From Mohammed Siraj's wondrous spell against Punjab to Vyshak Vijaykumar's dream debut: Top 3 bowling displays for RCB in IPL 2023

The Royal Challengers Bangalore ended their IPL 2023 campaign on a disappointing note as they couldn't conjure the kind of firepower that they would have hoped for against the Gujarat Titans in the final group stage fixture, which was a must-win game for the hosts at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Despite a sad end to the campaign, there were a handful of searing displays that were knitted together by the Royal Challengers bowling unit, spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj. Putting in a staunch transition, Siraj was in stunning shape and prized out the very best in the latest edition of the tournament. While Siraj led the way with the ball, his spells were also complemented by a few from the other RCB bowlers which will remain in memory of the fans for time to come.

Here are the top three bowling displays by the Royal Challengers in IPL 2023.

1. Mohammed Siraj - 4/21 vs Punjab Kings, Mohali

Mohammad Siraj’s best performance came against Punjab Kings in IPL 2023 as he helped RCB defend a modest total of 174 with significant ease. The first scalp of Siraj was that of Atharva Taide followed by the big fish, Liam Livingstone. Miyan would return to mop up the tail, including scalps of Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis. Not only was he excellent with the ball but his electric fielding and throw also caught Harpreet Singh short of his crease too.

2. Wayne Parnell - 3/10 vs Rajasthan Royals, Jaipur

Hosting RCB in Jaipur, the Rajasthan Royals were knocked over by Faf du Plessis’ men like nine pins in a battle of skewered proportions. Wayne Parnell was the chief architect of RR’s downfall in a match that will be remembered as one where the RCB bowlers sent back half of the Royals’ batting unit inside the powerplay. Parnell first removed Jos Buttler and then forced a skier off Sanju Samson’s bat that was pouched well by Anuj Rawat. Parnell’s best wicket was arguably that of Joe Root, with the left-arm seamer trapping the Englishman plumb in front with a fantastic yorker. 

3. Vyshak Vijaykumar - 3/20 vs Delhi Capitals, Bengaluru

Local talent Vyshak Vijaykumar enjoyed a dream debut in the IPL, starting off his career with the massive scalp of David Warner, who he foxed with a clever slower delivery. Making a starry transition from intern to a member of RCB’s playing XI, Vyshak showed no signs of nervousness, also going to bag two more wickets - including India star Axar Patel and all-rounder Lalit Yadav to make it a three-star debut.