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The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have, over the years, often finished at the bottom of the table or have depended on other teams to get a playoff spot. This year, the story has been radically different for Virat Kohli's men, as they look a more balanced side.
The Bengaluru franchise has won seven out of their ten games, a win percentage that is on par with the best teams this season. The main difference between RCB of previous seasons and the team in the 2020 season has been the bowling.
For the first time in years, the bowlers have been winning games for RCB, in contrast to previous years where it has always been about the team's batsmen. Chris Morris, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and recently, Mohammad Siraj, have all been wreaking havoc to win RCB games by big margins.
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The team, however, still have their batting reputation intact - with the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and young Devdutt Padikkal going about scoring runs like it's just another day at the office.
This by no means makes the team a perfect one, as Kohli's men do have a few areas where they can improve. We look at three such issues and their potential solutions.
#1) Should Aaron Finch's long rope be extended?
It is safe to say that the Australian T20I captain has been backed well by the RCB management this season. However, Finch has not been in form and has had to try to make changes to his game. He has shimmied down the wicket in an attempt to combat his poor form.
The opening batsman now finds himself with 221 runs in 10 innings, with just one half-century to his name. A major cause for concern will have to be his strike-rate, which currently stands at just 110.5.
Finch, a high-profile buy for RCB this year, was brought in because of his proven ability to do some damage at the top of the order.
While he is no doubt a proven world-class batsman who can change games single-handedly, the RCB think-tank might have started looking beyond Aaron Finch.
With just four games remaining in the league stages, RCB could be thinking that if they were to experiment, the time is now - when they've all but qualified for the playoffs.
Alternative solution: Give Moeen Ali a go and play him at no. 3 or 4. Open the innings with Padikkal and Kohli, the latter whose numbers are surreal as an IPL opener. This also gives RCB a handy off-spin option, which could serve as a backup in the bowling department.
#2) Should Shivam Dube continue to be excluded from the playing XI?
RCB's 5 crore buy from IPL 2019, Shivam Dube now finds himself on the bench despite a good start to his season. In the initial few games, Dube was among both the runs as well as the wickets, but has now been excluded from the RCB playing XI.
The southpaw, who has a reputation as a big-hitter, has 102 runs to his name in six innings, with a handy average of 25.5 and a strike rate of 136. In the four innings that Dube has been given the ball, he has managed to pick up four wickets at a decent economy of 8.25.
His replacement, Gurkeerat Mann, has not looked great. With 40 runs in the two innings in which he has batted, the Punjab batsman has a measly strike rate of 93. His strike rate hasn't come under the scanner as yet, and that is because of AB de Villiers's masterclass against RR and the low-scoring chase against KKR.
Mann has not looked sure of his strokeplay, and while this could purely be down to the nerves that come with a big tournament, Shivam Dube's numbers are (in comparison) too good to ignore.
Alternative solution: Shivam Dube comes back into the squad in the place of Gurkeerat Mann and strengthens the RCB middle-order. He will also provide skipper Kohli with a medium pace option, which could come in handy on slow pitches.
#3) Should de Villiers continue to keep wickets?
The 'Superman of IPL', AB de Villiers has once again proved two things this season - firstly, that he can do anything on the cricket field and secondly, that age is just a number. The 36-year-old, who has taken some stunning outfield catches over the years, has adapted to being a wicketkeeper like it was second nature.
However, given the length of the IPL, RCB may want to reduce the strain on one of their key players going into the playoffs. Currently, de Villiers has the responsibility of keeping wickets for 20 overs and also coming in at no. 4 with the team fairly dependent on his batting.
While the South African has not had any problem shouldering this responsibility, the RCB leadership team may want to consider reducing his workload until the start of the playoffs. This could see de Villiers completely re-energized at the start of the playoffs, and might well play a role in their progress in the business end of the tournament.
Alternative solution: Play Parthiv Patel in the XI for the remaining league games, but as a specialist wicketkeeper and not an opening batsman. RCB's top-order would be set even if Aaron Finch misses out, so this would mean that Parthiv Patel (if included) will have to be comfortable playing at the no. 5/no. 6 spots.
This move, even if just for four games, would give AB de Villiers a much-needed break from wicket-keeping. At the same time, RCB would still have a capable glovesman behind the stumps.
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