3 things RCB need to work on after their defeat to KKR in IPL 2023

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffered a morale-shattering defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders in their second encounter by 81 runs.

They started their campaign with a resounding victory against the Mumbai Indians but were blown away by a Shardul Thakur masterclass with the bat and a sensational effort by the spin trio of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and debutant Suyash Sharma.

RCB are yet to win an IPL trophy despite having some of the best players in the game. While Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis had a rollicking start to their season against MI, they couldn't quite replicate the heroics in the second match against KKR.

Captain Faf du Plessis reflected on the defeat and said T20 cricket moves very quickly, and they have to recover fast and come back stronger next time.

Ahead of their next encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 10, RCB needs to get their act together and work on a few things before setting foot on the field.

The base looks covered as far as the team combination is concerned, but they have to ensure that they gel together as a unit.

With that in mind, let’s have a look at three things RCB need to work on after their defeat to KKR in IPL 2023.

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#1 Death bowling

Over the years, death overs have been a major issue for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite always boasting of a formidable bowling attack, RCB have leaked runs towards the back end, which they need to address ahead of their next encounter against LSG.

Against the Mumbai Indians, Tilak Verma took them apart and helped MI reach 171 from a precarious situation. While it didn’t prove to be enough, the result could have been different had RCB lost early wickets.

Siraj, the No. 1 bowler in ODIs, has bowled brilliantly with the new ball but has been far from his best at the death.

They allowed KKR to post a gigantic score of 205 after tottering at 89/5 at one stage. The bowlers didn’t stick to the plans and kept bowling length balls, which were dispatched by Shardul and Rinku Singh. With the tournament still in its early stages, RCB will be hoping to bounce back from the drubbing.

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#2 Middle-order batters need to take responsibility

By the look of things, RCB looked overly dependent on the likes of Kohli and Faf du Plessis in the first two encounters. They batted superbly in the first match and ensured RCB reached the target without breaking a sweat.

The middle order was exposed by the KKR spinners in the next game, as none of the batters could read the mystery spinning trio.

The likes of Glenn Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed have to take the onus on themselves to do the rebuilding job if RCB loses early wickets.

RCB also have power hitters like Michael Bracewell and Dinesh Karthik who can use the long handle to great effect, but for that to happen, the middle order needs to play according to the situation.

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#3 Try and squeeze oppositions

In both matches so far, RCB have failed to squeeze their opposition after having them on the mat for the majority of the innings.

They allowed MI to score 171 after reducing them to 98/5 in 14 overs. A wicket or two in that situation would have bowled them out for a paltry score.

They were right on top against KKR, having reduced them to 89/5, but a stupendous knock from Shardul Thakur and a good hand from Rinku Singh powered them to 205.

They still had a chance with a great start by the openers, but wickets at regular intervals meant that RCB fell well short of the victory target.