The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are one of the most exciting teams in the IPL, but their trophy cabinet remains empty despite coming agonizingly close on three occasions. They were finalists in 2009, 2011 and 2016 but fell short of lifting the title.
The franchise has often dazzled fans with its star-studded lineups. However, they struggled with consistency when it matters the most. In the last season, RCB showed glimpses of their potential, qualifying for the playoffs by securing fourth place in the league stage.
They defeated their rivals, Chennai Super Kings in the must-win encounter to make it to the playoffs. However, their journey ended in the playoffs with a loss to Rajasthan Royals, leaving fans yearning for another shot at glory.
This time around, RCB have a balanced XI with dependable openers, a strong middle order and impactful all-rounders and bowlers. Let’s take a look at RCB’s predicted playing XI for the upcoming season.
Openers: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt
Virat Kohli is the backbone of RCB’s batting lineup. His experience and hunger for scoring runs make him a vital cog at the top. It is worth mentioning here that Virat Kohli is the leading run scorer in the history of the Indian Premier League, having played 252 matches so far.
He scored 8004 runs at an average of 38.67, including eight centuries and 55 fifties to his name. Virat Kohli is expected to lead RCB from the front in the upcoming season. Under his captaincy, RCB reached the finals in the IPL 2016 edition but lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the finals.
Phil Salt, who played for KKR in the previous season is all set to start a new chapter with RCB. In the previous title winning season at KKR, the English opener scored runs at a rate of knots by providing blistering starts in the power play overs. Having played 21 games in the IPL so far, he scored 653 runs at an average of 34.4 and an incredible strike rate of 175.5 including six half centuries.
