AB de Villiers, a legendary figure for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), openly acknowledged the persistent issue of bowling that has plagued the team over the years. Despite de Villiers’ significant contributions and induction into the franchise’s Hall of Fame, RCB has yet to secure an IPL title, facing consistent challenges and playoff eliminations.

In a recent discussion on his YouTube channel, De Villiers shed light on the team’s struggles, emphasizing the difficulty of bowling at the Chinnaswamy Stadium due to its challenging boundary dimensions. He pointed out the team’s tendency to make avoidable mistakes, lack discipline, and falter in executing the basics under pressure situations.

“It has been a well-known fact that RCB’s bowling has been an area of weakness over the years. Yes, the batters also made a mess at times, but you need to play as a team. You need to gel together and understand each other. More often than not, there has been this feeling of making silly mistakes, not getting the discipline right, and not doing the basics well under pressure. We know how difficult it is to bowl at the Chinnaswamy Stadium,” expressed AB de Villiers.

ALSO READ: Gautam Gambhir Hails Rahul Dravid’s Contract Extension As India’s Head Coach

Looking ahead to the IPL 2024 auction, RCB made strategic decisions by releasing players such as Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, and Josh Hazlewood. This move signals a fresh start for the team’s bowling unit, with Mohammed Siraj stepping into a leadership role.

However, de Villiers expressed concern about the team’s bowling capabilities for the upcoming season, especially after the release of consistent performers like Hazlewood. While acknowledging the presence of players like Siraj and Reece Topley, he highlighted the contributions of the released trio, particularly Hazlewood, who played a crucial role in controlling the bowling lineup and securing victories in the past couple of seasons.

ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra questions Suryakumar Yadav’s handling of bowlers in 3rd T20I

“It is the area where I would be worried. Obviously, there is Mohammed Siraj there, Reece Topley, and some experience there, but if you see the released players list, they let go of Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, and Josh Hazlewood. Those three have won them a lot of games in the last couple of seasons, especially Hazlewood; he had just this way of controlling that bowling lineup,” AB de Villiers added, highlighting the challenges RCB may face in building a formidable bowling attack for the upcoming IPL season.