Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed his belief that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has enough firepower to secure a place in the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. He noted that the team has several experienced campaigners in their lineup, which will prove to be a significant advantage for them. Vaughan further suggested that RCB has a great chance of winning their maiden IPL trophy since they are back to playing at M. Chinnaswamy, which has been their fortress.
However, Vaughan pointed out that Reece Topley’s injury could be a concern for the Royal Challengers. Despite this, he emphasized that the team has a formidable unit, and this could very well be their year. During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Vaughan shared his thoughts on the team, stating
“I think Bangalore, one day, will win this IPL. They will do it, and they have got enough in the tank in terms of experience. I think Reece Topley is going to be a big miss. That looks a bad injury with that shoulder. But they’ve certainly got the experience and the players. But as we know from history, that doesn’t take you all the way to winning a trophy, but surely now they’re back at home, and that ground is such a great ground for them, and they know how to play there. I’m sure they’re going to get to that top four, and then who knows what will happen at the end.”
It is worth noting that Topley sustained a shoulder dislocation during RCB’s first match against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Bangalore on April 2, after diving while fielding. Topley had bowled just two overs and took the important wicket of Cameron Green before being taken off the field.
RCB cruise to an 8-wicket victory against Mumbai Indians
RCB captain Faf du Plessis chose to field first after winning the toss. Thanks to the bowlers, Bangalore got off to a great start, dismissing the top-order batsmen of MI early on.
Only left-handed batsman Tilkar Varma provided some resistance for Mumbai, remaining unbeaten on 84 and helping his team reach a competitive total of 171.
In response, openers Virat Kohli and Du Plessis put RCB in a strong position with an outstanding 148-run partnership. Du Plessis scored 73 before being dismissed, while Kohli remained not out on 82, guiding Bangalore to victory with eight wickets in hand and 22 balls remaining.
Next up, Du Plessis and his team will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on Thursday, April 6.
