RCB Predicted Playing XI vs CSK: Sportsrush presents before you RCB’s Predicted Playing XI for the opening match of IPL 2019.
Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to start IPL 2019 on a positive note tomorrow. Playing against their arch-rivals in Chennai Super Kings at their home, proceeding are expected to be hard for them.
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One of the three franchises to have played each season of the IPL without winning a single title, Bangalore would be keen to eventually break the barriers this year. Having made plenty of changes to their squad, here is hoping for their strategies to come good in the next couple of months.
Talking of their captain Virat Kohli, this will be his seventh season as RCB captain. On a personal front, even he would be itching to win the title this year. Therefore, it is imperative for the Royal Challengers to gain early momentum in the series.
Below is Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Predicted Playing XI for the first match of IPL 2019:
Top-order
The opening pair of wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel and captain Virat Kohli had faced the new ball in the last season of the IPL as well. The duo is all in likeliness of doing the same this time round as well.
While some people might be having apprehensions regarding Kohli opening the batting, it seems to the best position for him to bat on for the more balls he faces, the better it will be for his team.
It will be the first time that former South Africa captain AB de Viliers will be taking part in the IPL as a retired international cricketer. de Villiers scoring 218 runs in seven matches at an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of 128.99 in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League assures us of his current form. Given his one and a half-decade long experience in the format, the franchise would surely be counting once again on him.
Middle-order
Having acquired the services of Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis during the trade window, Royal Challengers have a value-for-money player in the T20 format. With him playing for Australia in UAE, one expects England all-rounder Moeen Ali to find a place in the starting XI.
While RCB would be pondering to open the batting with him, it will mean that Kohli and de Villiers will have to bat at a lower position. Batting both those stalwarts at a lower position just to accommodate Ali at the top sounds like a lot and will be a concern which RCB will have to address.
Having bought West Indies’ middle-order batsman Shimron Hetmyer in the auction, RCB have fortified their batting riches. Given Hetmyer’s potential with respect to hitting big sixes at will, one expects him to finish innings for RCB this season.
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With him followed by hard-hitting Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube, one finds enough power down the order for RCB. Washington Sundar might not have had as good an IPL season as his maiden one earlier this year, but has considerable amount of potential regarding contributing with bat and ball for his team.
Bowlers
In the 69 matches which Yuzvendra Chahal has played for Royal Challengers, he has picked up 82 wickets at an average of 23.56 and a strike rate of 18.18. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Chahal is another of those IPL products who went on to play for India. As their main spinner, he will have a lot of work to do to take his team closer to the title.
Kohli will also enjoy the cushion of a trio of fast bowlers in Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj. Talking of overseas pacers, RCB also have Nathan Coulter-Nile but he will only be available after Australia’s tour of Pakistan gets over.
RCB Predicted Playing XI vs CSK – 1) Parthiv Patel (wk) 2) Virat Kohli (c) 3) AB de Villiers 4) Shimron Hetmyer 5) Moeen Ali 6) Shivam Dube 7) Washington Sundar 8) Tim Southee 9) Umesh Yadav 10) Mohammad Siraj 11)Yuzvendra Chahal
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