The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season ended with a six-wicket loss against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the last league stage match.
The three-time finalists finished with 14 points after 14 matches, placing them sixth in the points standings.
Despite substantially fixing the lineup in the 2022 mega auction, the team’s balance remained a source of concern. The middle order struggled, with Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell scoring the majority of the runs.
The group of uncapped Indian players mainly failed to capitalise on the occasion, and even senior batter Dinesh Karthik struggled down the order.
RCB’s bowling attack was hampered by the late arrivals of international players Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood, as well as their subsequent injuries. Mohammed Siraj was their lone bright light with the ball, vanquishing the demons of his disastrous 2022 campaign in spectacular fashion.
RCB battled for momentum throughout the tournament, and an argument could be made that a certain collection of players, who perhaps could have been utilised more by the organisation, may have been employed more in an attempt to turn their fortunes around.
On that point, here are three underutilised players by RCB in IPL 2023
1) Finn Allen
The New Zealand international has recently emerged as one of the most potential opening batters, although he is yet to make his IPL debut.
He sat out the previous season as well, despite the fact that RCB was always struggling in the opening area.
While the opening pair of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis blossomed this time, there were obvious concerns in the middle order.
A case may be made by imagining Allen opening the innings alongside du Plessis, leaving Kohli and Maxwell to provide some solidity in the middle order.
The presence of three foreign batsmen would have been offset by an Indian-heavy bowling attack.
The young explosive batsman may have excelled hitting at Chinnaswamy Stadium as well, but he will have to wait for his first league outing.
2) Manoj Bhandage
At the IPL 2023 super auction, Manoj Bhandage emerged as one of the most thrilling purchases for RCB. Since his debut in 2019, the local player has had a T20 career strike rate of 154.
The 25-year-old was expected to make his debut in the 2023 season, due to RCB’s ongoing struggles with their middle and lower-middle orders. RCB were unable to complete their innings well on many occasions, and supporters were dissatisfied with Bhandage’s failure to capitalise on opportunities despite the team’s clear troubles.
If he is retained for the upcoming season, the pinch batter might be in the running if he continues to perform well on the domestic circuit.
3) Shahbaz Ahmed
The left-arm all-rounder was a significant addition to the RCB setup and a consistent starter the past two seasons. Despite making nine appearances in the 2023 season, he only bowled seven overs.
Shahbaz Ahmed was forced to sit out due to a mix of playing conditions, match-ups, and a lack of bowling alternatives. He also failed to adjust to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, but he may have made a difference if he had been given more opportunities with the bat or ball throughout the season.
On the other hand, The all-rounder did not have the finest of seasons with the bat. He was a key player in the middle order last season, forming a strong partnership with Dinesh Karthik towards the conclusion of the innings.
