MI vs RCB, IPL 2021: Why Did RCB Slot AB de Villiers at No.5? Here's what the Stats Reveal

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are not just the two best batsmen of their team, RCB, but are two of the top players in the tournament. In recent years, both Kohli and ABD have combined to add nearly 80 percent of their team’s runs, and yet RCB are without a title. Kohli has mostly batted at No.3 and from this year onwards, he has made it clear that he will open. De Villiers, on the other hand, has always occupied the No.4 slot. However, with Kohli moving up, it was expected that the South African will be slotted in at No.3, thus giving the two best batsmen in their side maximum deliveries to face.

But, in the IPL 2021 season opener, chasing 160 to win, RCB opted to push ABD back at 5 with debutant Rajat Patidar coming at No.3 and Glenn Maxwell at No.4. And even getting Washington Sundar to open, in the absence of Devdutt Paddikal. Fans and followers of the game were a bit perplexed to see ABD bat so low, all the more with the going getting tough in the middle-overs for RCB. Former India international Yuvraj Singh also took to Twitter question RCB’s strategy to bat ABD at five. He wrote, “Don’t understand @ABdeVilliers17 batting at no 5 !!? your best batsmen after opening have to come at no 3 or no 4 in t20 just an opinion #MIvRCB #IPL2021”.

However, there definitely was a plan by the think tank of Simon Katich and Mike Hesson behind pushing ABD to no.5. As Virat Kohli mentioned in the post-match presentation, lengthening the batting order was one thing that RCB achieved by having ABD at No.5 and someone like Dan Christian at No.7. ABD donned the finishers’ role, something Maxwell is more suited to and has more experience of, but the Australian played the anchor role with 39 off 28 balls, while ABD smoked 48 ff just 27.

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ABD over the years has struggled in the middle-overs scoring at a strike rate of 112 against slow left-arm bowlers and 123 against leg-spin. And both variants of bowlers have dismissed the former SA international seven times. However, the story changes in the death overs. Batting between overs 16-20 since 2015, ABD has scored at a strike rate of 249.

De Villiers has struggled to in the middle overs in the recent past to hit spinners turning the ball away.

SR of 112 vs SLA, 123 vs leg-spin for seven dismissals

Against pacers in death overs, he has struck at over 216 and has been remarkably consistent averaging 45. https://t.co/S4XviX2OIs

— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) April 9, 2021

Moreover, he has had the wood over all the Mumbai Indians bowlers during that time in the death overs, including one of the greatest exponents of death bowling – Lasith Malinga. He has tonked the Sri Lankan great for 44 runs in 14 balls that ABD has faced in the death. He has taken Trent Boult for 50 off 19 balls, Jasprit Bumrah 69 off 30 balls, and Hardik Pandya – who did not bowl in the last game – 33 off just 10 balls.

So clearly, RCB has a plan to use ABD’s impact-striking at the death more than being the anchor in the middle-overs. With Maxwell coming in, RCB have been able retain the explosiveness ABD provides in the middle-order, and with the South African, coming at No.5, RCB are likely seeking consistency from ABD in the death overs, that a Maxwell may not provide. It is role-reversal for the two modern days greats, but something that might as well click for RCB this IPl 202

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• AB de Villiers
• IPL 2021
• Royal Challengers Bangalore