IPL 2020: 3 young RCB players who could turn into match-winners next season

Teams in the Indian Premier League have invested heavily in talented youth over the last few years. And some of those players, such as Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer, have blossomed magnificently, using the league as a springboard to become regulars at the national stage.

The abundance of young talent hasn't died down, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in particular have a large pool of players with bright futures. Their recent releases and inactivity during the trade window have caused a few holes to form in their side, so they'll expect their young guns to step up.

RCB are in dire need of reducing their dependence on AB De Villiers and Virat Kohli. Fortunately for them, they have a few hidden gems that can become future stars and more importantly make RCB a more competitive side.

Also see – World Test Championship points table

Here's a look at three young RCB players who have shown immense potential in domestic cricket, and who could well turn into match-winners during the 2020 season:

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1. Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikka;

Devdutt Padikkal did not get a single game last year with the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise, perhaps due to his lack of experience and his relatively young age of just 19 years. However, his recent form and the match-winning ability he showcased in the recent Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy may just grant him an important role in their middle order for IPL 2020.

Padikkal has shown all the qualities of a star player; he has the ability to rotate the strike, fight back in tough situations and accelerate the innings with big hitting. He scored the most runs in the tournament, even ahead of batsmen such as Manish Pandey and KL Rahul, while averaging an extraordinary 64.44. His strike rate of 175.75 also reinforces his hitting potential, and he had 27 sixes (the most) to his name.

RCB need a solid number 4 or 5 due to their recent releases, and they've also shown faith in retaining Padikkal despite the absence of other potential stars such as Himmat Singh and Shimron Hetmyer. That may be a sign they will try him out in a few games.

2) Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube was also retained by the franchise despite his large price tag of INR 5 crore. The retention shows RCB's faith in the all-rounder and his potential, and he could well be a more regular feature for the side in IPL 2020.

Despite his great returns in domestic cricket, the cricketing world is yet to see an explosion from Dube on the big stage. He appears to be nervous, but probably requires just one big innings to get him going - which could come for RCB.

Dube can become a potent finisher, and further development of his game can also take him to heights that players such as Yuvraj Singh achieved.

3) Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar finds himself in a good spot right now, coming off a string of strong performances for Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and making a solid impression against Bangladesh in the recently concluded T20 series.

However, he hasn't yet turned in a match-winning performance for RCB, mainly due to the lack of opportunities afforded to him. He's still developing as a player, and the franchise is probably waiting for him to evolve more before making him a regular in the lineup.

Recently Sundar scored 54*, 38* and 45*, all in match-winning situations, for Tamil Nadu. His efforts were a big reason why Tamil Nadu reached the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Sundar has always been an effective bowler, but the recent development in his batting bodes well for his chances at RCB. By providing runs in crucial situations with the bat and also bowling tidy overs with the ball, he could be a real difference-maker for the Bangalore-based franchise in the 2020 season.