The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) find themselves in a precarious position. With five consecutive defeats and languishing at the bottom of the points table, their IPL 2024 campaign is in danger of imploding. A win against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday is a matter of survival, but their path is blocked by a familiar nemesis – Sunil Narine.
Sunil Narine dominance
RCB’s batting has been their Achilles’ heel this season, particularly against spin. Their upcoming clash against KKR will test their resolve yet again, with the ever-dangerous Sunil Narine leading the Kolkata spin attack.
Virat Kohli Kryptonite: Spin
Virat Kohli, the RCB mainstay for years, has struggled against spin recently. Since 2020, his T20 strike rate against spinners plummets to 113.52, compared to a healthy 145.79 against pace.
While he showed improvement in IPL 2024 with a 130.09 strike rate against spin, including a dominant display against Narine earlier this season (21 off 12), replicating that feat at the Eden Gardens is a challenge.
Virat Kohli’s overall record against Narine paints a worrying picture: 162 runs from 157 balls with four dismissals.
Fragile RCB batting order
The problem extends beyond Kohli. Other key batsmen like Faf du Plessis (strike rate of 77.14 against Narine) and Dinesh Karthik (119.29) have also fallen prey to Narine’s mastery.
Sunil Narine: Double Threat
KKR’s spin wizard isn’t just a threat with the ball. Rejuvenated as an opener despite the two-bouncer rule, Narine has amassed 276 runs at a staggering strike rate of 187.75.
While he still struggles against the short ball at times, he has learned to capitalize on his starts, much to RCB’s despair – as witnessed in their previous encounter.
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Can RCB break free in IPL 2024?
RCB are facing an uphill battle. Their batting needs to overcome their spin woes, particularly against Narine. With their season hanging by a thread, devising a strategy to counter this double threat from Narine will be crucial for RCB’s survival.
Editors pick
