Picking the combined playing 11 between RCB and KKR after IPL 2023

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finished the IPL 2023 season at the sixth position. They were in the race for the Playoffs till their last match, where they suffered a narrow loss against the eventual runners-up, the Gujarat Titans (GT).

A win against GT would have meant that RCB would have qualified for the Playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. It was an average season for RCB, as they won seven out of their 14 games of the season.

KKR, on the other hand, too had a mixed season as they finished below RCB on the 7th spot in the Points Table. KKR had a slightly more underwhelming season than RCB as they lost eight out of their 14 matches, winning just six games.

It was a below-par season for KKR where they failed to find the perfect combination and had to consistently make changes in their side. For example, KKR tried seven opening pairs in IPL 2023, the last one being in their final game of the season.

However, in spite of RCB having a better season than KKR, the 'Knights' emerged victorious on both occasions when the two sides met in IPL 2023. In two one-sided encounters, KKR defeated RCB by 81 and 21 runs, respectively. On that note, let us pick the combined playing XI from both teams after IPL 2023.

#1 Top-Order - Faf du Plessis (Captain), Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis equalled the record of none other than the pair of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers for the most successful batting pair in a single season this year, scoring 939 runs.

The duo posted three 100-run and five 50-run stands at the top of the order and were one of the primary reasons that RCB stayed in the reckoning for a Playoff spot till their final game.

In 14 matches, RCB Captain Faf du Plessis scored 730 runs at a strike-rate of 153.68 and a mind-boggling average of 56.15. He stroked eight half-centuries and was seldom dismissed for a low score throughout the season.

He looked set to take the Orange Cap at the end of the season but ended up finishing second as Shubman Gill emerged as the highest scorer. Gill, though, played three more matches than Du Plessis.

The Indian star Virat Kohli shook off the horrors of IPL 2022 as he had a stunning campaign with the bat. In 14 matches, the maestro struck 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike-rate of 139.82.

He scored six half-centuries and two back-to-back centuries in must-win games for his side. He finished fourth on the highest run-getters list and had played two and three matches lesser than Devon Conway and Shubman Gill, respectively,who ended up finishing third and first on the list.

After a stunning Asia Cup, T20 World Cup, and IPL 2023, it is safe to say that Virat Kohli is still easily one of the top batters in T20 cricket.

Glenn Maxwell was the X-factor of the RCB batting order throughout the season. In 14 matches, Maxwell scored 400 runs at an average of 33.33 and an astonishing strike-rate of 183.48. The Aussie batter struck five half-centuries and was often the aggressor in the RCB batting effort.

Unfortunately, RCB generally failed to sustain the momentum after the dismissals of Kohli, Du Plessis, and Maxwell.

#2 Middle-Order - Michael Bracewell, Rinku Singh, and Dinesh Karthik (WK)

Perhaps one of the most underutilised players by RCB was Michael Bracewell. In four innings, Bracewell scored 58 runs at an average of 29 and a strike-rate of 123.40. He remained not out in two out of the four innings and should have played more for the franchise.

With the ball too, he produced decent results as he picked up six wickets in five matches at a reasonable economy-rate of 8.63, considering that he bowled a lot in the powerplay.

Rinku Singh announced himself on the big stage after playing a few superb knocks in the latter half of IPL 2022. In 14 innings, Singh scored 474 runs at an extraordinary average of 59.25 and a strike-rate of 149.52.

He remained unbeaten on six occasions and scored four half-centuries. Singh is one of the premier aspirants for a maiden India call-up after a stunning IPL 2023.

Both wicket-keepers Dinesh Karthik and Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a poor IPL 2023. However, Karthik gets the nod over the two, owing to superior wicket-keeping skills and the fact that he is a natural finisher as against Gurbaz, who is an opener. In 13 matches, Karthik scored 140 runs at an average of 11.67 and a strike-rate of 134.61.

All-Rounders - Shardul Thakur and Sunil Narine

Both Shardul Thakur and Sunil Narine had below-par seasons but are perhaps the only notable bowling all-rounders the two teams possess. While RCB has two quality batting all-rounders in Maxwell and Bracewell, they did have a quality bowling all-rounder too, who could deliver the goods occasionally with the bat.

Thus, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur are the automatic choices, in spite of an underwhelming season.

Thakur played a match-winning 68-run knock against RCB in their first encounter of the season but had precious little to show beyond it. In 10 innings, Thakur scored 113 runs at an average of 14.13 and a strike-rate of 161.42. With the ball, Thakur picked up seven wickets in 10 matches at an economy-rate of 10.47.

Sunil Narine, on the other hand, picked up 11 wickets in 14 matches at an economy-rate of 7.97. However, with the bat, he had a dismal season as he managed just 21 runs in 10 innings at an average of 3 and a strike-rate of 84.

However, considering his world-class bowling and swashbuckling batting displays in previous seasons of the IPL, Narine is the clear pick for this position.

#4 Bowlers - Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana

Varun Chakravarthy was one of the few KKR players who had a good season in IPL 2023. In 14 matches, Chakravarthy picked up 20 wickets at a reasonable economy-rate of 8.14.

He picked up one 4-fer and ended the season as the eighth-highest wicket-taker of IPL 2023. After a below-par IPL 2022, he has successfully reinvented himself to become more potent.

Mohammed Siraj too had a stunning IPL 2023. Siraj was at his lethal best with the new ball as he troubled batters with his raw pace, swing, and aggression. In 14 matches, he picked up 19 wickets at an economy-rate of 7.52.

In the death overs too, Siraj was fairly decent. One would only desire that he uses the yorker more in the death-overs as he possesses an excellent one. It was evident in the previous seasons and was shown once again when he dismissed Andre Russell in the second match between the two teams.

Harshit Rana is one of the young fast bowlers that put in a reasonable show for KKR. In 6 matches, in which he bowled mainly in the powerplay and the death-overs, he picked up 5 wickets in 6 matches at an economy-rate of 8.64. Rana will want to build on this show and put in an even better performance next season.

With that, we complete our piece on the combined Playing 11 of KKR and RCB after IPL 2023. What are your thoughts on this team? Let us know in the comments section below.