IPL 2025 / Will RCB's dreams be fulfilled with the captain? This playing-11 can make RCB the champion

IPL 2025: A new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has knocked again and with it the hopes of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fans have once again been raised. The fighting fans of Bangalore are once again ready to support their team at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, hoping that this time their team will be able to make their home ground an impenetrable fortress. However, the team has failed to do so in the past.

Test of the new captain: Rajat Patidar

This season RCB has changed its captaincy. Faf du Plessis, who led the team to the playoffs last season, has been released and replaced by young and talented batsman Rajat Patidar as the captain. Patidar has made an important place in the team with his explosive batting performance, but captaincy will be no less than a crown of thorns for him. Looking at the history of RCB, from Virat Kohli to du Plessis, no captain has been able to make this team a champion so far. In such a situation, this will be a big challenge for Patidar.

Changes in the team: New faces, new hopes

RCB has made some important changes this season. The team has released experienced players like Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammad Siraj. In their place, Liam Livingstone and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been included in the team. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's experience can prove beneficial for the team, but it will be interesting to see how effective Livingstone will be in place of Maxwell.

Batting strong, spin department a matter of concern

RCB's batting looks strong this time too. The team has players like Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone and wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma, who can destroy any bowling attack.

However, the spin department of the team remains a matter of concern. The team has spin options in the form of Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh and Krunal Pandya, but there is no name that has the ability to take wickets consistently. This can prove to be a weak link for the team.

Fast bowling became a strength

RCB's fast bowling looks quite balanced this time. The team has experienced bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal and Rasikh Salam Dar. Apart from this, the presence of Lungi Ngidi can also add more edge to the team's pace attack, although it remains to be seen how many chances he gets.

RCB's probable playing-11

• Phil Salt
• Virat Kohli
• Devdutt Padikkal/Tim David
• Rajat Patidar (captain)
• Liam Livingstone
• Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper)
• Krunal Pandya
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar
• Josh Hazlewood
• Yash Dayal
• Suyash Sharma (Rasikh Salam Dar - Impact Sub)

Will the wait for the trophy end this time?

RCB fans hope every year that their team will be able to win the trophy this time. Although the team has many big names, history is a witness that RCB always gets eliminated from the tournament due to some weak department. This time the fast bowling and batting definitely look strong, but the weakness of the spin department remains a matter of concern.