IPL 2018: 5 reasons for RCB's dismal performances this season

#2 Over-reliance on AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

In AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, RCB possess arguably two of the world’s greatest batsmen in the short format. But RCB linked their fortunes inextricably with the two. How ABD and Virat went determined how RCB performed. For their part, the two have been their usual brilliant selves, with Kohli amassing 396 runs in 10 innings alongside AB, who has 286 runs from 8 innings at a strike rate of 174.

In games where neither was able to get runs, RCB needed somebody else to stand up and take responsibility, but nobody did. RCB’s last 2 games have been a prime example of this. Against Chennai in Pune, when Kohli was dismissed for 8 and AB for 1, RCB folded for 127. Last night too, when Kohli and AB were dismissed in successive overs at a critical point in the chase, nobody was able to take over the run chase, and RCB fell short of a modest target of 146, by 5 runs.

RCB’s brittle middle order was never able to provide the two with the support in the middle overs that they needed and ultimately hurt the team’s chances.