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The auctions are over and the teams are all raring to get onto the field. While some teams have backed experience, some have gone in with the younger players. But overall, every team looks very solid, and we are surely in for another exciting season of the Indian Premier League this year.
One team which is yet to win the title is Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and like every year, they are showing some serious promise this year as well. Their first XI will be one to beat, for most teams in the tournament.
However, if RCB suffers a couple of injuries, they might be left searching for replacements. They have got 21 players in their squad, with not many back-ups. Here is a look at the most probable starting XI of the RCB.
Openers | Parthiv Patel and Aaron Finch
Parthiv Patel has been with the RCB and he has been doing decently for them. He will carry forward his place in the XI this year as their wicket-keeper batsman for the team in red. This is his third year in the side and he has an average of over 25 in both seasons for RCB. With the experience he has, he becomes vital behind the wicket.
However, one specific mention would be Devdutt Padikkal. If Ab de Villiers decides to keep wickets like he did for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League this year, Padikkal could give Patel a run for his money.
At the other hand, there will be the fresh buy for RCB this year, Aaron Finch. The captain of the Australian white-ball team, was bought for INR 4.4 crores this year. He has been among the runs for quite some time now and that could translate into good news for RCB. Also, the Chinnaswamy Stadium will suit the hard-hitting nature of the Aussie.
Note: All statistics as of February 13, 2020
Middle Order | Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers, Shivam Dube, Pawan Negi and Chris Morris
No marks for guessing that Virat Kohli and Ab de Villiers are the no.3 and no.4 batsmen in the RCB XI. They have been the biggest match-winners for the Bangalore team for years now.
Ab de Villiers is one batsman who, even after retirement is feared by the majority of the bowlers. He is a runaway match-winner and has been with RCB since the 2011 season of the IPL. For the past 8 seasons of the IPL, de Villiers has always hit the ball at a strike-rate well above 130, which is consistent and lethal.
In at 5 is the emerging Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube. After making his international debut in 2019, he is surely going to be a part of the RCB side. He is an explosive batsman and plays a decent role with the ball as well.
Pawan Negi could be the next best-fitted player in the Bangalore side. Pawan Negi is a slow-bowling all-rounder who is more of a bowler. However, with the bat, he is a pinch-hitter who can turn the match on his head, in a span of just 10-12 balls. He also fills in the spot of the uncapped player.
After Dube, comes the most expensive buy of RCB in this year's auction, Chris Morris. For INR 10 crores, they roped in the all-rounder from South Africa. For this price tag, Morris was tagged as a very expensive buy by many. After some outstanding seasons for Delhi Capitals, he has seen a dip in his pace and the blade on his bat has also gone blunt. It will be interesting to see how Morris performs in this season for his new team.
Lower Order | Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal
How good is this bowling attack? Three out of these four are regulars in the Indian T20I team. Washington Sundar is another all-rounder who will take guard as low as no.8. This shows us the depth that Bangalore has in their batting. Not to mention, he can bowl in the powerplay as well as the middle overs and can be quite effective as well.
After him comes the experience of Umesh Yadav. He will be the leader of the pack of bowlers. The opening bowler for RCB, and possibly also one of their death bowlers, Yadav can do maximum damage in the powerplay. On occasions, he has also shown his batting skills, hitting the ball into orbit like some joke.
Navdeep Saini, who is new to international cricket, has shown what he can do with the ball, and recently, with the bat as well. He will be one of the regular features in the RCB XI throughout the season.
The eleventh player in the RCB XI will be none other than leggie Yuzvendra Chahal. He has done wonders for the team and has been the leading spinner in the side for more than 6 seasons now. Chahal has probably been the best leg-spinner to have played in the bowler's graveyard and RCB's home ground - the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Also read | IPL 2020: Royal Challengers Bangalore to change their team name ahead of new season?
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