RCB’s Fantastic Turnaround

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s progress in this year’s IPL is a tale of two teams rolled into one. Undoubtedly, it is a story of the ages and will be a case study for all struggling teams looking for inspiration. Right from losing seven matches on the trot, to winning the next six and advancing to the playoff, what a journey it has been!

Seeing the losing streak, the team management accepted that something was going wrong. They were open to play differently. Spinners talked to the team management before the KKR match and said that they were under-utilised. In the first eight matches, they bowled a little over 4 overs. But after the meeting, in every match, two spinners were used. This proved pivotal. Swapnil Singh bowled brilliantly. He took 6 wickets in 6 games and played a very important role in changing RCB’s fortunes. Karn Sharma ably supported him. 

Superstars Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis consistently built strong foundations, which helped the team win. Rajat Patidar found great rhythm. All this added to the success. Kohli is even the highest run-scorer in this year’s Indian Premier League. Young wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Bana and pacer Yash Dayal played brilliant cameos. The stand-out factor was that the RCB team management gave opportunities to new players, thereby trying new combinations. 

Dinesh Karthik has been a loyal servant of the gentleman’s game, and even in the present IPL, he superbly executed his role as a finisher. With each passing win, RCB gained confidence and played from the front foot. They didn't give up and this never-say-die attitude reaped huge dividends for the players. In Hindi, we say ‘Jo dar gaya samjho mar gaya’. This is precisely the reason we shouldn't get scared, irrespective of the scenario.

I salute RCB for the fact that not only established stars but new players have also played an equally important role in achieving success. I thoroughly wish they win the coveted IPL title next season. 

Source for facts: India Today