IPL 2018: Royal Challengers Bangalore squad analysis

Batting

Brendon McCullum will play for the RCB this season

The Bangalore-based franchise has one of the finest batting units in the league. Brendon McCullum at the top of the order is as dangerous as it can get, even when he is past his prime.

Along with him, Manan Vohra, Parthiv Patel or Quinton de Kock can open the innings, depending on the balance of the side.

With Virat at No. 3 and De Villiers at No. 4, RCB has one of the best Top-4 in the business. For the late flourish, young Sarfaraz Khan (5 matches, 66 runs at a strike rate of over 200 in IPL 2016) will be entrusted to do the job. Mandeep Singh and Pavan Deshpande are the other batsmen who have been doing good in domestic cricket and would look to make a mark in the IPL.

The batting is clearly the franchise’s biggest strength and a lot will be expected from the star-studded batting line up. Either of Parthiv Patel (who played a vital role in Mumbai Indian's victory last season) or Quinton de Kock will keep wickets which will depend on what overseas combination the team is playing.