IPL 2021: “RCB have made a mistake by not going after all-rounders” - Brad Hogg not convinced with Bangalore’s replacements 

Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg feels Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have erred by not signing all-rounders as replacements for Daniel Sams and Washington Sundar.

While Sams and Sundar will be unavailable for the second half of IPL 2021, RCB recently named Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera and George Garton as their new signings.

According to Hogg, RCB missed a trick by not picking players who can contribute with both bat and ball. He said on his YouTube channel:

“There are two big losses for RCB - Daniel Sams and Washington Sundar. They are two good all-rounders in the lower-order, who give good dimensions with both bat and ball. That is going to be a huge loss for them. The replacements they have got are David, Chameera, Hasaranga and George Garton. They don't really match up with the all-rounders that they are missing. I think RCB have made a mistake by not going after all-rounders.”

The former left-arm spinner added that it will be important for pacer Harshal Patel to carry on his good form. He also stated that RCB’s over-reliance on a few batters like Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers could cost them. Speaking particularly about Maxwell, Hogg said that his consistency will be tested in the UAE. He pointed out:

“Harshal Patel was sensational at the start of the year for RCB. It will be interesting to see if he continues his form. Also, Glenn Maxwell, can he continue the batting prowess that he showed in the first phase? He has got a bit of a break. We know that he has had a lot of ups and downs in his career. That balance is bit of a worry for me."

Hogg added:

“If RCB lose Maxwell and Virat Kohli early, they will be relying heaving on AB de Villiers. I don’t think they have got enough batting around them to cover that loss there considering they are lacking in the all-round department as well.”

While Maxwell scored 233 runs for RCB in the first half, De Villiers and Kohli contributed 207 and 198 runs respectively.

“Don’t think RCB will get into the grand final” - Brad Hogg

RCB were impressive in the first half of IPL 2021. But according to Hogg, a different Bangalore team will be seen in the UAE, and they might not make a similar impact. He reckoned:

“RCB have won five games from seven at the moment. They only need to win three games out of the next seven to get through. I think they will just sneak over the line. But because of the recruits and the changes they have made, I don’t think they will get into the grand final at the end.”

He added that RCB could end up ruing the loss in momentum due to the stoppage of the event earlier in the year. Hogg concluded:

“RCB are on a knife’s edge at the moment. They will be disappointed that the tournament got suspended in the first phase because they had so much momentum going their way. They have got to regroup because they have lost too many players going into the second leg.”

RCB will begin their campaign in the UAE by taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Abu Dhabi on September 20.