RCB is all set for a fresh IPL season, and before heading into it, the team made several changes. From releasing Faf du Plessis to bringing in some big names, the franchise hopes these players will showcase their skills for one of the most-followed teams in the league.
There’s no question that, on paper, RCB often tops the charts every year, but they have consistently struggled to replicate that success on the ground. Sometimes, their batting collapses, while at other times, their bowling comes under scrutiny. Taking all of this into consideration, the team has made changes ahead of upcoming IPL season, and they hope these adjustments will help them secure their first IPL trophy.
However, despite the new squad, there are still some areas or loopholes that could make things difficult for the team. So, what are the weaknesses that are still visible? See three weaknesses of RCB ahead of IPL 2025.
Lack of a leading spinners
A few seasons back, when Yuzvendra Chahal was released by the RCB camp, the team has since struggled to find a reliable spinner for the long term. They have tried a few options, but none have been as successful as Chahal. It’s not easy being a bowler at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, as many bowlers have been hammered by batters.
This time, RCB made some purchases, but gamble might be a more fitting word. They have brought in Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma. However, if we look at their records, both have had mixed results for their previous teams. Krunal’s bowling average was 42.50 last season, with just six wickets from 14 matches, highlighting potential challenges for RCB in the upcoming edition. Suyash, although a promising youngster, is extremely inexperienced. He played a few games for KKR, taking 10 wickets from 13 matches.
Lack of quality Indian pacers
From Lungi Ngidi to Josh Hazlewood, RCB has managed to acquire experienced foreign fast bowlers in the past. However, when it comes to experienced Indian bowlers in their camp, they appear to be lacking. Currently, they only have Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is undoubtedly a veteran, and the team has high expectations from him.
Secondly, there’s Yash Dayal, who is still gaining experience. It’s fair to say he hasn’t earned the experienced tag yet, as he still has a long way to go. Apart from these two names, RCB spent a big amount on the inexperienced Rasikh Salam Dar. However, chances are he is unlikely to feature in the first few games.
RCB may have to make some compromises if they want to create opportunities for him. It will be interesting to see how things comes for him and the team in the upcoming season.
Inconsistent middle order
The team has some names like Liam Livingstone, Tim David, and Jacob Bethell, who are expected to handle the middle order for RCB. However, if we analyze it closely, the middle order still looks inconsistent in many ways. Krunal Pandya understands the batting responsibilities, but it still feels like there are a lot of issues to address.
In the past, we have seen that whenever the top order collapsed, the middle order often followed suit and failed to contribute meaningfully. RCB will hope that this recurring problem doesn’t come back to haunt them this time. They will be counting on their current middle-order players to step up and perform consistently in IPL 2025.
