Bengaluru

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has slammed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for another weak start to the IPL campaign. The cricketer-turned-pundit said RCB did not back their players, adding that the strategy taken by the management during the auctions had hurt the franchise. 

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RCB suffered their second loss of the 2024 season at their home ground, Chinnaswamy Stadium, on Friday (Mar 29). Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coasted to a comfortable victory by chasing the 183-run target with more than three overs to spare. 

"They don't back players. RCB couldn't get the best out of Shivam Dube, who is now winning matches for Chennai Super Kings. He was CSK's star performer in the title-winning season in 2023. When Shivam played for RCB, he failed to perform," Harbhajan told the host broadcaster. 

"Actually, players get backing at CSK, but the situation is different in RCB. If you send Dube to bat at the No. 5 or 6 slot, he will fail," he added. 

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Poor bowling lineup

The off-spinner said the bowling lineup of RCB did not inspire any confidence and that it wasn't enough to take the team to the playoffs.

“Where are the bowlers? They don’t have good bowlers in IPL 2024. For me, bowling is an area of concern. What did they do with Yuzvendra Chahal? He was their best bowler, but he was not retained. He is one of the legends of the game,” Harbhajan said.

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Harbhajan cited the example of Wanindu Hasaranga who was also released by RCB despite performing adequately for the franchise. 

“You can’t win matches by releasing big players. Barring Mohammed Siraj, I don’t find any bowlers who can win matches for the team. Even Siraj is struggling for form. They rested Karn Sharma from the match against KKR,” Harbhajan added.

Having started the tournament on a poor note, RCB will now take the field next week against Lucknow Super Giants at Chinnaswamy. Former captain Virat Kohli and finisher Dinesh Karthik have been the only two standouts with the other players yet to make any mark. 

RCB squad: 

Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar (Traded), Vyshak Vijay Kumar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green (Traded), Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan

(With inputs from agencies)