Structural pitfalls of Bengaluru

Another new season has not begun well for the franchise based out of Garden City. As RCB linger at the bottom of the table after six games in IPL 2024, Swaroop Swaminathan tries to understand why it has happened and what has gone wrong for them year after year...

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LOST in the noise of Virat Kohli's century against Rajasthan Royals was a little-known record-extending losing run. That night in Jaipur, the franchise had lost a hat-trick of fixtures within the first five matches of a new campaign nine times (Mumbai Indians are the next worst on six).

You needn't necessarily be out if you suffer three consecutive losses in the opening phase but the best teams tend to start well.

Sure, Mumbai recovered in 2015 to win the title after losing the first four and five of the opening six games. But these things don't happen by chance. Despite the relative randomness of the format, title-winning teams have seldom had to play catch-up from the early stages.

Here's a number that encapsulates Bengaluru's issues. Over the last six full seasons going back to 2018, they had, on average, lost 6.83 games in the group phase per season. In that same six-year period, the champions, on average, averaged two fewer losses in the group phase. From 2008 to 2017, the champions, on average, lost 5.3 games. Bengaluru? 7.1. The leadership may have changed. Head coaches and support staff may have changed.

The ownership may have changed. Players may have changed. Yet, the more things have changed, the more they have remained the same.

Rahul Dravid last played for the side in September 2010.