3 reasons why RCB got knocked out of Tata IPL 2023

The Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a thrilling encounter in the final group stage of Tata IPL 2023. With the result, RCB got knocked out of Tata IPL 2023 as they finished sixth, while GT finished the group stage on the top of the Points Table. Also, Mumbai Indians have qualified for the Playoffs and are set to face the Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator.

Batting first in a must-win match, RCB posted a total of 197/5. The RCB batting effort was headlined by maestro Virat Kohli who scored his second consecutive century in testing conditions against a quality attack. The Indian star struck 13 fours and one six in a whirlwind knock that came at a strike rate of 165.57. He was well-supported by Faf Du Plessis and Michael Bracewell.

Shubman Gill and Vijay Shankar spearheaded the LSG reply. Gill, who struck an unbeaten ton, took his side home with five boundaries and eight maximums at a strike rate of 200.

It was a mixed campaign for RCB; they played good cricket in patches but did not consistently get a string of positive results which would propel them into the 'Top 4'. While there were plenty of positives for the franchise, there are a few areas of concern that the franchise must address before the next season. (RCB had qualified for the Playoffs in their last 3 seasons but failed to make the cut this time.)

#1. Overreliance of RCB on KGF

Over the years, RCB have remained heavily reliant on Virat Kohli. This season too, RCB banked a lot on a few players, such as Faf Du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Virat Kohli. All three were in scintillating form throughout. Such was Kohli's and du Plessis' dominance that they are currently first and third in the Orange Cap leaderboard, while Maxwell had an astonishing strike rate of 183.48.

However, there was little from the other RCB batters. The likes of Dinesh Karthik, Mahipal Lomror, and Anuj Rawat failed to capitalize on the starts provided by the trio in several games. Karthik, who had an excellent season last year, scored just 140 runs in 13 innings at an average of 11.67. Lomror scored just 135 runs in 10 innings at an average of 16.88, of which only 91 runs came in seven innings.

#2. Poor season for RCB bowlers barring Mohammed Siraj

The RCB bowling attack had improved considerably in the last 3 seasons, which was why they reached the Playoffs on all occasions. But this year, the bowlers barring Mohammed Siraj struggled with the ball. The poor performances of Wanindu Hasaranga and the world-class Josh Hazlewood playing just three matches did not help matters.

The likes of Harshal Patel, Karn Sharma, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Vyshak Vijaykumar had a poor season. The economy rates of all of these bowlers in order were 9.65, 10.37, 8.89, and 10.54, respectively. The only RCB pacer in the Top 10 wicket-takers of IPL 2023 is Mohammed Siraj, who took 19 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 7.52.

#3. Choking in Key Games

Like in the pre-2020 era, RCB threw away several games which they should have won with ease. Playing against LSG at home, RCB had given the visitors a mammoth target of 213 and had reduced them to 23/3 in 4 overs. However, RCB failed to close off the game from there and the opposition chased down the target in the final ball.

Against CSK at home too, chasing a target of 227, RCB were cruising at 141/2 in 12 overs, thanks to swashbuckling half-centuries from Faf Du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell. However, after the dismissals of the duo, RCB fumbled yet again. The onus of the defeat was largely on players like Mahipal Lomror (0 runs off 5 balls) and Wayne Parnell (2 runs off 5 balls), who wasted crucial deliveries on a batters paradise sort of pitch at the Chinaswamy Stadium. Thus, the habit of choking in fixtures that they should have won meant that RCB got knocked out of Tata IPL 2023.

Can you think of other reasons why RCB got knocked out of the 2023 Tata IPL? Let us know in the comments section below.