IPL 2019: Anil Kumble terms poor team selection as the reason for RCB’s failure

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) again endured a poor IPL season as they started on the wrong foot. They tried their best to pull things back, but due to their own faults, things kept slipping from their grasp and before they knew, they had lost their first six games in IPL 2019. After that, there was no looking back for them and that start ended their tournament then and there.

The Virat Kohli-led team’s problems started right at the auction when they decided to punt on some unknown names to come good for them. They also had some great talents, who didn’t get enough game time to showcase their skills in the tournament and overall decision-making cost them yet another possible playoffs spot. This led to former RCB captain Anil Kumble to dissect what went wrong for the three-time IPL finalists, who have one of the strongest batting lineups.

Selections decisions didn’t go their way: Anil Kumble

Kumble, who had led RCB into the IPL 2009 finals, said that the franchise’s thinktank failed to make better decisions in team selection and that is what came back to haunt them.

“Selections made by RCB didn’t go their way. They picked only 3 foreign players in their playing XI. The batting was heavily dependent on AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. However, when the duo failed, the remaining batting couldn’t just perform. Add to that the bowling woes for the franchise, as their senior bowler Umesh Yadav was highly inconsistent.

Yuzvendra Chahal was at his best. But losing Moeen Ali and Marcus Stoinis was bad for the team just when they were gaining steam. Dale Steyn came in for two games and impressed lot, but his injury was unfortunate,” Kumble said in a video for CricketNext.

The former Indian skipper also pointed out that RCB decided to back a lot of unknown names in the tournament like Shivam Dube and Akshdeep Nath, but they failed to live up to the reputation. That coupled with the absence of an experienced Indian batsman in the middle-order proved to be fatal.

Talking about the positives for RCB, Kumble pointed mentioned, “Navdeep Saini has got pace, character, and temperament of bowling in T20 game. Shimron Hetmyer in the last game was exciting and along with Gurkeerat must form their middle order in the coming season. Parthiv Patel was brilliant at the top and this time he just didn’t play quickfire cameos, but played crucial innings.”

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