The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign ended with a six-wicket loss against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the last league stage match.
The three-time finalists finished with 14 points after 14 matches, placing them sixth in the points table.
Despite largely fixing the roster in the 2022 mega auction, the team’s balance remained a source of concern. The middle order struggled, with Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell scoring the majority of the runs.
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The crop of untested Indian players mainly failed to capitalize on the opportunity, and even senior hitter Dinesh Karthik struggled down the order.
RCB’s bowling attack was hampered by the late arrivals of international players Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood, as well as their subsequent ailments. Mohammed Siraj was their lone bright spot with the ball, vanquishing the demons of his catastrophic 2022 campaign in spectacular fashion.
RCB battled for momentum throughout the tournament, and an argument could be made that a certain collection of players, who perhaps could have been used more by the organization, may have been employed more in an attempt to turn their fortunes around.
On that topic, here are three players who were underutilized by RCB in the IPL 2023.
#1 Finn Allen
The New Zealand international has recently emerged as one of the most potential opening hitters, but he is yet to make his IPL debut.
He sat out the previous season as well, despite the fact that RCB was always struggling in the opening area.
While the opening pair of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis flourished this time, there were obvious concerns in the middle order.
An argument may be made by imagining Allen opening the innings alongside du Plessis, leaving Kohli and Maxwell to provide some solidity in the middle order.
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The presence of three foreign batsmen would have been offset by an Indian-heavy bowling attack.
The young explosive batsman may have excelled hitting at Chinnaswamy Stadium as well, but he will have to wait for his first league outing.
#2 Manoj Bhandage
At the IPL 2023 mega auction, Manoj Bhandage emerged as one of the most thrilling purchases for RCB. Since his debut in 2019, the local player has a T20 career strike rate of 154.
The 25-year-old was expected to make his debut in the 2023 season, especially given RCB’s ongoing struggles with their middle and lower-middle orders. RCB were unable to complete their innings well on many occasions, and fans were dissatisfied with Bhandage’s failure to capitalize on opportunities despite the team’s clear troubles.
If he is retained for the upcoming season, the pinch hitter could be in the running if he continues to perform well on the domestic circuit.
#3 Shahbaz Ahmed
The left-arm all-rounder was a valuable addition to the RCB setup and a consistent starter the previous two seasons. Despite making nine appearances in the 2023 season, he only bowled seven overs.
Shahbaz Ahmed was forced to sit out due to a mix of playing conditions, match-ups, and a lack of bowling options. He also failed to adjust to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, but he may have made a difference if he had been given more opportunities with the bat or ball throughout the season.
The all-rounder, on the other hand, did not have the finest of seasons with the bat. He was a key player in the middle order last season, forming a strong partnership with Dinesh Karthik at the conclusion of innings.
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