Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will set their sights on winning their maiden IPL title after having reached the playoffs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have their sights set on their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) season after having reached the playoffs of IPL 2025. While the Rajat Patidar-led side have been confirmed of a top four spot, their final position in the IPL 2025 standings will only be likely confirmed towards the end of the league stage.
Nevertheless, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are in good stead at the moment and could even go all the way to the final. The last time they reached the summit clash was in IPL 2016, when they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Let’s now take a look at four players who could play a big role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru possibly winning their maiden IPL title:
The former RCB skipper has to be in this list. Virat Kohli has been the backbone of Royal Challengers Bengaluru since the IPL’s inaugural edition in 2008 and has showcased a rich vein of form in recent seasons.
He won the Orange Cap in IPL 2024 with 741 runs, and this season too, the Delhi batter has been in brilliant form. He has scored 505 from 11 matches at a strike-rate of 143.47, including seven fifties.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood has been RCB’s most consistent pacer this season. With 18 wickets from 10 matches, Hazlewood is Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s top wicket-taker. However, questions over Hazlewood’s availability remain after he travelled back to Australia due to a shoulder injury.
Then there’s the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa as well, that will take place at Lord’s from June 11. As per a report in Hindustan Times, however, Hazlewood is set to ink up with the RCB squad before the IPL playoffs, which get underway on May 29. “Josh is preparing to arrive in India by the end of last week (of May). He will be available for the playoffs,” a source told the newspaper.
Tim David, another Australian, has established himself as an impactful finisher for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His unbeaten 50 off just 26 balls against Punjab Kings (PBKS) as been David’s standout performance this season so far, although his efforts went in vain.
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However, what the presence of Tim David in the RCB playing XI does is strengthen the team’s lower order, as was the case against Punjab Kings. RCB were 33/5 at one stage against Punjab Kings, but David came to the rescue with a valiant fightback to take their total to 95. That may not have been enough but it showed the kind of potential that David possesses. Thus, the 29-year-old can be counted upon to play well under pressure for RCB.
Yash Dayal, one of the players who were retained, has once again proven to be an effective bowler in the death overs for RCB. One such instance was when he defended 15 runs against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.
This season, Dayal has taken just 10 wickets from 11 matches, which is just another ordinary season. However, this season has been different as Dayal has had some quality pacers who can back him up like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. The 27-year-old will once again have his task cut out come the IPL 2025 playoffs.
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