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By:

Waleed Hussain

4 March 2025 at 2:34:30 pm

RCB steaming in to IPL 2026

RCB's bowling attack enters IPL 2026 as a pace-dominant unit that powered their maiden title win in 2025, but defending the crown demands addressing spin vulnerabilities and injury risks. This SWOT analysis reveals a transformed attack capable of contending, yet not invincible against evolving T20 tactics. Strengths RCB's pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal forms a world-class core, blending swing, bounce, and left-arm angle variation. Hazlewood's 22 wickets at...

RCB steaming in to IPL 2026

RCB's bowling attack enters IPL 2026 as a pace-dominant unit that powered their maiden title win in 2025, but defending the crown demands addressing spin vulnerabilities and injury risks. This SWOT analysis reveals a transformed attack capable of contending, yet not invincible against evolving T20 tactics. Strengths RCB's pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal forms a world-class core, blending swing, bounce, and left-arm angle variation. Hazlewood's 22 wickets at 17.55 in IPL 2025 showcased his powerplay and death-over mastery, while Bhuvneshwar's economy under 8 provided control on flat tracks. All-rounders like Krunal Pandya (key wickets in finals) and new buys Venkatesh Iyer and Romario Shepherd add seam options and balance, enabling flexible overseas slots with Jacob Duffy and Nuwan Thushara as backups. This depth turned RCB's historic bowling weakness into a title-winning asset last season. Weaknesses Spin remains RCB's Achilles' heel, lacking a consistent middle-overs wicket-taker despite Suyash Sharma's retention and Vicky Ostwal's addition. Suyash managed only 8 wickets at 8.84 economy in 2025, excelling in containment but faltering on turning pitches, forcing over-reliance on Krunal's left-arm spin. Age (Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar at 34-35) and injury histories pose risks, as seen in Hazlewood's prior calf issues, potentially exposing thinner domestic pace like Rasikh Dar or Abhinandan Singh. Uncapped buys like Mangesh Yadav offer promise but unproven IPL pedigree under playoff pressure. Opportunities IPL 2026's mini-auction additions like Duffy (death specialist) and Iyer (medium-pace variety) allow tactical experimentation on batting-friendly Indian pitches. Home advantage at Chinnaswamy's short boundaries favors their high-pace attack, where swing early and yorkers late can defend 200-plus totals, as proven in 2025 defenses. Emerging Indian talents (Dayal, Ostwal) could step up amid India's T20 World Cup cycle, while opponents' spin-heavy strategies (e.g., CSK's Noor Ahmad) create matchups for RCB's seamers to dominate powerplays. Title momentum fosters mental edge, positioning RCB to poach form players mid-season if needed. Threats Defending champions face heightened scrutiny, with rivals like KKR (Cameron Green at Rs 25cr) bolstering all-round attacks to target RCB's spin gaps on slower venues like Chennai or Lucknow. Batter-friendly IPL trends—record 2025 sixes in finals—amplify threats from power-hitters like PBKS's Shashank Singh, who troubled RCB before. Injury clusters could deplete overseas options (max 4), straining uncapped depth amid congested schedules. Budget constraints post-retentions (Rs 16.4cr spent judiciously) limit mid-season fixes if form dips, echoing past chokes despite strong paper squads. Path Forward RCB's bowlers must prioritize spin drills and workload management to sustain 2025 form (top-3 powerplay wickets). Rajat Patidar's captaincy can leverage data analytics for pitch-specific combos, blending Hazlewood's strike with Krunal's control. If they plug spin via Suyash's growth or Ostwal's breakout, repeat glory beckons; otherwise, pace alone won't suffice against IPL's batting evolution. Defending demands evolution, not complacency—RCB's attack has the bones, but execution will define their legacy. (The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

Discussions on among allies for govt formation: Ajit Pawar

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister and NCP head Ajit Pawar on Monday said discussions were underway among the Mahayuti partners to finalise a formula for the new government formation in the state.


Speaking to reporters at Karad in Satara district, Pawar also acknowledged the contribution of the government's Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides financial assistance to women, in the Mahayuti's victory in the just-concluded state assembly polls.


The NCP leader also assured that the alliance was working cohesively following its resounding victory in the state assembly elections.


Pawar paid tributes to Maharashtra's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan at his memorial in Karad on his death anniversary.


In the state poll results declared on Saturday, the Mahayuti, which comprises the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, bagged an impressive 230 of the 288 assembly seats.


The focus has been on BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is being seen as a strong contender to occupy the top post for the third time, as his party bagged 132 of the 149 seats it contested in the state.


Notably, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said his party legislators feel Eknath Shinde should continue as the chief minister of the state, where the ruling Mahayuti scored a landslide victory in the assembly polls.


Ajit Pawar said, "We will decide what formula to work out on the cabinet formation among the three parties."


Reflecting on the elections, he acknowledged the contribution of the Ladki Bahin scheme in the Mahayuti's win.


"We cannot ignore that Ladki Bahin helped us in this election. We are grateful to them (women voters)," he said.


Defending the scheme, Pawar, who is also the state finance minister, further said, "Had I been opposed to the Ladki Bahin scheme, I would not have presented it in the House. I discussed the scheme with several retired finance officers before finalising it."


Pawar also dismissed concerns raised by some opposition leaders over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), pointing out that polls in states like Punjab, West Bengal and Telangana, governed by their political opponents, have been conducted with the same system.


Commenting on members of same families contesting against each other during the elections, Pawar expressed annoyance over repeated questions on it.


He then asked, "Why was my close nephew fielded? Atram's own daughter was fielded against him, and even Rajendra Shingne faced a similar challenge. I don't want to comment further on this. I have got tired of apologising for fielding my wife against Supriya. Yugendra was in business, then why was he prepared to contest against me?"


In the Baramati assembly seat, Ajit Pawar was pitted against his nephew and NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar.


In Aheri seat, NCP leader Dharamraobaba Atram's daughter Bhagyashree Atram contested against him on NCP (SP) ticket.

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