IPL 2016: Royal Challengers Bangalore Predicted XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore have often had the strongest team on paper but are yet to be crowned champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to many, the Virat Kohli-led side enter IPL 2016 as favourites after they added the likes of Shane Watson, Samuel Badree etc. to their squad ahead of the new season. The absence of Mitchell Starc will be felt, but they have decent options to cover for the Australian left-arm fast bowler.

The Bangalore-based franchise have a better balanced team this season after adding a few all-rounders to their squad and will be hopeful of finally breaking the jinx.

Chris Gayle

The West Indian opener, who was an integral part of the West Indies team that won the ICC World T20, is expected to play a big part for the Royal Challengers yet again. A two-time Orange Cap winner with the men in Red and Gold, he will be expected to get the team off to good starts like he has before.

After a poor season in 2014, Chris Gayle was back to his old-self last season, scoring 491 runs at an average of over 40. The team from Bangalore will be expecting him to even better those numbers in 2016.

IPL career: 82 matches, 3199 runs, 16 wickets

Shane Watson

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was the biggest buy of the 2016 IPL auction at a whopping price of Rs. 9.5 cr. After being a part of the Rajasthan Royals since the inception of the league, Watson will finally play for another franchise.

It will be interesting to see where RCB fit the 2-time IPL MVP into their line-up as the opening partnerhsip between Gayle and Virat Kohli worked well last year. We could see Watson batting in the lower middle-order like he did for Australia in the final two matches of the recently concluded ICC World T20, but one feels he will be better utilized at the top of the order.

As a genuine all-rounder, Watson will help add some much-needed balance to the team's line-up.

IPL career: 78 matches, 2372 runs, 61 wickets

Virat Kohli

The Player of the Tournament over the last two editions of the ICC World T20, Virat Kohli will be hopeful that he can let his leadership do the talking just like his bat has for a number of years. Also ranked number one on the ICC T20I Rankings for Batsmen, Kohli's form with the bat will go a long in determining what kind of season RCB will have.

Last season, Kohli took the responsibility of opening the batting, but he is likely to go back to his usual number three slot this year. With a lot of big hitters around him, the skipper will be expected to hold the innings together and bat for long periods of time.

Kohli has never won the IPL before and will be etching to lift the trophy at the Wankhede Stadium this season.

IPL career: 123 matches, 3137 runs, 4 wickets

AB de Villiers

Along with Kohli, AB de Villiers is arguably the best batsman in the world today and has been a regular feature of the RCB side over the previous 5 seasons of the IPL. Despite a mediocre record in T20 internationals, de Villiers has been a destructive batsman in the IPL over the years.

Known as Mr. 360 for his ability to hit the ball all over the ground, the South African Test and ODI captain will be crucial to RCB's chances as on his day, he can single-handedly win any match for his team.

After batting at number 3 for most of last season, one shouldn't be surprised if he comes down one place this season and could be used as the finisher for the team

IPL career: 104 matches, 2570 runs

Kedar Jadhav (wk)

Just 4 ODIs and 2 T20Is at the age of 31 doesn't do justice to the talent that is Kedar Jadhav. One of the most consistent performers in Indian domestic cricket in recent years, Jadhav hasn't got many opportunites because of the strong batting line-up India have been possessing.

After a few seasons with an underperforming Delhi Daredevils side, Jadhav has joined RCB this season and this could be a huge season for the Maharashtra lad as he tries to impress the Indian selectors. With a few Indian batsmen underperforming at the World T20, a good IPL season for Jadhav could see him earn more caps for India.

Jadhav is also expected to don the wicket-keeping gloves for the Bangalore-based franchise, with KL Rahul relegated to the bench because of a top-heavy batting order.

IPL career: 47 matches, 584 runs

Sarfaraz Khan

This is the one spot where there will be a lot of competitors for. Mandeep Singh was a crucial cog in RCB's batting line-up and KL Rahul is an India international. But since both of them are top-order batsman, one feels that boy wonder Sarfaraz Khan will be the favourite to play.

Since coming into the limelight at the age of 12 by scoring a then-record score of 439 in the Harris Shield inter-school tournament, Sarfaraz has grown from strength. He was India's most reliable batsman at the U19 World Cup earlier this year and will be hoping to continue from where he left off last season in the IPL.

IPL career: 13 matches, 111 runs

Stuart Binny

After a few seasons at Rajasthan Royals which helped him gain a spot in the Indian cricket team, Stuart Binny will play for Royal Challengers Bangalore - a team he might consider as home. Indian all-rounders are something RCB haven't had in plenty in the past and the Karnataka player will add a lot of balance to the team in that aspect.

Being a local boy, Binny should have no problems with adjusting to the conditions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

It won't be surprising if Parvez Rasool is preferred to Binny on pitches that will assist spinners.

IPL career: 58 matches, 625 runs, 16 wickets

Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel has been part of RCB's squad since his sensational season in the Ranji Trophy in 2011-12. Although he was rated highly by the team management, which showed when they decided to use the Right-to-Match card on him during the 2014 auction, he seldom got a run of matches on the field.

All that changed last season though as the Haryana pacer played 15 matches and was impressive for the men in Red and Gold. With Starc missing, Harshal's slower deliveries could be the key weapon that RCB will be using during the death overs this season.

IPL career: 30 matches, 47 runs, 30 wickets

Sreenath Aravind

Sreenath Aravind, after top performances for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy, was picked up by RCB in 2011 and was one of the top wicket-takers in the league that season. But after a disappointing 2012, where he played just one match, he was released from the team.

At the 2015 auction, he went unsold but an injury to New Zealand pacer Adam Milne meant that Aravind was called up as a replacement and the Bangalore-born cricketer took the opportunity with both hands. His performances in the few matches he played in impressed the Indian selectors so much that he made his international debut last year in a T20I against South Africa.

IPL career: 19 matches, 27 runs, 29 wickets

Samuel Badree

Mitchell Starc, who is widely considered as the finest bowler in limited overs cricket currently, will miss the IPL this season due to injury. Although Starc's absence will be a big blow to the Kohli-led team, the pucharse of West Indian spinner Samuel Badree at just Rs. 50 lakhs could be the bargain of the season.

In the 2016 ICC World T20, according to many, Badree was the best bowler of the tournament. The 35-year-old is likely to be used in the Powerplay overs by Kohli.

Badree's participation in the first few matches of the tournament is in doubt due to an injury he sustained during the World T20 final, which could see either Adam Milne or Kane Richardson getting a game or two.

IPL career: 5 matches, 2 wickets

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal was not well known in IPL circles until 2014, having played just one match for the Mumbai Indians in three seasons there. When he was bought by Vijay Mallya and co. at the 2014 IPL auction for just Rs. 10 lakhs, not many expected him to have the impact he has had for the Bangalore-based team.

Along with Starc, Chahal was RCB's most reliable bowler in 2014 and 2015. A good performance in this season's IPL could see the leg-spinner knocking on the doors of the Indian selectors for a place in the limited-overs teams.

IPL career: 30 matches, 2 runs, 35 wickets