RCB Team 2020 Player List: Full Royal Challengers Bangalore squad For IPL 2020

On paper, the Royal Challengers Bangalore side looks solid just like always. However, for starters, the question remains whether Virat Kohli’s men can break the three-year jinx and book a place in the playoffs.

The franchise carried out an end-to-end overhaul of the coaching staff. In former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, the side will have a Director of Cricket Operations while Australia’s Simon Katich will don the role of a head coach.

At the auction table, the Royal Challengers were outbid on numerous occasions but the Bangalore-based franchise seems to have addressed the death overs issue by roping in Kane Richardson, Isuru Udana and re-signing veteran pacer Dale Steyn.

Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer in the IPL

Skipper Virat Kohli’s recent run drought might not be a huge concern for the franchise as the 31-year-old has often taken a liking to the IPL, and he will have the company of AB de Villiers, who is likely to audition for a place in the South African T20I side ahead of the T20 World Cup.

List of entire RCB squad

• Virat Kohli (Batsman)

RCB missed out on lifting the trophy in 2016 as they fell short in the final, but the biggest takeaway was Kohli's form, with the RCB captain amassing 973 runs in that particular campaign. If RCB are to stamp their authority this time around, Kohli will have to fire on all cylinders.

• AB de Villiers (Batsman/Wicket-Keeper)

The 360-degree batsman also happens to be a gun fielder and can take up the duty of the gloveman if need be. De Villiers, along with Kohli has forged a record two 200-plus partnerships in the tournament. By his standards, De Villiers had a decent season last year, averaging 44.20 in 13 games. This time though, the veteran Proteas batter will have to pull up his socks in order script history for his franchise.

• Aaron Finch (Batsman)

Finch is someone who can win matches for his side at the top of the order. Having Aaron Finch at the top will help Kohli and AB de Villiers to play freely in the middle order. Given that the burly opener is also the Australian captain, his leadership skills will augur well for RCB.

• Parthiv Patel (Batsman/ Wicket-Keeper)

The Gujarat-based cricketer has been an asset for the franchise. Parthiv has excelled under crunch situations and bailed his side out of trouble on many occasions. He is in fine form and his recent knock in the Ranji Trophy is a testimony to this fact. It would be interesting to see if captain Kohli gives the southpaw a longer rope this season amidst quite a few opening options.

Also see – MI team

• Moeen Ali (All-rounder)

On his day, Moeen Ali can take the attack to the opposition. And with the ball, he adds more depth to the side. The England cricketer is a boon to any T20 side.

• Shivam Dube (All-rounder)

The Indian all-rounder is a natural stroke-maker. However, the youngster should look to fine tune certain aspects in his bowling but given his finishing skills, Dube is likely to be a regular in the side.

• Chris Morris (All-rounder)

The 32-year-old has a whole lot of experience in franchise cricket. The inclusion of Morris can be the defining factor for RCB this season. He could be the answer to RCB’s death bowling woes.

• Dale Steyn (Bowler)

Ace spearhead Dale Steyn can bowl decisive spells and derail the opposition plans. He was impressive in the recently concluded T20I series against Australia and with an improved slower delivery in his arsenal, he could be a match-winner for the side.

• Devdutt Padikkal (Batsman)

A promising young talent, Devdutt Padikkal has played some scintillating knocks in the Indian domestic circuit. He was the architect behind Karnataka’s strong run in white-ball cricket this season. He can very well be the find of the season for Kohli’s side this year.

• Gurkeerat Singh (Batsman)

The Punjab batsman grabbed whatever opportunity came his way last year. The 29-year-old scored a 65 to guide RCB to a much-needed win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019. He will look to replicate the same form in the upcoming edition.

• Mohammed Siraj (Bowler)

The out of favour Indian pacer wasn't in the best of form last year. He proved to be expensive and was taken to the cleaners by opposition batters. Siraj will have to find his way into the side and repay the faith shown by the team management.

• Navdeep Saini (Bowler)

An express fast bowler, Navdeep Saini can rattle the opposition with his pace and bounce. He is very much in the scheme of things for RCB this year. Saini will play a key role in RCB’s pace department.

• Pawan Negi (All-rounder)

There was a lot of hype around Pawan Negi. But with time, the all-rounder has lost his charm. The upcoming season will present yet another opportunity for Negi to prove his mettle.

• Yuzvendra Chahal (Bowler)

Yuzvendra Chahal is of the finest in the business at the moment. He can toss the ball up and doesn’t shy away from testing the batters with his guile. Chinnaswamy Stadium isn’t one of the biggest grounds in the world but Chahal will look to execute his plans and play a pivotal role in this year's campaign.

• Umesh Yadav (Bowler)

The seasoned campaigner is unpredictable at times. When in form, Umesh Yadav can single-handedly win the game for his side. But at RCB, he has been used primarily in the powerplay overs, and he will need to be at his best this season.

• Washington Sundar (All-rounder)

The Tamil Nadu all-rounder has the trust of his skipper. Washington adds value to the side in the lower order with the bat. With the ball in hand, the spinner can keep runs in check and aid the side in defending low scores.

Kane Richardson

New players added in RCB 2020 Players List

Josh Philippe - A consistent scorer in Australian domestic circuit and a handy wicket-keeper who can be an aggressive option at the top of the order.

Shahbaz Ahamad - He might get a look-in ahead of Pawan Negi this season with his top performances in the Ranji Trophy.

Kane Richardson - A proven performer and can be a handy option to bowl in the death overs.

Isuru Udana - Provides a different angle with his left-arm medium pace and is also a big-hitter lower down the order.

Pavan Deshpande - He has done well for Karnataka and could be a good option to try out as a middle-order batsman and part-time off spinner.

Chris Morris- The seam-bowling all-rounder has buckets of experience from franchise-based tournaments across the world and could be the answer to RCB's death bowling woes. His ability to hit the long ball lower down the order could also be a massive plus for RCB.

Dale Steyn - The veteran pacer returns to the side after impressing in a few matches he played last season. Although he might not get too many chances to play, he could prove to be a handful with his pace in seaming conditions.

Aaron Finch - Finch is a match-winner with his aggressive approach at the top of the order and will need to get RCB off to good starts to give the middle order a chance to finish off in style. In addition to his firepower at the top, Finch's experience as captain will bode well for the side.

Australia v Pakistan - Men's T20 Game 2

How the changes in the RCB squad will help them in winning IPL 2020?

If one takes out either of Chris Morris or Aaron Finch, the side would be stuck with the perennial issue of lacking a steady match-winner. With AB de Villiers occupying one foreign slot, the toss-up might well be between Dale Steyn and Kane Richardson, unless Moeen Ali is drafted into the side. Chris Morris' abilities make him a sure-shot member of the playing XI, while Aaron Finch will be handed a start at the top of the order and will look to complement Parthiv Patel.

Josh Philippe is an exciting addition to the side. The youngster had a successful BBL season and will look to impress when given the chances. Sri Lanka’s Isuru Udana is the back-up all-rounder RCB can fall back on. They are unlikely to go with three Indian seamers in Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini and that is where either of Morris or Steyn could be an important part of the side.

RCB

What to expect from RCB 2020 team in IPL?

A lot will depend on how RCB start the season. With quite a few options to pick from, RCB will need to figure out their best playing XI early in the season and will need to keep away from chopping and changing their playing XI too much, a move which will only infuse more confidence in their players.

Hence, a longer rope to the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Moeen Ali could prove to be fruitful. Finch will add firepower to the batting lineup and the bowling attack will certainly be beefed up with the addition of Chris Morris.