After winning their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 opening match, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is set to face Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) on September 24.
RCB had given a prolific performance from the very start of the game in their last match. Yuzvendra Chahal, as usual, was a game-changer for them while Navdeep Saini picked crucial wickets of the middle order to dismantle Sunrisers Hyderabad. Overall, from batting to bowling, RCB looked more confident and stronger than last season.
Here, we have discussed RCB’s predicted XI against KXIP.
Opener: Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch
The IPL debutant Devdutt Padikkal impressed everyone with his sensational knock against SRH. He scored a half-century to give a good start to RCB. During his knock, he smacked eight boundaries while on the other end, Aaron Finch supported him.
The Australian captain is the first time playing the IPL for RCB. He will be the vital cog for the franchise this season as they eye to win the trophy.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, Josh Philippe (wk)
Virat Kohli could not show much with the bat in the last match as he lost wicket after scoring just 14 runs. But his captaincy was praised by cricket pundits.
He kept the environment positive when the game was slipping from their hands. As a result, bowlers delivered well. Also, his strategy to bowl Yuzvendra Chahal at the right moment helped them to get back in the game.
AB de Villiers, called Mr. 360, showed his class even though he was out of the game for an extended period. He accelerated RCB’s innings and helped them to set 160 plus targets.
After the inclusion of Aaron Finch, the wicketkeeper and opening batsman Parthiv Patel has lost his place in XI. So, Josh Philippe has been selected for the wicketkeeping job.
Allrounder: Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube
The spin bowling allrounder Washington Sundar didn’t get the chance to bat while also bowled only one over in the last match. But he will play a crucial role with a bat to add more depth in RCB’s batting.
The fast bowling allrounder Shivam Dube bowled three overs and picked two wickets at the economy rate of 5.0 in three overs against SRH. His contribution to that match was significant in leading them to victory.
Bowlers: Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Dale Steyn
Yuzvendra Chahal was the game-changer for RCB against SRH. He would become lethal in the UAE pitches as they become more slowish.
Umesh Yadav bowled decent overs in powerplay but he leaked more runs as the game moved on. But he has delivered an outstanding performance in the past editions.
The youngster Navdeep Saini with his pace dismantled SRH’s middle-order batsman in their opening match. He looked in good form and expected to play a major role in RCB’s victory.
Dale Steyn is one of the best bowlers in the world. He will be in the XI.