It is a format made for and dominated by batters but a rigorous analysis of the IPL will reveal that the teams with a stronger bowling unit have been more successful and won more titles. Maybe that is why the old cricketing adage – ‘Batters win matches but bowlers win tournaments’ still holds true! And maybe that explains why the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), power-packed with batting superstars while neglecting their bowling department, have never lifted the coveted trophy.

It is the same old story for RCB yet again in IPL 2024 as well. A top-heavy batting line-up but a rather ordinary bowling unit and they find themselves with just one victory from four encounters. To compound their problems, their overseas Big 3 – Faf du Plessis, Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell – are yet to fire at the top of the order – and thus RCB finds themselves in a spot of bother.

Lack of Wickets In The Powerplay And Death

RCB have just managed to bag three wickets in four matches in the powerplay this season which is the least number of dismissals amongst all teams in this phase of play. Neither has their bowling brigade picked wickets nor been able to control the flow of runs in the first six overs – RCB’s economy rate of 10 is the worst in this period of play. 62/1 vs CSK, 40/1 vs PBKS, 85/0 vs KKR (the second-most runs conceded in the powerplay this season) and 54/1 vs LSG – these have been the returns of the RCB bowlers in the first six overs this season.

RCB has never invested heavily long-term in their bowling resources and always been dependent on a star-studded batting line-up. However, they seem to have learnt from their mistakes and had a good outing with the ball in 2023. In fact, they were brilliant with the new ball and picked the highest number of wickets in the powerplay (33) with the best average (19.8) and strike rate (15.3). The man behind this transformation was Mohammed Siraj who was outstanding in the first six overs returning with 10 wickets at a strike rate of 18 and economy of 5.9 in this phase of play.

Fast forward a year and Siraj seems to be struggling this season. 0/23 in 2 overs vs CSK, 1/19 in 2 overs vs PBKS, 0/29 in 2 overs vs KKR and 0/13 in 1 over vs LSG – Siraj has delivered 7 overs in four innings and conceded 84 runs while bagging just one solitary wicket in the powerplay in 2024. He has witnessed a sharp decline in his form which has had a direct impact on RCB’s results so far.

RCB’s lack of wicket-taking prowess is not restricted to the powerplay only. Historically, they have been amongst the weakest bowling units in the death overs and this season it is the same story. RCB have just managed to pick a total of five wickets in four outings in the death overs (16-20). They released their death-overs’ specialist – Harshal Patel prior to the 2024 Auction – and do not have a suitable replacement in the squad. Harshal bagged 11 wickets at a strike rate of 11.5 in the final 5 overs last season.

The Overseas Big Guns Are Not Firing

A good investor will always diversify his portfolio and not put all his money in two or three stocks, however high-yielding they might be – as higher the expected rate of return the higher the risk. RCB, though, have taken that risk season after season packing their top-half with world-renowned superstars while not paying much attention to the lower-order. The punt may have paid off for them in the past but the returns have been poor this season.

The Big 3 overseas superstars have not fired for RCB so far this season. Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green have all failed in three of their four outings and have a combined aggregate of 133 runs in 12 innings at an average of 13.25 and strike rate of 119.5.

In particular, Du Plessis’ indifferent form at the top of the order is a big cause of worry for RCB as they rely heavily on his opening partnership with Virat Kohli to provide them with the impetus at the start. Du Plessis was the second-highest run-getter in IPL 2023 smashing 730 runs in 14 innings with eight fifties at a strike rate of 153.7! He had blasted 197 runs at a strike rate of 168.4 in his first four innings last season. In contrast, the former South African superstar has just managed to notch up 65 runs in his first four innings this season at a strike rate of 132.7.

Maxwell threatened to explode against KKR before falling to Sunil Narine for 28 off 19 deliveries but has failed outrightly in the three other matches not even opening his account against CSK and LSG. He was in splendid form last year when he hammered 400 runs at a strike rate of 183.5 with five high impact performances. Overall, RCB has won 9 of the 12 encounters in which Maxwell has crossed 50 and that is why they rely heavily on his unorthodox and devastating stroke-play in the middle-order.

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