IPL 2020: 3 things RCB need to do to change their fortunes

IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore recently unveiled their new logo ahead of the upcoming season. The development came after RCB’s move to delete their profile pictures and cover photos from their social media handles, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter generated a lot of curiosity. RCB also deleted their photos from Instagram.

Later, reacting to the new logo, RCB skipper Virat Kohli cheekily tweeted,

“LOGO ka kaam hai kehna. Thrilled to see our new @rcbtweets logo. It embodies the Bold pride and challenger spirit that our players bring to the field. Can’t wait for #IPL2020 (sic.)”

LOGO ka kaam hai kehna. 😄 Thrilled to see our new @rcbtweets logo. It embodies the Bold pride and challenger spirit that our players bring to the field. Can’t wait for #IPL2020 #NewDecadeNewRCB 🤩 https://t.co/n8c24JqbAl

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) February 14, 2020

While RCB’s move to change their logo definitely points towards a fresh approach from the franchise, they will have to do a lot more to revive their fortunes in the IPL. After ending up as runners-up in IPL 2016, they have had a torrid time in the last three seasons. RCB finished last in 2017, sixth in 2018 and last again in 2019.

Also see – World Test Championship points table

As they prepare for the IPL 2020, here are three factors that could determine RCB’s standing this season.

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#1 Kohli-De Villiers’ golden run must continue

Awesome Twosome: ABD and Kohli

While RCB have been constantly faltering in the tournament over the years, the performances of skipper Virat Kohli and South African great AB de Villiers have been more or less constant. Irrespective of everything else, RCB will not want that to change this season as well. If anything, they would want the duo to do even better.

Barring the first two seasons, Kohli has scored 300-plus runs in every edition of the IPL. He smashed a record 973 runs with four hundreds and seven fifties in 2016 when RCB reached the final for the last time. In the recent three seasons, he has notched up 308, 530 and 464 runs, and RCB will have high hopes from their leader again.

De Villiers has formed a deadly partnership with Kohli for RCB. Picked up by the franchise at the 2011 auction for $1.1 million, De Villiers has done little to let the team down. He has scored over 300 runs in every edition for Bangalore. He smashed 687 in 2016, the year in which RCB made it to the final, a reiteration that RCB do well when both Kohli and De Villiers shine.

In the last two seasons, he has scored 480 and 442 runs respectively. If De Villiers and Kohli find some batting support, there is no reason why RCB cannot compete for the trophy.

#2 Chris Morris needs to do a BBL repeat

Chris Morris

When veteran South African all-rounder Chris Morris was picked up by RCB for a massive ₹10 crores, the franchise was subjected to a lot of online trolling and ridicule. The so-called cricket experts felt that RCB had again picked a player who was past his prime for a rate too exorbitant.

However, 32-year-old Morris proved in the latest edition of the BBL that he is still very much a force to reckon with. Turning out for the Sydney Thunder in the Australian T20 league, Morris ended the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets in 15 matches. The Proteas all-rounder’s wickets came at an average of 19.36 and a strike rate of 14.5. His economy was slightly on the higher side - 8.01.

Kohli will be hoping for a similar performance from Morris in the IPL as well for his side RCB. Morris was released by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2020 auction before being snapped up by RCB. The South African had 13 scalps to his name in nine games at a strike rate of 15.23. However, his economy rate of 9.27 was a major concern.

In fact, apart from 2018, Morris has claimed 12 or more wickets in every season he has featured in. If he does well with the ball, and contributes a few big hits with the willow, Morris could play a vital role in turning around RCB’s poor fortunes.

#3 Parthiv and Moeen have to raise their game

Parthiv Patel

As mentioned earlier, Kohli and De Villiers need batting support to augment the team’s chances of performing well. The experienced duo of Parthiv Patel and Moeen Ali have been retained by RCB despite having failed to deliver in the last two seasons. The time has come for them to repay the faith the franchise have shown in them.

Parthiv managed 153 runs in six matches in 2018, and 373 runs in 14 matches in 2019. While the returns aren’t bad, the disappointing factor here is that he has only registered three fifties in the last two seasons - one in 2018 and two in 2019 - with a highest score of 67. Parthiv has the talent to come up with the goods, but another middling season could mark the end of his association with RCB, and perhaps the IPL as well.

Moeen Ali

Looking at Moeen’s record, he totalled only 77 runs in five matches in the 2018 season - 65 of those runs came in one innings. In 2019, he notched up 220 runs in 11 games. While he looked good at the crease a number of times, like Parthiv, he also failed to convert the starts.

Moeen had only two fifties to show for his efforts even though he had a highly impressive strike rate of 165.41. He got a few opportunities to bat at the top of the order, but failed to convert them into anything substantial.