Ahmedabad: The pain of an impending heartbreak started to show on the faces of Royal Challengers Bengaluru players after all-rounder Cameron Green conceded 17 runs in the 16th over. Until then, RCB, against all odds, had somehow managed to stay in the Eliminator against an inexplicably cautious Rajasthan Royals.
Prior to that over, RR needed 47 from 30 balls and RCB still entertained hopes of pulling off another miracle and keep their resurgent run going. But it was not to be as Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer ensured RR would set-up a Qualifier 2 date against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Friday. As the RCB players head their own ways following a season like no other, DH takes a look at what played a crucial role in their stunning second-half comeback where they won six on the bounce to make the play-offs and what went wrong prior to that.
KOHLI STRIKE RATE
While franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders took T20 batting in the Power Play to a whole new level, RCB were still stuck in the past of getting their eye in and then slowly switching gears. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, two batters cut from similar cloth, needed to shed this approach. In fact, Kohli’s strike rate ended up being a major talking point, something which didn’t go well with the master batter himself. Kohli then chose to respond to the critics by unveiling a new dimension to his batting. He started to take more risks, didn’t flinch from going aerial and ended up striking the ball at 154.70 — almost 22 notches higher than his career strike rate.
FA DU PLESSIS CAPTAINCY
When a team manages just one win from the opening eight games, even the best of motivators may find it hard to keep the mood of the squad upbeat. But Du Plessis, a soft-spoken individual but a hard-nosed pro, brought about a revolution rarely seen in an RCB side. Player after player kept hailing his leadership skills and his ability to stay calm even when the winds were at their harshest. He held some honest discussions with the players, made crucial personnel changes midway through the season and very importantly, backed some under-performing players to the hilt who then found their range at the business end.
MIDDLE ORDER THURST
The daredevilry of Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar’s return to form played a crucial role in RCB’s resurgence. Jacks and Patidar stuck half-centuries in a losing cause against KKR but that one-run defeat ignited a spark. Jacks went on to score a century against GT while Patidar scored three more fifties. Their combined belligerence ensured RCB never lost the momentum, be it setting a target or chasing one.
SPINNERS SHINE
Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma were not the first choice spinners in the opening half but when Du Plessis chose to blood them in the second half, they grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Swapnil, used mostly as an Impact Player, opened the bowling at times while Karn, despite conceding a lot of runs, provided crucial strikes. The fact that RCB played most of their second half away helped their cause.
PACERS ON FIRE
Mohammed Siraj was all over the place in the opening half and that rubbed onto his junior colleague Yash Dayal as well. Both then had point to prove. Siraj needed to regain his form ahead of T20 World Cup while Dayal wanted retribution after a horror 2023. Both bounced back brilliantly with Dayal being solid at the death. The heart and courage he showed in defending 11 off 5 balls after being carted out of the Chinnaswamy by MS Dhoni in a do-or-die clash against CSK ended up becoming one of the stories of this IPL. Both ended up being expensive but they provided crucial strikes when the team needed them.
TURNING THE CLOCK BACK
Not long before the IPL could start, Dinesh Karthik was holding a microphone instead of a bat. Many wondered if the soon to be 39-year-old could make the bat do the talking. But one of Indian cricket’s ultimate survivors turned the clock back yet again with some vintage cameos. He almost helped RCB pull off a coup while chasing 288 against SRH with a scarcely believable 35-ball 83.
THE BIG FLOP
Glenn Maxwell came into the IPL on the back of a rip-roaring season with Australia. A lot was expected from the Big Show but he ended up being a big flop with four ducks — joint second highest in a season. He managed a meagre 52 runs in 10 games and even rested himself during the course of the tournament citing mental health.