Original And Concise Blog On Mo Bobat's Philosophy

Mo Bobat, RCB's director of cricket, has a set philosophy in assembling a team. He does not stress too much on having left-hand and right-hand pairing in the batting order. He is of the view that in today's cricket with the rule of an impact player and the availability of bowlers in each team, the left-right partnership is not as crucial as before.

One of the key points of his strategy is to concentrate on the patterns of play of the team and not concern himself with whether the batter is left-handed or right-handed. According to him, teams of today have so many bowlers to suit any scenario. If there happens to be a left-handed batter at the crease, the other team simply introduces a bowler who suits him, rendering the left-right combination less important. Mo Bobat's belief system is one of simplicity and constancy and not decision-making based on orthodox opinions.

Recently, the RCB team enjoyed a brief pause that enabled players such as Rajat Patidar to recuperate from injuries. Patidar appeared fit and spry in practice, shooting long shots across the field, indicating that he had recuperated well from his hand injury. Phil Salt, who was not well, also got a chance to recover and was spotted working hard, driving the ball to the stands. The break proved to be in RCB's favor as it helped injured players get back to their fitness level just when the final stage of the tournament started.

RCB currently boasts nearly a full strength of players available, with most of their overseas players returning, apart from Josh Hazlewood, who is yet to return from his injury. Yet, this wealth of choice also presents a selection headache. If Phil Salt reclaims his spot as an opener, the team might have a predominantly right-handed batting lineup. Despite the inclusion of Mayank Agarwal, who took the place of injured Devdutt Padikkal, the batting lineup might be lacking in diversity.

There are still some teams that concentrate a lot on left-hand and right-hand combinations. The Delhi Capitals, for example, once decided to not bowl their left-arm spinner Axar Patel when a left-handed batsman was on the crease. They employed a part-time right-arm spinner instead, which did not work out for them, losing them precious runs. Mo Bobat, though, is of the opinion that it is more crucial to adhere to a definite game plan and play the strengths of the players available rather than altering strategies in accordance with the handedness of the batter continuously.

RCB lineup could still see some changes because of Hazlewood's absence. Mo Bobat and the management are weighing their options carefully, whether to add another overseas fast bowler such as Nuwan Thushara or go in for a different combination. Another option can be to play Rasikh Dar, an Indian bowler who has been effective during the death overs, or play Jacob Bethell at the top of the order in order to have a left-handed option.

Mo Bobat stresses not hurrying over decisions, opting to take time to thoughtfully make decisions instead of succumbing to pressure from outside. He has no doubt that RCB possesses such depth and quality in the team that they can make the most out of the circumstances. Regardless of whether they pick a left-handed batter to play in the opening eleven or not, the team is thinking of keeping their distinct patterns of playing and not getting bogged down with worrying over the composition of right-handers and left-handers.

RCB's pragmatic and balanced policy of selection can be helpful in the rest of the matches. Mo Bobat's calm approach and emphasis on the team's assets show his dedication to a systematic and assured method of play, irrespective of other teams' style of playing.