It was hardly surprising that Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic Indian Premier League triumph last year was defined by a roller-coaster of emotions and an utterly tragic stampede.
A team that evokes so much passion finally ended the title drought, giving Virat Kohli a sense of fulfilment as the master batsman got to lay his hands on the only trophy missing from his cabinet.
The RCB remained solid until the end last season, finishing the league stage in second place before winning the first playoff and the final — both against the Punjab Kings.
But the team from Bengaluru is looking even stronger this season.
Yes, it’s still early days, but with emphatic victories in the first two games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings, Rajat Patidar’s team is raising expectations among its fans.
So can the RCB become only the third team in history, after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, to defend the IPL title?
Predicting the winner based on the early results of a league as competitive as the IPL would be ludicrous.
But this RCB team seems to have the tools to mount a serious challenge for the title.
All-round depth
In Kohli, Chris Gayle and Ab de Villiers, RCB had the stars that sent fans to dizzying heights with their phenomenal batting exploits.
But until last year, the team suffered heartbreak after heartbreak due to a lack of balance.
They finally got the combinations right last year, and this season, it’s not just their batting; their bowling also looks solid.
New-ball bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy pose wicket-taking threat. In Krunal Pandya, they have a hugely experienced spinner who could also play a key role with the bat. Adding to the firepower in both bowling and departments is Romario Shepherd. The West Indian, who has a habit of picking up crucial wickets with his medium pace, is a dangerous lower-order batter.
Solid middle-order
In the first match against Sunrisers, Bengaluru fired a warning shot at the title rivals by chasing down 201 with 26 balls to spare,
While Kohli anchored the chase with a superb 69 off 38 balls, Devdutt Padikkal stole the show with a stunning 61 off 26 balls.
The left-handed Padikkal is a serious asset at number three, a dazzling shot-maker whose game is based on solid technique.
At number four, skipper Patidar is batting with great freedom, putting on an exhibition of shot-making.
Last but not least, Tim David, who scored an astonishing 70 off 25 balls (8 sixes) against Chennai at number five, is capable of dismantling attacks in the back end of an innings.
This is a middle-order that can become a huge headache for rival captains this season.
The Kohli factor
While Patidar has shown good temperament as the captain of the team, it’s Kohli who is the leader of the pack.
The vast experience of this iconic cricketer could be the decisive factor in crunch moments when the team battles for a place in the playoffs.
A revered figure in the dressing room, Kohli is also batting as well as he has ever done in white-ball cricket.
Chennai’s Anshul Kamboj foxed him with a short ball on Sunday, cutting short what could have been another big knock.
The 37-year-old was looking in gorgeous touch until he fell for 28 with the mis-timed pull off Kamboj.
Like all great champions, Kohli’s hallmark is his ability to learn from mistakes. He may face the occasional failures, but the league’s all-time highest scorer looks hungry for another golden run with the bat.
His impact as an opener and his partnership with Phil Salt at the top order may well give the platform from which the RCB can launch a serious challenge for their second straight IPL title, having undergone a barren spell of 17 years.
Source: Khaleej Times