New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Former India fast-bowler Varun Aaron believes different players stepping up for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have played a big role in the franchise entering the IPL 2025 final through a dominating eight-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Thursday’s Qualifier 1 game in New Chandigarh.

In that match, leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, later adjudged Player of the Match, and pacer Josh Hazlewood took three wickets each to help RCB bowl out PBKS for just 101 in 14.1 overs. The target was chased down in exactly 10 overs by RCB, thanks to Phil Salt hitting an unbeaten 56.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to attribute it to eight players being man of the match throughout the season. Because RCB have always been dominated by a few players, a few big batters, I would say, did the bulk of the lifting. But there was always talks about, after Virat Kohli, who’s the highest (Indian) run-scorer? Till last year, it was Rahul Dravid. This year, that has changed.”

“Phil Salt has come in, he’s played a really big hand. Devdutt Padikkal was instrumental in the first half. Now, you’ve got somebody like Jitesh Sharma standing up. Rajat Patidar is looking good, even from last game, though he didn’t get too many runs.”

“So, there are signs, and then Tim David comes in, plays brilliantly. Romario Shepherd, what an innings. So if you actually think about it, so many moments from RCB straightaway comes to mind that, you know what, everybody’s chipped in at different times, when they were down and out,” said Aaron on ESPNCricinfo.

He also said that RCB didn’t have a strong spin-bowling line-up on paper, but have managed to win matches. “Obviously, Josh Hazlewood, huge addition. Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) again here, brilliant. Krunal Pandya and Suyash, again, before the season, we were talking about their spin.”

“You know what, RCB doesn’t have the best spin attack, but their spinners have stood up better than anybody else. It’s just a story of guys stepping up more than they have stepped up before.”

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody stated he was very impressed with RCB’s team balance in the ongoing season. “I think their squad, and particularly their playing XI or XII that they’ve gone with throughout the whole season has been the big difference between previous years.”

“It’s a better balanced side, far better balanced side. It’s not top heavy. There’s opportunities for other players to have an impact in the game, where previously you look at RCB and it was always the top three and then you’re concerned about what follows that.”

“But you look at their side now, it’s just got a better balance to it. And their bowling attack, aside from the fact that they don’t have any sort of real mystery to their spin, but their spin has dovetailed nicely into the hard work that the pace bowlers have done,” he concluded.

–IANS

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