Royal Challengers Bangalore get the break and could be the team to watch in IPL 2022 playoffs – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

The success of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), or the lack of it, has more or less invariably been associated with the performance graph of their former skipper Virat Kohli. It was no surprise therefore that their crucial win over table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) had a lot to do with Kohli’s best performance in IPL 2022, a knock that should reinvigorate RCB’s once-tottering campaign, not to mention the batter’s own confidence.

At the same time, the Bengaluru side left their fate in others’ hands, namely Delhi Capitals (DC), who just could not find enough ammunition when it mattered most, and RCB are now in the round of reckoning.

RCB made it to the playoffs as the fourth-placed team. Sportzpics

Three times in IPL 2022 we saw Kohli walk back with a golden duck against his name, and on the third occasion, as he walked back, it seemed like Kohli was having a conversation with the greater powers that decide our lives. “Give me a break”, seemed to be the prayer, and as it stands, RCB and the batter have got a break that could make them the most dangerous of sides in the fray now.

Kohli began to get some runs in the latter stage group matches, but his strike rate was modest, to say the least. But no such hang-ups in the most crucial of games against GT on 19 May. A 73 off 54 balls with a strike rate of above 135 was all that was needed from Kohli. There were contributions from the men who need to chip in consistently – skipper Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell – and RCB reached that magic 16-point mark, which is where the cut-off eventually landed.

Now that they are in, RCB can go all the way. The team has all that is needed, but then, they never really were without the arsenal. It was more a case of not firing at the right time.

Why their chances look good is because of the way the league panned out in the last few days. GT, who during the initial stages of IPL 2022 looked like they just couldn’t lose, eventually showed that they can indeed do so.

Their loss to RCB has come at a time when they somehow look a little unsteady, with three losses from their last five matches. They however did put up enough of a show to feed off their initial successes and stay on top of the table.

As for the other team in the top two, Rajasthan Royals (RR) looked like they would be in the thick of things, right from the beginning of IPL 2022. Some losses in the last stages of the league notwithstanding, they did their business and made it to the top-two slot, something that was scripted with a pretty tense win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last game of the league.

On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who looked almost certain to make it as a top-two team somehow contrived to lose that crucial position. They won somehow against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last league match while defending a massive total but prior to that lost that important face-off with RR and eventually found themselves in the third position on the league table, a bit of a surprise for the side.

In essence, the two teams that look really good at this moment are RR and RCB. No one suggests that GT or LSG will just let it go, but if RR keep batting the way they have so far, or if RCB find their mojo, and if Kohli can keep his form going, they will be the team to watch.

A word about the rest. DC skipper Rishabh Pant showed, time and again, that he still has a lot to learn as captain. KKR were desperately unlucky to lose against LSG, but to be fair, they did themselves no favours by being so erratic in the league, which obviously also applies to Punjab Kings.

Sunrisers Hyderabad could well be looking at a change in leadership in 2023. Kane Williamson has struggled, there is no doubt, while SRH have not found enough consistency to get past the fringes.

Punjab Kings could do well to give Mayank Agarwal his head and relieve him of the captaincy burden. The owners would be bitterly disappointed but like in every long league, consistency is key, and they didn’t have enough of that.

Not much to be said for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. They will be different teams next year, that is the only thing you can say about them.

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