Royal Challengers Bangalore will be aiming to have a fresh restart in their IPL 2022 campaign, with Virat Kohli no longer the captain of the side after a decade.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore are a frustrating enigma in the Indian Premier League. They are blessed with one of the best batsmen in the modern era. In Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, and Chris Gayle, the side had one of the greatest batting line-ups in history. The side also had Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal regularly topping the charts in the bowling departments. But, Royal Challengers Bangalore have always fallen short in their quest for the IPL title.
In 2009, 2011, and 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore have fallen short in the most dramatic circumstances. Perhaps, the 2016 loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad will haunt them for a long time. Virat Kohli smashed 973 runs in a single edition which might never be broken. KL Rahul, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle all scored plenty of runs. Yet, they lost the tournament.
For Royal Challengers Bangalore, if the batting has been solid then the bowling has been inconsistent. The same is true vice-versa. In the last 14 years, Royal Challengers Bangalore have given ‘flatter to deceive’ a new meaning. Heading into the IPL 2022, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be aiming to reset their priorities and resume their quest for that elusive title.
Read More: Harshal Patel Sold to RCB for Rs 10.75 Crore
The IPL 2022 is a new chapter in the history of the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise. Virat Kohli will no longer be the captain of the team. AB de Villiers has retired from all forms of cricket. Their ace spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, was released and he has been picked by Rajasthan Royals. There is a total reset with many players wanting to step up. Maxwell will be aiming to fill up the role left vacant by AB de Villiers.
With Kohli no longer captain, one might be thinking who could lead Royal Challengers Bangalore. They potentially filled that slot up in the mega auction by acquiring Faf du Plessis. The former South Africa skipper might prove to be the ultimate difference-maker primarily due to his man-management skills. Having spent over a decade with MS Dhoni in Chennai Super Kings, du Plessis might galvanize RCB.
Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj will be their ace bowlers. They also have a back-up in the form of Josh Hazlewood, David Willey, and Jason Behrendorff. Dinesh Karthik’s acquisition might give the side much more balance. But, Royal Challengers Bangalore broke the bank for Wanindu Hasaranga, indicating that he will have a major role to play
Players Retained: Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell
Players Bought in IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Faf Du Plessis, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Karthik, Josh Hazlewood, Shahbaz Ahmad, Anuj Rawat, Akash Deep, Mahipal Lomror, Fin Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Behrendorff, Suyash Prabhudessai, Chama Milind, Aneeshwar Gautam, Karn Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Luvnith Sisodia, David Willey
The batting and bowling line-up for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022 is lethal. With Kohli relieved of captaincy, his batting might go up a notch. Maxwell has been in scintillating form in the Big Bash League and if he carries it on in the IPL, then AB de Villiers’ absence might not be felt. With the likes of Dinesh Karthik in the side, the batting looks to be in great shape. The bowling is lethal, with Siraj and Harshal Patel making up a superb attack. With Hasaranga as the prime spinner, RCB has that base covered. Behrendorff, Willey, Hazlewood, and Siddarth Kaul will make up a brilliant bowling combination for RCB.
Perhaps the lack of an experienced opener at the top might hurt RCB in giving them a great start. Having left out Devdutt Padikkal, RCB might have lost out on the X-factor at the top. The likes of Finn Allen and Anuj Rawat lack the experience in the IPL to face up to the new ball.
The likes of Kohli and Maxwell might be given the license to go for the kill right from the very beginning. With du Plessis at the helm, RCB might have an air of calmness. However, the major threat will be if Kohli and Maxwell have a lean patch. If both the players continue to not score big, then the batting might come under big pressure.
Read More: Ravindra Jadeja Masters the Art of Hurting RCB Again
Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Finn Allen (wk), AB de Villiers (wk), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, K.S. Bharat
Royal Challengers Bangalore made a fantastic start in IPL 2021. Harshal Patel was the star with five wickets as they defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets in the opening game of the tournament. RCB followed up the win with a close win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. RCB increased the momentum with dominant wins against Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. The momentum suffered a big hit when Ravindra Jadeja single-handedly defeated them in Mumbai. In one over, Jadeja hit 37 runs off Harshal Patel and took three wickets as Chennai Super Kings won. RCB showed they could handle the pressure when they defeated Delhi Capitals by one run in Ahmedabad.
Read More: Full Schedule of RCB in IPL 2022
However, when the tournament was rescheduled to the UAE due to the coronavirus pandemic, RCB struggled. They lost to KKR and CSK before bouncing back with a win against Mumbai Indians. After beating Rajasthan Royals, they looked good to finish in the top two. However, when they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by four runs, they finished in third spot. In the Eliminator, Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their epic choke as they lost to KKR by four wickets with Sunil Narine spinning a web. The loss thwarted their hopes of winning the IPL title.
