Disappointed by RCB’s performance in IPL 2024,legendary India tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi urged the BCCI to enforce a sale of the franchise
A change of colour – they replaced black with blue, a new name – Bangalore became Bengaluru, nothing could come to the rescue of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. IPL 2024 brought yet another season of heartbreaks, frustration and disappointments for the fans as RCB are on the verge of getting knocked out of the 17th edition of the league at the halfway stage of the tournament.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli (ANI )
Mathematically, they still have a chance of making it to playoffs. For that, the Faf du Plessis-led side needs to win at least six of their remaining seven games. Even a diehard RCB fan would think twice before placing a bet on that happening. Such has been the poor show by the franchise this year.
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Disappointed by RCB’s performance this year, which has seen them lose six out of their seven games so far, legendary India tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi urged the BCCI to enforce a sale of the franchise. Bhupathi, a 12-time Grand Slam champion (in men’s doubles and mixed doubles), said a new owner can do a world of good to the franchise, which hasn’t been able to lay their hands on the coveted trophy for 17 seasons.
“For the sake of the Sport, the IPL, the fans and even the players I think BCCI needs to enforce the sale of RCB to a new owner who will care to build a sports franchise the way most of the other teams have done so,” Bhupathi wrote on X.
Travis Head’s destructive hundred fused splendidly with skipper Pat Cummins’ resolve as Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a well-crafted 25-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring affair in Bengaluru on Monday.
Head’s maiden T20 hundred (102, 41b, 9×4, 8×6) and Heinrich Klaasen’s pillaging 67 (31b, 2×4, 7×6) drove Sunrisers to a record-breaking 287 for three, also going past their own 277/3 against Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad this March 27.
The visiting bowlers led by Cummins (3/43) showed superb skill level on a barren pitch, something their counterparts lacked, to restrict RCB to 262 for seven. This IPL match also witnessed the highest cumulative runs scored –549 in any single T20 match.
Skipper Faf du Plessis (62, 28b, 7×4, 4×6) and the super-improvising Dinesh Karthik (83, 35b, 5×4, 7×6) played fine hands but on the night they ended as mere footnotes.