Former India all-rounder and current pundit Irfan Pathan has fired a huge warning to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of their IPL tie on Monday (May 1) against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
RCB are currently in the playoff race and will be up against LSG in a crucial match. The LSG, led by Karnataka boy KL Rahul, beat the Challengers in Bangalore and will be aiming to inflict a double over them.
RCB lost their previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders and are currently sitting 5th in the table. Another loss in Lucknow can dent their playoff hopes and Irfan Pathan has given them a stern warning ahead of the match.
RCB are a top-heavy side as Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessi have been their main scorers. Du Plessis has amassed 422 runs, while Kohli has scored 333 runs. Glenn Maxwell is also not far behind with 258 runs.
But after the trio, the RCB batters don’t bode well. Their Indian batters except Kohli have struggled so far and Pathan believes they need a solution for that.
“RCB will have to find a solution that if KGF (Kohli, Glenn, Faf) do not work then who will steer the team through troubled waters. Whether Dinesh Karthik or Mahipal Lomror,” Pathan said while speaking to Star Sports Cricket Live.
He then continued to criticize Dinesh Karthik. The veteran wicketkeeper has failed to make any impact so far. In 8 innings, Karthik has managed only 83 runs at an average of 11.9, and has failed miserably in their run chases.
“RCB’s middle order looks very weak. Karthik could not prove even once in the last 8 matches that the team can rely on him for big scores or during chases. RCB management will have to fix this loophole in their batting,” Pathan added.
The void in RCB’s batting after their top order needs an urgent solution, and Kedar Jadhav can be the answer to that. The veteran middle-order batter was roped in by RCB as David Willey’s replacement on Monday.
It is to be seen whether he can fix their issues. RCB take on LSG on Monday at the Ekana Stadium, which is the first of their five consecutive away games.
