Royal Challengers Bangalore concluded their IPL 2023 campaign with a disappointing outcome, failing to secure a spot in the playoffs after a six-wicket loss to the Gujarat Titans in their final match. Despite Virat Kohli’s exceptional century, the Faf du Plessis-led team couldn’t clinch victory at their home ground, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer, expressed his thoughts on the team’s recurring letdown, emphasizing the futility of relying solely on a few star players and stressing the need to invest in Indian talents.
“Kohli, Faf, Maxwell, and Siraj did really well. But you can’t win tournaments with just 4-5 players. If you don’t invest in Indian players in the next two seasons, no matter how much you say ‘E Saala Cup Namde’ (this year the trophy is ours), it will continue to be ‘E Saala Cup Rehnede’,”
Aakash Chopra said.
“RCB’s fanbase is one of the best. They do have some toxic fans on Twitter and Instagram, but most of their fans are brilliant. Their fanbase is stellar, and perhaps that’s why they have such a big name and fame despite having not won a trophy,”
Chopra further added.
RCB failed to qualify for playoffs after four seasons
In the RCB vs GT encounter, RCB, batting first after being put into play, posted a formidable total of 197/5 in their allotted 20 overs, propelled by an outstanding unbeaten century from Virat Kohli, who scored 101 runs off 61 deliveries. However, GT successfully chased down the target with 5 balls to spare. Courtesy of an exceptional century by Shubman Gill, who remained unbeaten on 104 runs off just 52 balls.
Finishing the league stage in sixth place, RCB accumulated 14 points from 14 matches, securing seven wins. This marked the first time since 2019 that RCB failed to qualify for the playoffs. Ending their streak of finishing in the top four for three consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2022.
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