Kaif praises RCB's "skillful" bowlers after they continue impressive run with strong showing in IPL 2026 final
Ahmedabad, May 31
Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif hailed the bowling attack of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru after they continued their impressive showing in the Indian Premier League 2026 in the final against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, crediting their adaptability and calling them "skillful".
Defending champions RCB restricted GT to a modest total of 155/8 in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with the pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2 wickets), Rasikh Salam Dar (3 wickets) and Josh Hazlewood (2 wickets) being the standout performers.
In a post on X, Mohammed Kaif praised RCB's experienced bowling attack for quickly adapting to the conditions, noting that they abandoned their initial plan when there was no swing on offer and switched to hard-length deliveries, a move that helped them take wickets. He described such adaptability as an indicator of highly skilled bowlers.
"RCB's experienced bowling attack shows how quickly they adapt to conditions. No swing in the air, they change plans after 2 overs. Soon they start hitting hard lengths to get wickets. Only the most skillful pros can do this," Kaif said.
Notably, RCB's bowling has been one of the biggest reasons for their impressive 2026 IPL season so far. While Bhuvneshwar has taken 28 wickets in the tournament, Rasikh Salam Dar has claimed 19 wickets. Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood has also taken 15 wickets in the IPL 2026 season.
In the final against GT, Rasikh Salam Dar claimed figures of 3/27 in 4 overs, Bhuvneshwar registered 2/29 in 4 overs, and Josh Hazlewood's figures read 2/37 in 4 overs, while Krunal Pandya also claimed a wicket, as GT ended their innings on 155/8 in 20 overs.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, RCB's management seems to have learned their lesson. All those years of blindly relying on batting alone were painful to watch. This season, the bowling depth is real—Rasikh, Bhuvi, Hazlewood, and even Krunal Pandya's cameo with the ball. If they win the final, it's because of this balanced attack. Skillful pros, indeed. 👏
I love how Kaif bhai explains the simple things in cricket that most fans miss. The pitch was flat, no swing, and instead of persisting with the same line and length, they immediately adjusted to hard lengths. That's the difference between school-level bowling and IPL-winning bowling. RCB's scouting team deserves a bonus this year! 😎
There's something poetic about RCB finally clicking as a unit. For 15 years, they've been the "almost" team, but now they're playing like champions. However, I do think GT could have attacked the hard length a bit more—some of their batsmen seemed tentative. Credit to RCB's bowlers for making the most of the conditions. Let's see if they can defend the title!
As an RCB fan since 2010, I can finally breathe easy! 🥹 Bhuvi and Rasikh have been our unsung heroes. But I just wish the RCB media team would give more attention to the bowlers instead of always hyping up the batting lineup. Bowlers win tournaments, and this proves it! #EeSalaCupNamde
R Ravi K