In IPL 2020, Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for playoffs but lost the eliminator match to Sunrisers Hyderabad. This ended their journey in the tournament. After the addition of new players, Royal Challengers Bangalore will make another exceptional attempt to lift the title in IPL 2021- something which Virat Kohli-led team truly aspire for.
After dropping 10 players from the squad ahead of IPL 2021 season, Royal Challengers bought 8 players in IPL 2021 auction. Royal Challengers Bangalore went for two heavy bids in IPL auctions- Kyle Jamieson for Rs. 15 crore and Glenn Maxwell for Rs. 14.25 crore. RCB underwent massive competition during the auction to induct Glenn Maxwell into their team. Being short of wicket-keepers in the team, RCB also bought Mohammed Azharuddeen during the auction. Here we will look at the best-predicted XI of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the IPL 2021.
Full Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Squad for 2021 season:-
Batsmen:
Ab de Villiers (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Finn Allen, KS Bharath, Mohd. Azharuddeen (WK), Rajat Patidar, Sachin Baby & Virat Kohli (C)
All-rounders:
Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, Harshal Patel, Kyle Jamieson, Pavan Deshpande, Suyash Prabhudesai, Shahbaz Ahmad & Washington Sundar
Bowlers:
Adam Zampa, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini & Yuzvendra Chahal
Analysis:-
Virat Kohli has been confirmed to play as the opener in IPL 2021. That means Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers, and Glenn Maxwell should make the top 4 of the line-up for them.
At number 5, RCB would have to rely upon one of the youngsters. They have options in the form of, Mohd. Azharuddeen (WK), Rajat Patidar, Sachin Baby, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Suyash Prabhu Desai. Of these 5, Mohammed Azharuddeen seems the most potent bet. Azharuddeen is a dynamic attacking player that can play in the middle-order or opener depending on the situation. He is also a handy wicket-keeper, and can be tried upon to give AB some rest in keeping.
The fourth overseas player should be one of Daniel Christian, Daniel Sams, or Kane Richardson. While Daniel Sams and Kane Richardson give good bowling options, Daniel is an attacking batsman down the order. The RCB team needs someone to play the Finisher role. Moreover, Christian can provide valuable 2-3 overs in the match.
The trio of Kyle Jamieson, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj will be the frontline fast bowlers with Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar as the two spinners.
The Royal Challengers also have some great back-up options in Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa who might play a key role in the later phase of the tournament.
Probable Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Playing XI for IPL 2021:-
Devdutt Padikkal
Virat Kohli (captain)
AB de Villiers
Glenn Maxwell
Daniel Christian
Mohammed Azharuddeen (wicket-keeper)
Washington Sundar
Mohammed Siraj
Navdeep Saini
Kylie Jamieson
Yuzvendra Chahal
RCB have a few really strong individuals that can turn the match on their heads. However, Virat Kohli and Co. need to extract the best out of their inexperienced group to have a successful campaign.
