RCB head coach Andy Flower opened up on the team’s performance after RCB’s defeat against RR on April 6th.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower slammed his team’s batting performance following their fourth loss in the IPL 2024 as they were defeated by the Rajasthan Royals by six wickets.
Flower pointed out the lack of intent and aggression displayed by the batters, with Virat Kohli being the only exception. Kohli’s brilliant century masked the struggles of the other batters, leaving RCB with a below-par total of 183 runs. The target was easily chased down by RR, with dominant knocks from Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson.
“We do discuss strike rates and aggression; it’s part of the understanding of the T20 game. The level of aggression has to be above a certain threshold, and you have to always put the opposition under pressure. Certainly taking the aggressive option, especially on pitches like today,” Flower said at the post-match conference.
Flower highlighted the concerning form of the top order, excluding Kohli. “It’s just a fact that at the moment our top five aren’t in sparkling form except Virat. It’s a tough place to be. It’s not from a lack of effort; they’re working hard and giving everything they’ve got. Just not firing at the moment. If we’ve got to turn this around, we need them firing,” he emphasised.
Despite the batting woes, Flower acknowledged the bowlers’ efforts in keeping the match close until the final over. However, he lamented the missed opportunities early on that cost them momentum.
“We were a bit light (on runs), I thought. Given the base we had, we were about 107/0 in the 12th over, so we should have gotten upwards of 200 in that position on a good pitch. But we started well with the ball; Topley and Yash, then Siraj, were brilliant upfront, but the last over of the powerplay cost us some serious momentum,” Flower concluded.
While RCB continues their form slump, they will be looking forward to a strong comeback with consecutive wins. The Challengers will next face the Mumbai Indians on April 11th.
Last Updated on April 7, 2024
