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RCB SWOT Analysis: Kohli-led side might prove IPL recruitment cell for young crop

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Records, big names, exciting knocks and what not, you name it and Royal Challenger Bangalore have that in their arsenal. Name anything but not an IPL title. It isn’t like they have never come close to winning it. They have thrice and once when their captain Virat Kohli amassed 973 runs including four tons in one single season back in 2016. 


So what has gone wrong for RCB? 


Well, the question has been wandering like a traveller without any bucket list to strike-off. But this is not a travel itinerary, this is about the biggest domestic T20 league. Do they need to change the tactics? Of course. Do they need to tweak the line up? Obviously. 


But before we jump on to what has been wrong with the team’s combination over the years, let’s look at how did they fare in the last season. RCB managed to make it to the play-offs after winning the seven games they played out of 14. Looking at the last five matches that RCB played, they only managed to win one of them and the reason behind this slump was their inability to score enough runs while batting first. 


RCB tried a few different opening combinations that didn’t really work for them and they were eventually in a spot of bother. One of the major boxes that the RCB side need to tick is having a middle order batsman who can stay at the crease for a longer period if required or can accelerate to put pressure on the opposition especially while batting first. 


The franchise should focus on making a core team with young brigade.


Problems of “NOT” having plenty 


When you let go off someone like Chris Gayle and KL Rahul, you will always struggle to find a perfect combination for the opening slot. It was in 2018 when RCB took this flirtatious decision of releasing Gayle and Rahul. Both the players went to KXIP. While Gayle scored 368 runs in 11 appearances for Punjab, Rahul amassed 659 runs in 14 matches. Surely, a decision that me as a fan regretted, can’t really discuss what the team management had in mind. 


Moving on to Devdutt Padikkal who has been impressive in the brief stint that he has with RCB. SURPRISINGLY, RCB hasn’t let Devdutt go off. But the thorn that would keep stinging them is finding an opening partner for him. Well, they could have used up the services of Joshua Philippe who is one prolific batsman but he was only capped five times for RCB and that too mostly in the lower middle-order. 


The next complication that RCB face is of making a strong core team. They generally run out of options as soon as the senior pros fail to fire. With Devdutt, Virat, ABD in the top-order, RCB seek services of proper batsman and a genuine fast bowling all-rounder to take care of the middle order and for keeping the onus of laying the role of a bridge between the middle, lower-middle order and tail.


RCB for now have Philippe and ABD for donning the wicket-keeper’s hat but they would also need an Indian gloveman for the same duties who can be decent with the bat. 


Coming down to the bowling department, RCB’s pool of Indian fast bowlers include Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini. Now the problem that the side faces is that the two seamers have a habit of leaking a lot of runs in the shorter format of the game. In 35 IPL matches, Siraj has given away runs at an economy of 9.08 while Saini has played 26 matches and given away runs at 8.28. 


ALTERNATES


Starting with the top order, RCB needs somebody to be the specialist opening batsman who can stick around with Devdutt and provide the team with decent and steady starts. Josh Philippe though has been retained by the franchise but the team also needs an extra batsman if required. RCB can bid for Dawid Malan who also solves the problem of the opening batsman as well as can be a replacement for an overseas player. 


The number three, four and sixth positions are pretty sorted for now with the likes of Kohli, ABD, Washington Sundar in the ranks. The Bangalore franchise needs a genuine batsman to play at number five who has the traits of holding the ends strongly while can also go after the opponent bowling attack if and when required. Well, to solve the issue, the franchise can have a look at some of the domestic players who have performed in a pretty decent manner recently. 


Players like Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Singh and Vishnu Solanki can solve this issue for RCB. The franchise can also go for an overseas all-rounder for this position who can play the role of an anchor in the middle order. Someone like Shakib Al Hasan can be picked in the squad if the team needs an overseas player. Being a former captain himself and a perfect all-rounder, he can bring a lot to the table. 


KS Bharat can be the third wicket-keeper batsman in the team to fill the void. 


With Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini is on the retained list, Harshal Patel and Daniel Sams has been traded to RCB, which means that the team has a number of alternatives to choose from when it comes to bowling but when the RCB bowling unit leaks runs, they do it in the poorest way they can. 


The Bangalore team needs an overseas fast bowler and a couple of Indian bowlers of the same genre to bring strength to the side. Riley Meredith had a brilliant BBL season this year after he scalped 16 wickets in 13 matches for Hobart Hurricanes. Apart from this, the quick bowler had bowled at an economy of 7.83. RCB’s problem of leaking runs can be solved if someone like Riley comes in the side. Talking about some Indian bowlers, Ankit Rajpoot and Varun Aaron can be two players who can fill the spots. The two are experienced enough to play competitive cricket. 


Purse remaining


RCB have a purse of Rs 35.90 Cr remaining with them. 


Players retained and slots left


RCB have retained Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Josh Philippe, Kane Richardson, Pavan Deshpande. They are left with 8 Indian and three overseas slots making it a total of 11. 


What to spend and how?


With a purse of Rs 35.90 Cr, RCB can easily target players like Malan, Shakib and Meredith. Even if Malan and Meredith go under a bidding war, the three overseas slot might get filled in Rs 17 Cr. Malan and Meredith might fetch somewhere around Rs 7Cr while Shakib can be bought at a price of around Rs 3 Cr. The franchise is still left with around Rs 18 Cr in their kitty. 


Shahrukh Khan might get some good sum while uncapped players like Rahul Singh, Vishnu Solanki, KS Bharat and Rahul Singh can be picked somewhere around their base prices. Moving on to the two Indian fast bowlers, Ankit Rajpoot and Varun Aaron, they both can be picked up in decent amounts and won’t cost much. 


Predicted Starting XIs

Devdutt Padikkal, Josh Philippe (WK), Virat Kohli (C), AB de Villiers, Shahrukh Khan/Shakib/Dawid Malan, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Riley Meredith/Ankit Rajpoot

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