Barring a couple of positions, RCB have a settled side, with most players fitting perfectly in the slots.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) formed a solid squad in the IPL 2025 auction, and as a fresh season approaches, they look among the strongest teams in the competition. They retained only three players before the auction, which was the right decision, and did well to fill every spot with quality.
Barring a couple of positions, RCB have a settled side, with most players fitting perfectly in the slots. The best thing they did in the auction was finding options for each position in each department.
Even in the backups, RCB boast a solid core and can come in anytime and replace first-choice players in case of injury or unavailability. Now it’s up to players to perform on the field and do their tasks.
Jitesh Sharma, one of their most expensive buys, should bat at No.4. He hasn’t done this role for Punjab Kings (PBKS), but RCB should be wise in extracting the most from Jitesh’s batting.
He has his issues against left-arm spin but is still powerful enough to power them over the boundaries and can counter leg spinners brilliantly. If he partners with Patidar, RCB will ensure spinners don’t rule the roost in the middle overs while protecting pace hitters above and below in the batting unit.
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RCB will have another selection headache choosing between Jacob Bethell and Tim David as their fourth overseas player. Bethell solves the biggest problem of not having LHB in the batting order and is also a fine player of spin bowling, making him suitable for No.3 or 4.
However, RCB should ideally prefer Tim David because Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma are in the top four. Both can handle slow bowlers and do the same role as Bethell without taking an overseas slot.
Meanwhile, Tim David’s pace hitting will be required in the lower order because Jitesh has his issues against non-fuller-length deliveries, so he can’t be used below No.4. Playing David ensures RCB utilise the maximum potential of Jitesh while also having firepower vs pace in the middle and lower middle order.
One of the key acquisitions by RCB in the IPL 2025 auction was Krunal Pandya, who will balance the side. He is among the finest defensive spinners in world cricket and can operate effectively in the middle overs.
However, RCB would want to utilise his batting value as well due to the structure of their squad. They might not have any LHB in the top six of their strongest XI, so using Krunal as a floater seems pragmatic.
He is a pace-hitter, meaning RCB might use Krunal at No.5. This move might push Livingstone’s position slightly down but will help them break this chain of RHBs.
One way to deal with the lack of LHBs in the top and middle order is by having Devdutt Padikkal at No.3. He brings the LHB variety, but his T20 game hasn’t been inspiring lately.
He has his issues against high pace, while his spin game has also been abysmal in the league. If Padikkal carries the same form as last year, he can pile pressure on other batters around him and force him to take unnecessary risks.
That will also mean other batters like Jitesh (if he plays) and Livingstone will bat out of positions, which is not required. Padikkal’s T20 game is not good enough to disrupt the batting slots of other batters when they are more suited to do the same role.
Swapnil Singh is another option as an impact player in the bowling innings. He is an accurate spinner who can bowl in the powerplay and middle overs.
Last year, he snared five wickets at 12.40 runs apiece in the powerplay, suggesting he can bring breakthroughs against top batters. Swapnil can be used as a matchup spinner and bowl in different phases.
However, RCB already have Krunal Pandya, who is an upgrade and does the same job. In fact, Krunal’s batting value is higher than Swapnil’s, so his role won’t be as pronounced in IPL 2025.
Rasikh Dar is an ideal option to be used as an impact player. RCB have Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal who can bowl in the powerplay, while Josh Hazlewood will bowl in the middle overs.
However, they would still want a pacer who can bowl in the second half of the innings, and Rasikh can do it. 83.91% of his overs came between the 11-20 phase in IPL 2024, and the speedsters did reasonably well in a high-scoring tournament.
He has impressive control over his yorkers, while his slower ones are also encouraging. Rasikh bowls according to his fields, which is crucial while bowling in high-scoring phases.
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