Ex-Indian batsman Kris Srikkanth fiercely criticized RCB bowlers for their disastrous bowling versus SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). This led to a 25-run loss at Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 15th.
All six RCB bowlers averaged more than 10 runs per over, with international signings Reece Topley and Lockie Ferguson conceding a total of 120 runs in eight overs.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth believes RCB would be better off playing 11 batsmen and having Virat Kohli bowl four overs.
“Reece Topley is getting smashed. Lockie Ferguson was getting smashed. Hehas not done well in the IPL. He has traveled from Kolkata to Bengaluru. Will Jacks has been their best bowler. Better, they play 11 batters. Ask Faf du Plessis to bowl 2 overs. Give Cameron Green 4 overs. I think Virat Kohli wouldn’t have conceded this many had he bowled 4 overs. Virat Kohli is a decent bowler.”
Kris Srikkanth
He added:
“At one stage, I felt very bad for Virat Kohli, who was just watching the balls fly out of the stadium. He came out angry when he walked out to bat. Head was smashing them, Klaasen, after that. But Abdul Samad’s knock was the final nail in the coffin.”
Kris Srikkanth
Despite being hammered, RCB made a valiant attempt in the run chase, finishing on 262/7 in 20 overs to lose by 25 runs.
Dinesh Karthik resumed his remarkable batting form, smashing 83 off 35 deliveries to keep RCB in contention.
“I will only blame the team management for going in without a plan to the auction” – Kris Srikkanth
Kris Srikkanth criticized the RCB management and scouts for not planning during the IPL auction. This lack of foresight led to the team’s struggles. RCB surprisingly dropped major buys Cameron Green and Alzarri Joseph against SRH. They also benched Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell in that match.
The scouting staff had no strategy when acquiring players at the auction, leading to an imbalanced squad. This caused RCB to make puzzling decisions like dropping key recruits Green, Joseph and leaving out established stars Siraj, Maxwell for a crucial match.
“They dropped Mohammed Siraj, they dropped Glenn Maxwell. Look at that, they dropped Cameron Green, who was bought for Rs 17.5 crore. They have dropped Alzarri Joseph, who was bought for Rs 11.5 crore. Hats off to RCB and their scouting team. I don’t blame the players. I will only blame the team management for going in without a plan to the auction.”
Kris Srikkanth
RCB endured their fifth successive loss, positioning them at the bottom of the points table. Their lone victory in seven matches emphasised their dismal campaign.
Facing an improbable challenge, RCB must win nearly all their remaining games to secure a playoff berth. On Sunday, April 21, they confront KKR in their next encounter.