Virat Kohli's strike rate debate - His need to improve for T20 World Cup or cautious of RCB's batting woes?

What is Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) doing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024? They are sticking to the RCB playbook - a formidable batting lineup but all the pressure continues to mount on Virat Kohli's shoulders along with the relatively weaker bowling unit. After the clash between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and RCB at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, where the visitors managed to score 183/3, the spotlight fell squarely on Kohli.

The first innings revolved around Virat Kohli who conducted his innings with his trademark precision. Though he began slowly, he meticulously paced his innings, reaching a century in the 19th over with a score of 113 off 72 deliveries. 

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However, this innings of his seems to have sparked criticism among some cricket fans, who, considering themselves experts, have started to troll Kohli over his strike rate.

The main question that emerges, however, is whether Kohli needs to accelerate his scoring rate, risking his wicket in the process, or if his cautious approach stems from a lack of trust in his RCB batting unit, leading him to shoulder the bulk of the scoring responsibilities. Fans offer varied perspectives on this contentious topic.

RCB's headaches in IPL 2024:

The biggest concern for RCB will surely have to be their overseas Big 3 – Faf du Plessis, Cameron Green, and Glenn Maxwell – all of whom have failed to perform consistently at the top of the order, placing additional pressure on Kohli's shoulders.

Moreover, when it comes to bowling, RCB has only managed to take three wickets in the Powerplay across four matches this season. Their economy rate of 10 runs per over is the worst among all teams in the first six overs, with examples such as conceding 62/1 against CSK, 40/1 against PBKS, 85/0 against KKR (the second-highest runs conceded in the Powerplay this season), and 54/1 against LSG.

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RCB's lack of taking wickets even later on is a major concern. Former Australian cricketer Aaron Finch remarked on Star Sports, "The bowling has been an issue for RCB for the last 10 years at least. You get to this point of the season that if things aren't well for RCB, you're always questioning the bowling. The whole unit is not clicking at the moment."

The team will now have a four-day break before returning to action on April 11 against the Mumbai Indians (MI), who currently sit at the bottom of the table without a single win in three games. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad:

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat(w), Mayank Dagar, Reece Topley, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal, Mahipal Lomror, Suyash Prabhudessai, Karn Sharma, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Swapnil Singh, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Alzarri Joseph, Will Jacks, Manoj Bhandage, Akash Deep, Saurav Chauhan, Rajan Kumar, Himanshu Sharma