IPL 2015 team preview: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Batting strength
| Batsman | Batting Runs Above Average (2014) | Overall batting rank |
|---|---|---|
| AB de Villiers | 100 | 11 |
| V Kohli | 10 | 37 |
| MS Bisla | -24 | 65 |
| NJ Maddinson | -38 | 81 |
| HV Patel | -41 | 83 |
| RR Rossouw | -42 | 84 |
| CH Gayle | -46 | 87 |
| KD Karthik | -51 | 96 |
Bowling strength
| Bowler | Bowling Runs Above Average (2014) | Overall bowling rank |
|---|---|---|
| VR Aaron | 186 | 6 |
| MA Starc | 54 | 21 |
| HV Patel | 8 | 33 |
| Iqbal Abdulla | -17 | 48 |
| AN Ahmed | -22 | 50 |
| YS Chahal | -22 | 51 |
| DJG Sammy | -66 | 64 |
| AB Dinda | -118 | 73 |
It would be an understatement to say that the Royal Challengers Bangalore were a "Royal" disappointment in the last season. The team probably has the best talent on paper. It has two of the best ODI batsmen in AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, plus arguably the best T20 batsman, Chris Gayle. Their bowling is spearheaded by the Man of the Series of the recently concluded ODI World Cup, Mitchell Starc. And yet this Bangalore team remains a perennial underachiever.
The main reason for the team's failure has been the relative lack of talent beyond the above mentioned four players. In the past season, their batting struggled when the top order failed to fire. The team has tried to plug this gap by picking up Dinesh Karthik in this year's player auction. The team also has a formidable lower order presence with Rilee Rossouw and Darren Sammy also in the fold. So at least batting-wise, the team now has adequate strength to deal with situations where their top batsmen are unable to get quick runs on the board.
Their bowling, however, is still thin and is an area of concern. Mitchell Starc will miss the first few matches to recover from a knee injury he picked during the World Cup. Varun Aaron was their top bowler last year, but he his performance has been very inconsistent when he has played for Team India, and there is no guarantee that he will repeat his performance from last year. Ashok Dinda has been more of a proven match-loser rather than a match-winner. The team has a good spin option in Yuzvendra Chahal, but their fast bowling is the real weak link.
Roster management: It remains to be seen how much chance Gayle will get, given that he was not in his full fitness during the World Cup. Among the overseas players, AB de Villiers and Mitchell Starc (when he returns) are a shoo-in, and Darren Sammy will also likely make the final eleven owing to his all-round abilities. One position where the team has a substantial depth is that of wicketkeeper, there are three of them (de Villiers, Karthik and Bisla), which should allow them to add another batsman or bowler depending upon their need.
Dark horse: Rilee Rossouw showed his late-innings improvisational innings in the just concluded World Cup, and he can be a great option for the Royal Challengers down the order. He didn't get much chance last year, but this year might turn out to be different.
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