IPL: 5 Players who could guide RCB to the title next year

If you are a fan of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, you are almost certainly frustrated with the way the team has ended the eleventh season of the Indian Premier League.

Captain Virat Kohli was adamant that this season would be the one in which the team would finally lift the trophy, but this year's campaign turned out to be a repeat of the last.

Many RCB fans would be feeling extremely frustrated by the way this season has gone and nobody could blame them for feeling this way.

There were a lot of changes made to the squad that was selected during the last season. The most notable change was the omission of the big-hitting Chris Gayle - a man who has been a regular part of the RCB squad in the past.

Such actions suggested that RCB were serious about finally lifting the IPL trophy and were focused on doing whatever it took to make it happen.

The squad which was selected is a very talented one and even though things may appear to be gloomy at the moment, there are plenty of star cricketers RCB have at their disposal to get their hands on the title next year.

This year's tournament might not have gone the way in which RCB had hoped but there is no denying that they still have a lot of talented players as part of their squad.

In this article, we will take a look at five such cricketers who will be crucial to RCB's hopes of going all the way and winning their maiden IPL title next year.

RCB have never assembled an incompetent squad and always have the personnel who can do the business, particularly when it comes to batting. That being said, we will take a look at five impact players who can bring the trophy home next season.

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#1 Virat Kohli

Kohli has been sublime for the Indian team over last few years

Every cricketing fan, player and spectator knows just what a talent Kohli is. There is no doubt that he is one of the best batsmen in world cricket today and his performances consistently back up all of the praise which he has received over the years.

Being the captain of RCB, there can be no denying that he will be one of the key players when it comes to RCB being successful at this tournament.

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Kohli already wore the orange cap for a brief period and this gives an indication as to his current form with the bat. He was averaging over 60 for this season which further indicates that he will be a crucial element when it comes to the team posting big totals.

What does he need to do?

Simply put, he needs to do a lot more than just perform with the bat. Kohli's captaincy has not been at its best last season, and he looks nothing like the vibrant and dominant captain we are used to seeing.

RCB have shown a weakness in the bowling department and this is something which Kohli needs to find a solution to. The way in which he has used his bowlers does open itself up to some criticism as do the bowlers which make their way into the squad.

There is no denying that RCB has a tremendous amount of batting power. What Kohli needs to do is to address his captaincy on the field and inspire his charges when defending totals.

He also needs to make better use of his bowlers and use them at more appropriate times during the innings. Corey Anderson bowling the final over of a T20 match is something which nobody would have expected to see regardless of who the opposition is.

#2 Tim Southee

Southee is particularly good at executing yorkers as well as bowling at the death

Tim Southee is an incredibly talented bowler whom a lot of people have not given enough credit to. One needs to only think back to the 2011 ICC World Cup where he picked up 10 wickets for evidence of what a dangerous bowler he is.

Southee is particularly good at executing yorkers as well as bowling at the death - two abilities which RCB are desperately seeking from their bowling attack at the moment.

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Tim Southee has taken two five-wicket hauls in T20 internationals, which proves just how dangerous the Kiwi fast bowler can be. He has also been used effectively by New Zealand when bowling at the death - skills which RCB desperately require.

What does he need to do?

Quite simply, he needs to execute his talent. Southee is a very decent strike bowler and has also proven to be skilled at bowling at the death when playing for New Zealand.

He hasn't quite shown this ability in this year's IPL in the manner in which RCB would have been hoping for, but there can be no denying that he does possess the ability to solve their bowling concerns.

Southee needs to improve on his current performances and start taking wickets at the beginning of the innings.

He hasn't been quite as consistent when it comes to this as RCB would have been hoping for and this is an area which he needs to address.

Together with Chahal, Southee can put a lot more pressure on the batting side - something which RCB currently seem to be failing at.

#3 Yuzvendra Chahal

He has carried this form into the international cricket scene and has proven to be a man whom Virat Kohli can always turn to when he needs a wicket

Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the most dangerous spinners in cricket at the moment. He is one of only two spinners in the history of T20 cricket to have taken a six-wicket haul. His skills with the ball as well as his wicket-taking abilities have made him Virat Kohli's go-to man at the Royal Challengers Bangalore during previous IPL seasons.

He has carried this form into the international cricket scene and has proven to be a man whom Virat Kohli can always turn to when he needs a wicket.

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Chahal is one of only two spinners in the history of T20 cricket to have taken a 6 wicket haul, which underlines his wicket-taking abilities.

He has also shown himself to be a difficult bowler to score off in recent IPL seasons, which has seen him earn a call-up to the national team.

He has made quite an impact on the international level as well, and there are many batsmen who are fully aware of his potential to turn a match on its head.

What does he need to do?

Chahal needs to recapture the form which resulted in him getting called up to the Indian side.

With RCB clearly struggling in the bowling department, Chahal needs to step up and add a danger element to the bowling attack.

Sides batting against RCB simply do not seem troubled by the current bowling and the imposing totals which the batting lineup do post don't seem intimidating anymore.

A dangerous spinner in a team, especially in subcontinent conditions, is always going to be a lot for a batting side to handle.

Chahal needs to improve his current game and ensure that this is the role which he plays in the side.

#4 Ab De Villiers

De Villiers has been a regular part of the RCB squad for a couple of seasons and he will be as hungry for a title win as Kohli

AB De Villiers is another batsman who needs no introduction. He is one of the most destructive and innovative batsmen the game has ever seen, and this has seen the South African gain an immense amount of popularity all over the world.

De Villiers has been a regular part of the RCB squad for a couple of seasons and he will be as hungry for a title win as Kohli. He seldom fails with the bat and is certainly RCB's best batsman at the moment, which makes him an integral part of RCB's squad.

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AB De Villiers has been in amazing form during this year's season and has been striking the ball to all parts of the ground regardless of the opposition.

The main reason De Villiers will be a key player is his ability to score quickly against any opposition and to find innovative ways of scoring.

This makes it very difficult for a bowling side to plan their attack on the star batsman - which is something RCB can surely benefit from.

What does he need to do?

To be honest, De Villiers is doing exactly what he needs to be doing. He comes in, stabilizes the innings, and then launches an assault which gets his team to what should be a winning total.

The only thing which the South African needs to ensure is that he continues his red-hot form for the rest of the tournament - especially towards the final stages of the group matches.

#5 Quinton De Kock

The talented South African batsman has set the cricketing world alight with his aggressive batting style and his immense cricketing talent

Quinton De Kock is a cricketer who needs no introduction. The talented South African batsman has set the cricketing world alight with his aggressive batting style and his immense cricketing talent.

He was previously a member of the Delhi Daredevils but finds himself in Virat Kohli's camp during last season.

Without Chris Gayle in the squad, RCB needed a suitable replacement, and seem to have found one in the young De Kock.

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De Kock showed his ability to be a destructive opening batsman when he smashed 108 runs off a mere 51 balls during the 2016 IPL season against RCB.

He has since moved to RCB from his former franchise (Delhi Daredevils) and has taken this form with him. He has looked dangerous and has been hitting the ball cleanly. With a half-century already to his name, de Kock certainly looks to be warming up to his best.

What does he need to do?

De Kock has been used by RCB as an opening batsman - which is the right move by the franchise. He has done fairly well and has notched up one-half century in last year's tournament. However, he has been unable to convert these starts into really big scores - which is something that the young batsman needs to correct.

He usually gets RCB off to a flying start, which is something that the franchise would have been expecting from the aggressive opener. However, he needs to really make these starts to count and develop the same presence which David Warner has when he gets to the crease.

This will add pressure on the bowling side and allow the rest of the batting lineup to capitalize on a solid foundation when they come in to bat.

He is a game-changer and he rarely spends time at the crease without making an impact. It, therefore, follows that in order to make a greater impact on the game, he needs to spend more time at the crease.