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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is all set to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening match of IPL 2025 on Saturday (March 22). The iconic Eden Gardens will host the high-octane encounter. KKR are the defending champions, while RCB lost in the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals (RR) last year.
The Royal Challengers had Faf du Plessis at the helm in IPL 2024, when they ended up in the fourth position in the points table after the league stage before exiting the tournament in the playoffs stage.
After the previous season, they let go of Du Plessis and several other players and reinforced their squad with new additions. At the mega auction, they brought in Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jitesh Sharma, and Devdutt Padikkal. RCB management also handed over the reins to Rajat Patidar, who was retained for ₹11 Crore.
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Fans are eagerly waiting to see a new-look RCB side in action during the upcoming IPL 2025. They expressed their anticipation by sharing hilarious memes on X (formerly known as Twitter). One meme read:
"Why do they look like they’ve been held hostage?"
"They have intentionally tried to have a little bit of depth"- Aakash Chopra on RCB batting unit ahead of IPL 2025
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra recently previewed the RCB squad ahead of IPL 2025 and opined that they had assembled a decent batting unit this season. He pointed out that they used to depend more on their top-order in the previous seasons but have now invested in quality middle-order players to have a decent balance.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', he said:
"They have once again assembled a good batting lineup if you consider pedigree and explosive ability. They didn't use to have too much difficulty in batting and won't have it now either. However, it's not that everything is in the top three. We have seen many times that there is a lot in the top three and nothing after that. It has been their problem repeatedly but it doesn't seem to be the case in IPL 2025."
He continued:
"Virat Kohli with Phil Salt, then you have got Rajat Patidar, there might be a place for Devdutt Padikkal, and then you have Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma and Tim David. They have intentionally tried to have a little bit of depth. The cream is at the top, but they have tried not to have a top-dependent batting lineup. It is important that they shouldn't be a one-man team. It is important that they shouldn't be dependent on the top three."
Do you agree with Aakash Chopra's views above? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.
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