IPL 2019: 3 vital departments RCB need to strengthen during the auction

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has been one of the most followed and star-studded teams in 11 seasons of IPL. However, their failure to win even one IPL title has left many surprised. They have two best shorter format batsmen in the world - Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

If we retrospect their performances in the past few years, there are few areas where they have failed badly. RCB's lower-order batting is too fragile that pressure is heavy on Kohli-de Villiers duo to perform in all games. Also, RCB's bowling let them down few times in the earlier seasons.

However, RCB invested a good amount of money on quality bowlers as RCB showed a promising bowling performance last season.

If the Bangalore-based team can sort out their frailties during the auction, they can reach the glory this time. Here are the three key departments RCB need to strengthen during the auction.

#1 Wicket Keeper - Minimum requirement - 1

RCB have sold South African wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock to Mumbai Indians for the same price they bought him in the last auction. RCB paid 2.8 crore INR last year to get de Kock's service.

The left-handed batsman was a major disappointment scoring 201 runs from eight innings with an average of 25.12 per game. Parthiv Patel was his back up option last year. He played six games scoring not-so-impressive 153 runs.

Having sold de Kock, RCB has only the 33-year old Indian wicket-keeper to take care of the glovework.

New Zeland's Luke Ronchi can be a good fit for RCB as the retired New Zeland International was in good form in the recently concluded Afghanistan Premier League. Another option RCB can look for is Australia's T20 wicket-keeper AT Carey who may spring some surprises in the upcoming IPL.

#2 Indian middle-order batsmen - Minimum Requirement - 2

RCB doesn't have too many options with the middle-order

Only Virat Kohli and Mandeep Singh justified their position among Indian middle-order for RCB last season. In fact, Virat Kohli opened the batting on most of the occasions last season.

Mandeep, who had scored 252 runs playing every game, has been swapped with Kings XI Punjab's Marcos Stoinis in the IPL trading window. Mandeep was the 3rd highest run-scorer for RCB in 2018. With Mandeep gone, RCB only has Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Manan Vohra in the middle-order all of whom failed to inspire last season.

While Brendon McCullum, Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers can take care of the first four batting slots, RCB need minimum two Indian middle-order batsmen who can be followed by Stoinis, Wokes and other bowlers.

RCB need to splash out a lot of money to get the service of Indian batsmen like Hanuma Vihari or R Samarth who have had an impressive domestic season.

#3 Aggressive Opening Batsman - Minimum requirement - 1

An aggressive opener like Zazai is what RCB missed after selling Chris Gayle

This is probably the most important department RCB need to focus during the auction. If Kohli decides to open the batting again, RCB need an aggressive batsman as a partner to Kohli. Kohli's strategy should be playing for 20-overs and the other opener need to capitalize on the power-play overs.

Last year, Quinton de Kock and Parthiv Patel opened the innings for RCB. However, both of them failed to give them an aggressive start which RCB expected from them.

There are a good number of aggressive opening batsman in the world now. Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad, New Zealand's Martin Guptill, England's Joe Denly and Alex Hales, West Indies' Kieran Powell have been in great form this season.

If RCB can buy one or two of these batsmen, it will give a major boost to RCB's batting lineup.