'Lost hopes on their bowlers' - Fans react as RCB start with only four frontline bowlers in the XI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 30th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. They have lost their previous four games and can’t afford any further hiccups if they are to remain alive in the competition.
Fortunately, RCB are back at home as they look to revive their campaign and get back to winning ways. They won a crucial toss to start with, but the changes they made for the contest have hogged headlines, for RCB have taken a few bold steps and dropped two big-name players from their XI.
Glenn Maxwell, who has been in abysmal form and looked out of touch in the first half, is dropped to accommodate Lockie Ferguson, who is making his debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Maxwell was one of RCB’s key players, contributing heavily to all the departments, and his exclusion is surprising, even if he was enduring a rough patch.
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Mohammed Siraj, who is RCB’s leader of the bowling pack, is also sidelined after several below-par returns. Siraj hasn’t managed to provide regular breakthroughs and leaked runs heavily, tempting RCB to look beyond him for their SRH clash.
Fans react as RCB start with four frontline bowlers in the XI
After making all the big changes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are starting with only four frontline bowlers despite bowling first. Their main bowlers are Vijaykumar Vyshak, Reece Topley, Lockie Ferguson, and Yash Dayal.
They are banking on two part-timers Will Jacks and Mahipal Lomror to complete the remaining four overs, which is a risky move, especially on a ground like M Chinnaswamy Stadium. It’s not that the frontline RCB bowlers are in great form, either, for all of them have been quite expensive this edition.
Following the announcement of RCB’s XI, fans have started to express their views on RCB’s tactics to go in with four specialists in the bowling department. Most of them found the move baffling, and rightly so.
Here are some reactions:
Sunrisers Hyderabad have got a flying start. Their openers - Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma - made full use of the field restrictions.
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