Former Indian cricketers Murali Kartik and Rohan Gavaskar have raised serious concerns about Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s struggling batting lineup despite the team’s recent IPL 2026 performances. Both analysts pointed out that while RCB still possesses dangerous match-winners, poor form and unsettled combinations are beginning to create pressure at a crucial stage of the tournament.
Murali Kartik admitted that every cricket team can survive with one out-of-form batter in the lineup, but he warned that RCB’s current issues are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. According to him, every player experiences difficult phases during a season, and unfortunately one RCB batter is going through that rough patch right now at the worst possible time.
Kartik also highlighted another growing concern for Bengaluru — the absence of explosive opener Phil Salt. He explained that RCB looked far more dangerous and balanced when Salt and Virat Kohli opened the innings together earlier in the season. Their aggressive starts regularly gave the middle order freedom to attack without pressure.
However, things have changed since Jacob Bethell entered the lineup. While the young batter has shown glimpses of potential, his numbers have not been convincing enough. Bethell has scored only 44 runs in four matches, and Kartik suggested that RCB have not managed to recreate the same dominance they enjoyed at the top of the order when Salt was available.
The former spinner believes the team’s batting rhythm has suffered because the opening partnership no longer provides the same confidence, momentum, and fast starts that once made Bengaluru one of the most dangerous batting units in IPL 2026.
Meanwhile, Rohan Gavaskar also shared his thoughts on RCB wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, whose poor form has become another major talking point among fans and analysts. Despite Jitesh failing to make a big contribution, Gavaskar defended the decision to send him in earlier during the innings against Lucknow Super Giants.
According to Gavaskar, the situation actually suited Jitesh because he arrived at the crease after a strong partnership had already laid a solid foundation. He pointed out that although Jitesh got out early, he at least did not consume too many deliveries while struggling, which prevented additional pressure from building on the batting lineup.
Gavaskar further explained that when a naturally attacking player like Jitesh Sharma is low on confidence, teams should avoid pushing him into desperate finishing situations at the very end of an innings. Instead, giving him time in the middle earlier can sometimes help players rediscover rhythm and confidence.
At the same time, Gavaskar insisted that if RCB are searching for a specialist finisher during the closing overs, Tim David remains the better option because of his proven power-hitting ability under pressure.
The comments from both Kartik and Gavaskar have once again placed RCB’s batting strategy under the spotlight as the franchise continues chasing consistency in IPL 2026. While the team still has superstar names capable of changing games instantly, questions are growing louder about whether the current batting order and player roles are truly working.
With the tournament entering a crucial stage, RCB now faces increasing pressure to quickly solve its batting problems before poor form and instability begin costing them important matches.
