Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has revealed the one big reason for RCB's continual struggles in the Indian Premier League.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise has always boasted of a strong squad on paper, but the side is yet to lift an Indian Premier League title. Despite having big names like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers over the years, RCB has fallen short in the race for IPL glory.
In the previous edition of the tournament, the Bangalore franchise finished at the bottom of the table with 11 points in 14 matches.
Yuzvendra Chahal, the leg-spinner who represents the franchise, has now opened up on RCB's continual struggles in the league. He has revealed the one issue which has persisted with the franchise over the years, playing a major role in their struggles.
“I have played for RCB for 6 years, the problem has always been, other than the one year when we had Starc, our death-over bowling,” Chahal said in a conversation with Aakash Chopra on Facebook.
“Because we keep a tight leash till the 16th or 17th over, but I feel we have lost at least 30% of the matches due to the last 3 overs.
“If you restrict a team to 130-odd after 16 overs, you feel that you can keep them to 160 or at the most 170, but at times due to those 3 overs the score goes to 190 or 200. So that changes everything suddenly.”
However, Chahal remains confident of RCB's improved show in the upcoming season of the league. Dale Steyn will return to the franchise, while Chris Morris is the new addition to the side, as the South African duo teams up with Indian pace battery of Navdeep Saini and Umesh Yadav.
“But this year I am feeling for the first time that we have a lot of options at the death. Saini has got matured, Steyn Sir is there, Morris has come and then we have Umesh bhaiya,” said Chahal.
“So currently we have a lot of options compared to other years. Because earlier after 16 overs, I used to bowl the 17th over if required else we had only two bowlers to bowl the last 4 overs.”
