IPL 2017: Know your team - Strengths, Weaknesses and Key Performance Indicators

Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB captain Virat Kohli will miss a few matches of the IPL due to injury

Strength: Batting

Last season Bangalore had the highest batting average and the highest run rate and had the second highest Powerplay run rate, highest middle overs run rate and highest death overs run rate. Despite Lokesh Rahul’s absence through injury Bangalore’s batting with Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson and Kedar Jadhav likely to make up their top five, is still staggeringly good.

Weakness: Their home ground

While it may seem obvious that Bangalore’s bowling, which had the highest economy rate of all teams last season, is their weakness, the truth is altogether more complex. Bangalore’s home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy is such a good venue for batting - perhaps the best in world cricket - that it brings even weak batting teams, who are forced to attack furiously, into the game and with chasing teams winning 60% of matches it makes the toss hugely significant; of which Bangalore have won just 38% ever over nine seasons.

Key Performance Indicator: Tymal Mills

Last season Bangalore’s fourth overseas spot was occupied by Chris Jordan, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese and Adam Milne. This season that spot is likely to be occupied by Tymal Mills, who although only having recently emerged, is highly regarded and his statistics, especially in the powerplay and at the death—critical phases of the match—are excellent. If Mills has a good season Bangalore will be considerably closer to that elusive IPL title.