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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been perennial underachievers over the years despite having some of the best T20 players in the world. There have been many reasons why RCB haven't been able to win that elusive maiden IPL title in thirteen attempts.
But things seemed a lot different in the IPL 2021 season, as RCB looked like one of the teams to beat. A number of factors that traditionally held them back, like an unstable middle-order, poor death bowling, etc., were getting better this season and that is what made Virat Kohli's side tough to beat.
3 reasons why RCB were one of the top contenders to win IPL 2021
RCB lost just two of their seven games and looked to be comfortably on their way to the IPL 2021 playoffs. However, the rising number of COVID-19 cases led to the suspension of the season for the time being. Had RCB continued their momentum, they could well have ended their IPL trophy drought.
On that note, let's have a look at 3 reasons why RCB could have won IPL 2021:
#3 Harshal Patel's terrific run of form
RCB were one of the worst bowling attacks in the death overs over the past two seasons. They seemed to have lost the ability to defend scores as their bowlers would leak runs in the last five overs.
However, the RCB team management made the smart decision to trade in 30-year-old Harshal Patel from the Delhi Capitals (DC), where he didn't get too many chances. This proved to be a masterstroke as Patel was earmarked as RCB's premier death bowler.
The 30-year-old started the season with a bang, picking up five wickets against the Mumbai Indians. He continued picking up wickets frequently and helped RCB win four games on the trot.
Patel picked up 17 wickets in just seven games and held the Purple Cap when the tournament was suspended. He was expensive in the two games that RCB lost but the pacer was brilliant on the whole. Some support from other bowlers like Kyle Jamieson and Mohammed Siraj also helped improve RCB's death bowling to a great extent.
#2 Glenn Maxwell's carnage
Glenn Maxwell had a horrible IPL 2020 season with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) as he was able to score just 108 runs from 13 games without hitting a single six. Many wrote him off as an expensive flop and believed he wouldn't go for a hefty price in the IPL 2021 auction.
However, RCB defied the odds and signed the Australian all-rounder for a whopping INR 14.25 crore. Many thought this to be a huge risk given Maxwell's inconsistency over the years. But the 32-year-old looked a completely different player once he put on the RCB jersey.
Maxwell scored 223 runs in seven games, including two half-centuries on slow turners in Chennai. His presence in the middle-order strengthened RCB's batting and provided the X-factor that reduced the burden of run-scoring off the shoulders of Kohli and AB de Villiers.
#3 AB de Villiers - The finisher
It is often said that in T20 cricket, the best batsmen in the team must face the maximum possible number of deliveries. With Kohli deciding to open the batting, many thought AB de Villiers would take the No.3 spot.
However, quite a few eyebrows were raised when the South AFrican veteran walked out to bat at No.5 in the first game. The move was initially criticized by many as they thought No.5 was a number too low for the Proteas star.
However, De Villiers showed that he can adjust to any position, becoming the finisher RCB were looking for. In 7 games, the 37-year-old scored 207 runs at an incredible average of 51.75 with two half-centuries.
Out of their five wins, three were due to De Villiers' mammoth contributions. The move made RCB one of the better chasers and also helped them maximize run-scoring in the last five overs. De Villiers looked determined to help RCB win their first IPL title.
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