Do RCB have an India problem?
RCB and Team India (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 07 May 2026, 12:32 PM• Read time - 3 mins
March 8 was a watershed in T20I cricket. India’s 96‑run demolition of New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final etched their name deeper into the format’s folklore. Three ICC Men’s T20 World Cup titles, the first successful title defence, and the first triumph on home soil: a trifecta of dominance.
Yet beneath the silverware lay a structural flaw. India’s bowling blueprint was built on five pillars: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel. In T20Is, however, no quintet can guarantee perfection every night. A sixth option is not a luxury but a necessity. It is the insurance policy when one of the frontline bowlers falters.
India’s sixth bowling option was Shivam Dube. Capable of clearing ropes at will with the willow in hand, but a work in progress with the ball. His lack of control was exposed in the Super Eight. Against South Africa, his two overs bled 32 runs at an economy of 16.00.
Even against a comparatively weak Zimbabwe side, he conceded 46 in two overs: 23.00 per over. Consequently, captain Suryakumar Yadav trusted him only for the last over in the second semifinal against England when victory looked improbable for the Three Lions.
Defending 29, Dube conceded 22, including three sixes to Jofra Archer. He picked up a total of five wickets in the ICC event at a bruising economy of 14.12.
RCB's India problem
Interestingly, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) appear to be carrying the same India problem into their IPL 2026 campaign. Their frontline attack looks capable of withstanding pressure:
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 17 wickets in nine games, economy 7.54, leading the charts in a batter‑dominated season.
- Josh Hazlewood: expensive at 8.93, yet capable of match‑turning spells, exemplified by his 4/12, which led to an embarrassing day at the office for Delhi Capitals
- Krunal Pandya: nine wickets, economy 8.85, consistently choking runs.
- Suyash Sharma: economy of 8.31
- Rasikh Salam: economy of 8.58
But when this quintet is not in sync, the baton passes to Romario Shepherd, and therein lies the fault line. Shepherd has leaked 204 runs in 16 overs at a staggering 12.75 economy this season. Like Dube, his role as the sixth option has emerged as an area of vulnerability for RCB.
A bitter pill already swallowed
Match 26 was a piece of caution for RCB when they hosted Delhi at the unforgiving M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB posted 175 and had the tough task of defending. With Suyash (0/31 in three overs) and Rasikh (0/40) off‑colour, and Bhuvneshwar, Krunal, and Hazlewood bowled out, RCB were forced to lob the ball to Shepherd.
With 14 to defend, the West Indian allrounder began impressively, conceding two on the first two balls. But then it was all about David Miller, who pounded two consecutive sixes and a four to seal the chase with a ball to spare.
While Miller is rated highly in South African cricketing circles for his finishing ability, he was also under the pump and seeking redemption, having bottled a chase against Gujarat Titans earlier in the season.
But Shepherd was unable to keep it away from the southpaw's area of strength, and RCB paid the price.
While India, with a similar vulnerability, rode their luck with Dube and still defended their title, RCB, defending silverware of their own, may not be afforded such fortune.
