Midway through most IPL seasons, at least for the last few years, Twitter is generally flooded with fans of Royal Challengers Bangalore chalking out the rest of the season as to how their team can still make it to the playoffs. Last season, they had managed just one win in their first seven games and two in the previous three. Since 2014, RCB have not won more than three games in their first half of an IPL campaign. But on a year that is 2020, IPL has witnessed a different RCB side, a more settled team with specific roles assigned to the players, all that has led to the team winning five out of their first seven games as many as defending champions Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals - to stand third in the points table only separated by net run rate. And five of those wins included victories against - former IPL winners Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad - all of whom have enjoyed overwhelming domination over RCB in previous meetings. So what has clicked for RCB this season?
It was before the start of this season when RCB's Twitter handle had teased the idea of AB de Villiers taking up the role of a wicketkeeper for the season with the picture of the veteran cricketer donning the wicketkeeping gloves during a practice session. He hadn't donned the gloves for RCB since 2013. Head coach Simon Katich too did not give away much when being asked about the same in a pre-season presser, but RCB eventually picked young Josh Philippe as their wicketkeeper, while making him bat in the middle-order. Philippe is primarily an opener, who amassed 508 runs for Sydney Sixers as their opener in 16 innings at a strike rate of 139.2. But he was made to bat at No.3 in the first game and No.6 in the next before De Villiers was eventually handed the responsibility. This allowed RCB to use that extra overseas slot to bring in Adam Zampa for a few games before Chris Morris.