'RCB management needs to fix middle-order woes' - Irfan Pathan opens up ahead of LSG vs RCB clash

Revenge will be on the minds of Royal Challengers Bangalore players as they go up against Luckow Super Giants in the reverse fixture of IPL 2023 in Lucknow's Ekana Stadium on May 1, 2023.

RCB are coming to Lucknow on the back of back a crushing defeat at home against KKR and beating LSG in their backyard isn't going to be an easy task for RCB. Faf du Plessis-led side lost against KL Rahul & Co. in a high-scoring contest at home.

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan reckons RCB looks reliant on its top three batters i.e. Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell. Their Indian players haven't fired with the bat in IPL 2023, which is concerning.

Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live, Irfan Pathan said, "RCB will have to find a solution that if KGF (Kohli, Glenn, Faf) do not work then who will steer the team through troubled waters. Whether Dinesh Karthik or Mahipal Lomror. RCB's middle order looks very weak. Karthik could not prove even once in the last 8 matches that the team can rely on him for big scores or during chases. RCB management will have to fix this loophole in their batting."

It has become quite a template for RCB to over-depend on their top three batters ie Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell who have done the bulk of scoring for the team. After the trio walks back, the middle order has been just failing terribly to add anything substantial to the scoreboard. Hence, it remains one of the biggest concerns of RCB ahead of their LSG clash.