RCB’s season seems to be going from bad to worse as their star batsman AB de Villiers has been ruled out of today’s crucial tie with the Gujarat Lions.
AB took to social media site, Twitter to announce the same and this is sure to dent the confidence of the underperforming side as it locks horns with the Lions in Rajkot.
RCB which has won only a solitary game in their 5 matches so far will now have to look at different options to replace AB in the side. They are already grappling with injury to Tymal Mills and also the iffy form of Shane Watson is posing a severe headache for Virat Kohli and Daniel Vettori.
It would be interesting to see if they bring back Watson in the squad or opt for Travis Head as he could also provide some off-spinning option on a Rajkot surface which could be sluggish.
Extra Cover: Sourav Ganguly feels RCB should swap Shane Watson with Chris Gayle in the playing XI
This injury is the last thing the team would want in this state as they have not had the most auspicious start to their campaign. Royal Challengers have generally done well against the Lions and enjoy a 2-1 lead against them, including the massive 144-run victory, the largest margin in the IPL.
AB had missed RCB's first two games this season but has hit the ground running ever since he made a comeback by scoring 89 not out, 19 and 29 in their next three.
It would be interesting to see if RCB opt for experience in the form of Gayle or go for Travis Head who has looked promising in the initial matches but has not got enough chances at the top of the order to prove his mettle. Also, Kohli would want to take it upon himself to shoulder the batting responsibilities as along with Kedar Jadhav he is the in-form player and hence the onus lies on them.
Extra Cover: Who Will Win today's match between Gujarat Lions and Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2017, Match 20
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