The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a crucial four-wicket win against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their IPL 2024 encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. A stellar bowling performance, spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj, laid the foundation for this victory.
Early strikes by Mohammed Siraj
RCB captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and opted to field first, a decision that proved to be a masterstroke. The Bengaluru pitch offered early assistance to the bowlers, and RCB’s opening bowlers capitalized on it ruthlessly. They restricted GT to a paltry 23 for 3 at the end of the powerplay – the lowest powerplay score of IPL 2024 so far. This dominant display was a testament to the collective effort of the RCB bowling attack.
Mohammed Siraj: Spearhead of Attack
Mohammed Siraj emerged as the pick of the bowlers in the crucial powerplay phase. He dismissed both Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, unsettling the GT batting order. Siraj’s wicket-taking prowess and aggressive approach, according to RCB’s assistant coach Adam Griffith, make him the leader of the bowling group.
Focused Approach by RCB bowlers
“At the start of the tournament, it wasn’t that great, bowling first, especially in the power play,” Griffith admitted in the post-match press conference regarding RCB’s powerplay bowling.
He highlighted a shift in tactics, with RCB bowling straighter lines and attacking the stumps more consistently in recent matches.
He added: “We worked really hard on the powerplay bowling. Tonight was one of the better ones for a while. So good to see the hard work of boys paid off. We have seamed all the tournament but in last two three games we have bowled better lines. We are bowling much straighter and attacking the stumps as much as we can to challenge the batters defense.”
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Mohammed Siraj: A leader of RCB
Adam Griffith emphasized Siraj’s leadership role within the bowling unit.
He said: “He is the leader of that group (bowling). He is the most experienced bowler especially among the Indian quicks. He has played for India a lot in last 3-4 years. But it not just him bowling well – it’s his aggression, his body language and attacking the batters on to try to get the wickets.”
Mohammed Siraj’s impactful performance and leadership were crucial in RCB’s convincing victory. With their bowling attack firing on all cylinders, RCB will be looking to carry this momentum forward in their remaining IPL 2024 matches.
