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The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to kick off on 26 March. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL Governing Council have worked out the venues for the 2022 edition of the Indian T20 League. Mumbai will be hosting the bulk of the league stage games across three venues- Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, and DY Patil Stadium.
The BCCI have imposed their faith in Wankhede Stadium and DY Patil Stadium to host 20 games each. Each team will be playing four of their 14 league games in each of the two venues. While Mumbai Indians will enjoy playing at their home ground, the other nine teams will find it tough to adapt to the conditions.
Royal Challengers Bangalore, in particular, will have to work out their strategy to tackle the challenges thrown by the short boundaries and flat pitches at these venues. This may also result in a few of their players struggling throughout the season. SportsTiger looks at three such RCB players who may find it tough to perform in IPL 2022.
1. Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel was the highest wicket-taker last season. He was a revelation for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and this tempted the management to spend a whopping 10.75 CR on him. There is no doubt about the capabilities of the pacer but the pitches at Wankhede and DY Patil Stadium are not so kind to the bowlers. Patel will find it hard to execute his slower balls. In the recently concluded T20I series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, Patel was at the tip of the batters, getting smashed all around the park.
Wanindu Hasaranga
The Sri-Lankan all-rounder was also a part of RCB's 2021 squad but got very few chances. On the limited chances he got, Hasaranga failed to leave an impact. Recently, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and thus missed the T20I series against India. There is still plenty of time for him to recover but it will not be easy for him to get in the zone straightaway. Also, the shorter boundaries will always be a threat to a bowler like Hasaranga. He bowls at a lower trajectory and flatter which won't be effective on flat pitches.
Siddharth Kaul
The Punjab pacer has been struggling in the last few seasons. He has leaked runs at the death and the story is not expected to change a lot in this season as well. Kaul has good IPL experience, but he is struggling at the moment. RCB management may have roped in him as a backup option but that also does not seem like a really good option. Plus, Kaul has been prone to injuries making him a doubtful candidate for the playing XI.
