AB de Villiers believes Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s significantly improved squad balance, including the strategic inclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, is key to their early success, notably their first win at Chepauk since 2008.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s improved team structure has earned praise from AB de Villiers after their win over Chennai Super Kings. The former RCB player credited the team’s balanced squad for their impressive start. He then stated that the current team is ten times better balanced than previous seasons.
“The balance of the RCB squad is 10 times better compared to previous seasons. At the (IPL) auction (last year), I spoke about RCB needing balance. It’s not about the bowlers, batters or fielders… it’s about having a sound balance in IPL teams and options,” he said on his podcast ‘AB de Villiers 360.’
“I saw Bhuvi and thought ‘he wasn’t going to play and he came in’. That’s what you want. You want guys like ‘wow is this guy the replacement’. He’s not even in the starting lineup in the first game (vs KKR) and now they are getting Bhuvi Kumar to replace someone in the second game. This is the kind of balance and depth you need in the side,” de Villiers added.
However, the former cricketer also cautioned against early title predictions. He acknowledged this as RCB’s best season start, yet remained grounded.
“Great start for RCB, and it really is looking good. We are not going into the space of, ‘Is this the year (RCB will win the IPL)?’ But I do believe this is the best start RCB have ever had, not only from the results point of view but also from the way the squad looks and how free they look out there, especially playing away from home,” he explained.
The team is now scheduled to compete against Gujarat Titans in their third match, which will be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 2nd.
