Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) abysmal performance in the IPL 2024 continued as they conceded the highest-ever team total in league history. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hammered them for 287/3 and then won the match by 25 runs in the end.
It was only thanks to Faf du Plessis’ 62 and an amazing knock in the lower order by Dinesh Karthik (83) that RCB managed to score 262/7 to save some face. Still, RCB have now lost 6 out of 7 games played and have only 2 points to their name.
former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Manoj Tiwary pointed out several issues with the RCB team and one of the prime concerns that Sehwag highlighted was the lack of Indian support staff, which he believes is hampering the domestic players' ability to express themselves freely.
With a predominantly foreign coaching staff, including Andy Flower as the head coach and Adam Griffith as the bowling coach, Sehwag said that the Indian players may feel disconnected and struggle to communicate effectively.
"If you have 12-15 Indian players, just 10 overseas, and your entire staff is made of foreigners, that's an issue. Only a few of them are international players, the rest are all Indians and half of them don't even understand English. How will you motivate them? Who spends time with them? Who talks to them? I can't see a single Indian staff member. At least there should be someone who the players can confide in," Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
Tiwary, on the other hand, pointed out the franchise's questionable decision-making, particularly in the auction and team management.
"I know where the problem is. From the auction table to the management. All the good players of this franchise leave to go and play for other teams. One of them is the leading wicket-taker this season [Yuzvendra Chahal]. You let them go. You don't persist with Virat Kohli's captaincy. He led them to the 2016 final," said Tiwary.
RCB now have a long break as they next face KKR in Kolkata on April 21.
