatever opportunities that have come his way
Lockie Ferguson’s numbers from overs 1-6 in T20s and The Hundred since IPL 2023:
Overs – 10.5
Runs Conceded – 45
Wickets – 4
Economy Rate – 4.15
Average – 11.2
A counter-argument could be that the sample size is low for Ferguson, and he has played in a few competitions where the batters are not of the IPL standard. However, in the five T20Is he has played for New Zealand this year, the speedster has a powerplay economy rate of 6.71 runs over.
Should they decide to strengthen their bowling unit, RCB might have to sacrifice Cameron Green.
Problem 2 – Least Wickets Taken in Death Overs
It might come across as a surprising statistic, but RCB don’t have the worst death overs (16-20) economy rate in IPL 2024. What they do have, however, is the worst wicket-taking record in those overs, having picked up just 9 wickets at the death.
Possible Fix – Trying Out Vijaykumar Vyshak With Yash Dayal
Yash Dayal has been the only bowler who has been successful in picking up wickets in the last five overs, with his death overs average being 19.75. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Siraj, who has picked just one wicket at the death, with his average being 66.
RCB could consider a rather left-field option in Vijaykumar Vyshak, who has not had many chances this season, but picked up four wickets in six overs at the death for the team in IPL 2023. His T20 average at the death since last year is 16.7.
Vijaykumar Vyshak’s numbers at the death in T20s (since 2023):
Overs – 9
Runs Conceded – 100
Wickets – 6
Economy Rate – 11.11
Average – 16.7
It would also allow RCB to use Siraj more efficiently in the middle-phase of the game, between overs 7 to 15, where he has an IPL career economy rate of 7.18 runs per over.
Mohammed Siraj’s phase-wise economy rates in IPL:
Overs 1-6 – 7.99
Overs 7-15 – 7.18
Overs 16-20 – 10.38
Problem 3 – Second-Lowest Wickets Taken By Spinners
Another major reason why Bengaluru could try Mohammed Siraj is owing to their underwhelming average of 40.56 in the middle-overs, which is a by-product of not acquiring a spinner at the auction.
They have tried using Karn Sharma, who is now past his prime, Mayank Dagar, who has been ineffective, and Himanshu Sharma, who is yet to play a match for his state team.
Possible Fix – Use Will Jacks in Middle-Phase to Complement Siraj
Considering their acute shortage of options, Bengaluru could either use veteran Swapnil Singh, or trust Will Jacks to do the job with his handy off-spin. For Oval Invincibles at The Hundred, Surrey at the T20 Blast, and Pretoria Capitals at the SA20, he produced what was required.
Will Jacks’ T20 & The Hundred numbers in middle-phase (overs 7-15) since 2023:
Overs – 18.3
Runs Conceded – 122
Wickets – 122
Economy Rate – 6.29
Average – 10.2
Problem 4 – Most Wickets Lost in Middle-Phase
The focus has so far been solitarily on RCB’s bowling, quite simply because there are not many glaring concerns in the batting department.
Contrary to the belief that RCB’s openers, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis have been slow to get off the blocks, the team’s powerplay strike rate is higher than that of Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals – all three teams being prime contenders for the playoffs.
The bigger concern has been their faltering middle-order, as between overs 7 to 15, RCB have lost 23 wickets, with only Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings have a worse record.
Possible Fix – Have Faith in Mahipal Lomror
Instead of Green, who has scored only 41 runs in 40 deliveries in the middle-phase, and lost his wicket four times, Bengaluru might promote Mahipal Lomror for this role, now that they have very little to lose.
Lomror, who has been used predominantly as a finisher, can bat higher up the order considering his statistics.
Mahipal Lomror’s T20 numbers in the middle-phase (overs 7-15):
Runs – 450
Dismissals – 14
Average – 32.1
Strike Rate – 130.4
Should he need a partner, RCB can also try Saurav Chauhan, who had a middle-phase strike rate of 176.4 for Gujarat in last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
(Stats are updated till 21 April)
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