Why RCB might win IPL 2025? - Explained

Another new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is on the horizon as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clash against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 22.

RCB, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings are the only three teams in the IPL to have featured in all the 17 seasons so far but never won the coveted title. However, the Bengaluru-based franchise has one of the most loyal fanbases in the competition. Their favourite team might not have tasted success but they never turn their backs on them and come out with the same passion every year in the hope of witnessing history.

Will 2025 be their year? Can they get their hands around the title for the first time? How is their team lining up this season? Is it better than the teams they had in previous seasons? CricTracker answers these questions and more in this article.

Fresh start with new captain

After showcasing his skills as a batter for RCB in recent years, Rajat Patidar has been given the responsibility of leading the franchise in the forthcoming edition of the IPL. The right-handed batter has captained in the T20 format in 16 matches. He has 12 wins and four defeats to his name. Patidar will not carry any baggage as he is leading RCB for the first time. He is a calm and composed customer and this could help him in crunch situations. The Madhya Pradesh batter will have Virat Kohli's experience to bank on as well.

Virat Kohli high in confidence

Virat Kohli had a sensational season last year with the bat as he won the Orange Cap. He could be set for another strong outing this season as he is coming into the tournament on the back of a successful stint for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Kohli scored a century against Pakistan in the group stage and a half-century in the semi-finals against Australia in the global event. He averaged over 50 and played a key role in helping India lift the title after 12 years. This time, RCB have a lot of proven performers in the batting department, and the management will hope that Kohli will be able to play with much less pressure compared to previous seasons.

Reliable seamers

RCB have struggled over the years in their bowling department. Their seamers have gone for plenty of runs at the backend of the innings and this has put the batters under a lot of pressure. However, the managment tried to address the Achilles heel by roping in experienced seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who have done well in the league in previous seasons.

Both of them can swing the new ball and get wickets inside the powerplay. They are also reliable options in the death overs with their ability to bowl yorkers and slower deliveries. Yash Dayal made a terrific comeback last season after the five sixes in that dreaded over against KKR dented his spirits in IPL 2023. RCB retained him ahead of the mega-auction. He is expected to form a formidable troika with Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood.

Also Check: WATCH: Virat Kohli makes light work of RCB's skill challenge ahead of IPL 2025 opener

No more over-reliance on top three batters

Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Virat Kohli had the responsibility of scoring bulk of the runs for a number of years for RCB in the IPL. In the last three seasons, the onus was on the troika of Faf du Plessis, Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell. However, the latter had an abysmal season with the bat, aggregating just 52 runs in 10 matches. This year, the batting department seems to have a lot of depth, at least on paper.

Apart from the destructive Phil Salt and the talented Devdutt Padikkal at the top, RCB have Kohli and Patidar in the middle. The middle and lower-order packs a punch, with Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Tim David expected to start the season. If they fire on all cylinders, the Royal Challengers will be tough to beat.