Virat Kohli is arguably one of the finest cricketers of today’s generation. It does not matter which format of the game (Test, One Day International (ODI) or T20Is) he is playing, whenever he goes on to bat, there is always an added pressure on the bowlers. Virat is not only an aggressive batsman but also an aggressive skipper who loves to perform under pressure.
Meanwhile, the biggest challenge ahead of Kohli is to lead Royal Challengers to their maiden Indian Premier League title, which they have failed to win in the last 10 years.
Virat has enough arsenals to beat the best on the field. If he has explosive Brendon McCullum and AB de Villiers, who can win matches single-handedly with their batting, he also has the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar, who are T20 specialists as far as bowling is concerned. However, seeing their past records, the question mark over their ability to win the trophy will always remain.
Ahead of the much-talked-about Indian Premier League, here is our squad analysis of RCB:
Strong point
Kohli – de Villiers and McCullum – de Kock factor
RCB have the two finest duos in their batting squad– Kohli – de Villiers and McCullum – de Kock. These four players are perhaps among one the most feared batsmen in T20I cricket across the globe.
Kohli and de Villiers have played together for RCB for a long time and now they have got two more addition in their strong batting line-up in the form of De Kock and McCullum. All the four batsmen are considered as the most destructive because of their ability to hit the balls. Even if any two of the four clicks on a given day, there will be no looking back for RCB.
Middle order
RCB have some of the leading all-rounders in their squad in the form of Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Corey Anderson. These players can demolish any opposition with their hard-hitting abilities. The presence of these all-rounders ensures that RCB’s batting line-up have depths. And the fact they are also among the respected T20 bowlers is an added advantage for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Sundar-Chahal factor
If Virat Kohli is the most feared batsman, then Yuzvendra Chahal can be the most destructive spinner who has the ability to ruin entire batting order of any team on his day. Chahal’s exceptional form in the recently concluded South Africa tour is an added benefit for the RCB. Then there is teenage bowling sensation Washington Sundar, who just showed the world in the tri-nation T20I tournament involving India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, why he deserved to be feared. Sundar has become so mature at such young age that he can make any batsman dance to his tunes.
Where RCB lack:
The uncapped players in the squad are the lacking point for the Bangalore-based franchise. The likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini and their lack of performance in the home T20 season can be a cause of concern for RCB.
The major flaw:
The inconsistency in the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad is the major flaw in Virat Kohli’s squad. Last year is the perfect example how they finished eighth after being the runners-up in the 2016 edition. So if Virat Kohli wants to lead his team to IPL title in 2018, he needs to work in this department.
Prediction:
There are high chances that the team will make it to the playoffs.
Squad:
Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Chris Woakes, Yuzvendra Singh Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Brendon McCullum, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Quinton De Kock, Mohammed Siraj, Corey Anderson, Colin De Grandhomme, M. Ashwin, Parthiv Patel, Moeen Ali, Mandeep Singh, Manan Vohra, Pawan Negi, Tim Southee, Kulwant Khejroliya, Aniket Choudhary, Pavan Deshpande, Anirudha Ashok Joshi.