IPL 2018: 5 Players RCB must target to fill key voids in their squad 

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have had a less than impressive campaign in IPL 2018. Their fabled batting line-up has let them down a number of times and they looked absolutely dismal on the bowling front.

RCB was touted to be a well-balanced unit by many experts before the start of the season but things didn't really clicked for the Bangalore franchise. It was evident that there are certain types of players they lack in particular positions in their line up.

However, they could change their fortunes by bringing in these players ahead of the next edition of this lucrative T20 tournament. Here's a list of five players who could add balance to the RCB team and help them win their first ever IPL title in 2019.

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#5 Basil Thampi

Basil Thampi was one of the emerging players of the season in IPL 2017. He delivered yorkers ball after ball with exceptional ease and picked up 11 wickets for Gujarat Lions in the tournament.

This year, Sunrisers Hyderabad secured a contract with Thampi at a bargain price of 95 lakhs in the 2018 players auction but he didn't get a lot of game time this year.

RCB leaks a lot of runs in the fag end of the innings as they don't have a death overs specialist who can contain the batsmen in the opposition. He could be the x-factor in the RCB bowling attack and bring about a change in their fortunes in IPL 2019.

#4 Manzoor Dar

RCB has always been overly dependent on their top order to do the bulk of the scoring and this year was no different. The middle order, comprising of Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan did not live up to its potential. They gave away their wickets cheaply, time and again. Thus, it's time for RCB to replace them.

Dar is a hard-hitting all-rounder from Kashmir who generally bats in the middle order. He did not play a single game for the Kings XI Punjab this year and could fit in very well at RCB. He will bring much-needed stability to the batting line-up of the Bangalore franchise.

#3 Akila Dananjaya

The spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar were not at their best in IPL 2018. They gave away easy runs in crucial stages of the matches they have played. Great things were expected of Sundar as he came into the tournament in splendid form after winning the man of the series in the Nidahas trophy but he hasn't really lived up to the hype.

It seems like RCB is lacking an overseas specialist spinner and the Sri Lankan mystery spinner Akila Dananjaya is the best man for the job. He played just one game for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018. Akila is very economical and can definitely add value to the RCB bowling attack if they wish to include him in the squad.

#2 Sachin Baby

The Royal Challengers Bangalore heavily rely on skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villers to score runs and set high targets but this often puts a lot of undue pressure on them. Though they are world class players who will contribute to winning causes more often than not, there will be the rare occasion when the duo is dismissed cheaply.

This implies that RCB is lacking a batsman who can anchor the innings in the middle order and Sachin Baby is someone they could bring in to solve this problem. Having played for RCB in the past, he will be familiar with the role he needs to play for the team.

#1 Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan has proven himself time and again for England and emerged as a death overs specialist in white ball cricket but is yet to set the IPL on fire with his bowling prowess. He played for RCB in the 2016 edition of IPL but didn't perform as well as he would have liked.

Jordan has played just one game for the Sunrisers Hyderabad this season and will be eager to be a part of more games in the next edition of the tournament. The RCB bowlers have gone for plenty in the death overs and will benefit massively if they manage to bring Chris back to the team. After all, Jordan could change the fortunes of RCB and help them in their pursuit of a maiden IPL title.