When we talk about Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) the first name that comes to our mind is that of their captain Virat Kohli. He has been associated with the Bangalore franchise ever the inception of the IPL in 2008. He took over the captaincy from Daniel Vettori in 2012 and has had average success. They have qualified for the playoffs twice in last seven years, that also includes them finishing as runners up in 2016 season.
As a team, RCB haven’t been that of a successful team in the IPL. Despite having the likes of Ab de Villiers and Virat Kohli in the squad they have ended last twice in the last three editions. They have exciting players like Dale Steyn in their lineup every year but haven’t been able to put up a great show in the middle.
Just like every year, even this year RCB have acquired some new players in the squad. These players just like many others have proven their true potential in the T20 arena in leagues across the world.
Let’s take a look at the top 3 new picks to watch out for in Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020
Devdutt Padikkal
Southpaw Devdutt Padikkal has taken the Indian domestic circuit by storm ever since the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. His batting average in T20 cricket speaks for himself as he averages a staggering 64.4 in 12 matches for Karnataka. Moreover, he strikes at a super-duper healthy strike rate of 175.75 and has one century to his name.
He was bought for US$ 28,000 by RCB last year; however, he didn’t make any appearance. As a result, he is comparatively a new pick and some experts regard Devdutt as a young sensation who has the potential to make it big in this years IPL.
RCB could hugely benefit from Devdutt’s ability to score quickly and help them get to good starts. It is expected that Devdutt would open the batting alongside Virat Kohli or Parthiv Patel.
Chris Morris
The all-rounder from South Africa Chris Morris is a popular name in world cricket since the past few years. He is a popular name in India and has represented Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals franchise in the past.
He is best known for his six-hitting ability as franchises in the past have used him as a finisher and pinch-hitter. Other than batting, Morris is a decent death bowler, who has proved his potential bowling at the back end plenty of times.
In the 2020 IPL auction, RCB snared him up for a whopping US$1.4 million and was one of the most expensive players in the auction. With the kind of player, Morris is he will be a valuable asset for the RCB side.
Meanwhile, Chris Morris is the only foreign fast-bowling allrounder in the side after Isuru Udana. We expect Morris to bat at 7 or 8 depending on the situation if RCB include him in the playing XI.
Josh Phillipe
Josh Phillipe is an upcoming name in the Australian domestic circuit. He has the reputation of scoring runs quickly and finishing matches batting down the order. Josh has represented the Sydney Sixers franchise in the BBL.
Apart from batting, Josh is also a sublime wicket-keeper and can play as a pure keeper if needed. If there is any other wicket-keeper other than Alex Carey who is talked about in Australia then it is Josh Phillipe.
In the 2020 IPL auction, RCB bought him for an absolute bargain at US$28,000. With Josh being just 23 years old, he can be a long term investment in the RCB side. We feel he can play a similar role as that of Ab de Villiers in the side.
If included in the playing XI we expect him to bat at 4 or 5 and play the role of a finisher.