IPL 2018: 5 Royal Challengers Bangalore players to watch out for

The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to kick off from early next month. The upcoming season of the Indian T20 League promises to be even more exciting and competitive than the previous seasons. Two teams that have previously been champions, namely the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will be making a comeback this season after facing a two-year suspension. Eight teams will play each other twice and the four teams finishing on top of the league table will compete for the title.

One of the eight teams competing in the tournament is the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 'Red Army' is one of the elite teams of the tournament but is yet to get its hands on the silverware. The team, led by Indian captain Virat Kohli, is known for it's aggressive and flamboyant brand of cricket and has a huge fan following.

The Royal Challengers retained their captain - Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Sarfaraz Khan ahead of the auctions and used the Right to Match option to retain Pawan Negi and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Here are 5 players who are expected to create an impact for the men in yellow in the upcoming season of the IPL:

Quinton de Kock:

RCB acquired the services of Proteas wicket-keeper-batsman Quinton de Kock for Rs. 2.8 crore in the auctions. de Kock is an explosive T20 batsman who bats at the at the top of the order and has an outstanding record playing in Indian conditions. He is the fastest South African and the joint fastest in the world to reach 1000 ODI runs.

He is also the fastest batsman to reach the 4th, 5th, 10th and 12th ODI centuries. In the IPL, de Kock has played for Surisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils in the past. In his 26 IPL appearances, de Kock has scored 726 runs at an average of 29.04 and a strike rate of 132.24, with a high score of 108.

Behind the stumps, he has 7 catches and 3 stumpings to his name.The South African southpaw is known for his aggressive style of batting and agility behind the stumps and is surely someone to watch out for in the upcoming IPL season.

AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers was retained by RCB ahead of the auctions. The Proteas batsman is a top-class player and an asset to any team, especially in the shortest format of the game. He is known for his innovative shots and game-changing ability. He holds the record for the fastest half-century, the fastest century, and the fastest 150 in ODIs. He also holds the record for the most sixes in a single ODI innings and the most sixes in an ODI series.

de Villiers had represented the Delhi Daredevils before moving to the Royal Challengers in the fourth season. In the IPL, de Villiers and Virat Kohli broke the record for the highest ever T20 partnership of 229 runs off 92 balls against the Gujrat Lions. In his 129 IPL appearances, de Villiers has scored 3473 runs at an average of 38.16 and a strike rate of 148.16 with a high score of an unbeaten 133. He is the tenth highest run scorer in the IPL and is sixth on the list of six hitters in the tournament.

The star from South Africa is an evergreen talent and is expected to be a top performer in the IPL.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, the RCB skipper, was retained by the franchise ahead of the auctions for the upcoming season. Often ranked as the world's best batsman, Kohli has mastered the art of scoring runs and chasing targets with ease. He currently captains the Indian cricket team in all three formats and is a legend in the making. He holds the record for the fastest century by an Indian in ODIs. He is also the joint fastest player with Hashim Amla to reach 50 centuries across all formats of International cricket.

In the IPL, Kohli has represented RCB since the inception of the tournament. In his 149 IPL appearances, Kohli has scored 4418 runs at an average of 37.44 and a strike rate of 129.82 with a high score of 113. He has four centuries and thirty half-centuries to his name in the tournament and has smashed 382 boundaries and 160 sixes.

The skipper leads by example and is expected to win the championship for his side this year after multiple promising, but failed attempts in the past.

Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar

Eighteen-year-old bowling sensation Washington Sundar was bought by the RCB for Rs 3.2 crores in the auctions. In the early days of his career so far, Sundar has been very impressive with his off-spin bowling, often in the powerplay overs. He was named the player of the tournament in the recently concluded Nidahas trophy in Sri Lanka, where India emerged as winners.

In the IPL, Sundar played for the Rising Pune Supergiant last year. He was brought into the team as a replacement for the injured Ravichandran Ashwin and impressed many with his economical and attacking bowling with the new ball. Sundar has played 11 IPL games and has picked up 8 wickets at an average of 23.12 and a miserly economy of 6.16.

The Tamil Nadu lad is a talent that is sure to create a huge impact in the upcoming season of the tournament.

Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali

Moeen Munir Ali was bought by the RCB in the auctions for Rs. 1.7 crores. The English all-rounder has built himself an image of an able finisher and a handy spin bowler. In January 2015, Ali was nominated for the 'Best at Sport' award at the British Muslim Awards.

This would be Ali's debut IPL season. His explosive batting style and finishing ability, paired with his utility with the ball in hand makes him a player to watch out for in IPL 2018.