RCB v RR Best Combined Playing XI

RCB v RR Best Combined Playing XI: Royal Challengers’ Bangalore faces the Rajasthan Royals tonight for the eliminator in the IPL 8. One among these two will advance to the Qualifier 2 against CSK while the other will be out of the tournament at the end of the day. Both teams have played some exciting and wonderful games over the course of the season. There have been some exemplary performances and some just out of the world knocks and bowling spells from that we decided to combine all these stars and see how a combined playing XI of these two teams will look like. Have your say below in the comments section. Batsmen 1 Ajinkya Rahane: Ajinkya Rahane RR (Photo Source: BCCI) The second highest run scorer of the tournament is an easy choice at the top of the order. Rahane has played some crucial innings in RR’s march towards the playoffs. He has scored a total of 498 runs in 13 matches at an average of 49.80. 2 Chris Gayle: Chris Gayle RCB. (Photo Source: BCCI) Our first overseas player is the destructive opener for the RCB. The explosive West Indian is one of the most dangerous players in the shortest format of the game. Gayle has scored 423 runs in just 12 games including a majestic century and two fifties. He has the most sixes (34) in this edition of the IPL. 3 Virat Kohli (C): Virat Kohli RCB. (Photo Source: BCCI) The ever-so-dependent Virat Kohli is an obvious choice in the team with his contribution of 481 runs in 14 games which includes three half centuries at an average of 53.44. He has been the spine of this explosive RCB batting order and has helped maintain their composure in many games. 4 AB de Villiers: Ab de Villiers RCB. (Photo Source: BCCI) AB de Villiers is arguably the best batsman in the world at the moment. It seems ABD can do no wrong. His overall impact on the team has been nothing short of brilliant. He has 446 runs to his name with one century and one fifty at a strike rate of 176.98 and average of 49.55. AB’s score of 133* is the highest individual score at this year’s IPL. 5 Deepak Hooda: Deepak Hooda RR. (Photo Source: BCCI) The young player from RR gets into the team due to overseas constraints and the fact that both the teams have been heavily reliant on their foreign players this season. Hooda has the potential to be a very good player and his top score of 54 showed his ability to bat. All-Rounder 6 Shane Watson: Shane Watson RR. (Photo Source: BCCI) He averages 48.14 in this year’s IPL with 337 runs in just 9 games. Watson was injured at the start of the season but his impact has been phenomenal since he has returned to the team. A highest score of 104* has sky rocketed his confidence. He has also chipped in with important wickets and he has picked up 6 wickets in 9 games. Wicket Keeper 7 Sanju Samson: Sanju Samson RR. (Photo Source: BCCI) Again a choice made out of compulsion. Samson’s performances have dipped from last season and his batting has been seriously lacking confidence. His keeping is still decent but due to no other great performances he gets into the team. Bowlers 8 Mitchell Starc: Mitchell Starc RCB. (Photo Source: BCCI) Starc has been the pick of the bowlers from both the teams. 18 wickets in just 11 games can be termed nothing short of superb. Has was sorely missed by RCB at the beginning of the tournament but Starc has picked up crucial wickets regularly since his return to the team and has become one of the most devastating bowlers in recent times. 9 Chris Morris: Chris Morris RR. (Photo Source: BCCI) Chris Morris has been the leader of the pack for the Rajasthan Royals, Watson and Smith have used him for various roles, comes in to take the charge early in the innings and also bowls the other half of his spell towards the end. Morris has provided them crucial breakthroughs in tough times and thus has played an instrumental part in their progress to the Eliminators. He has 12 wickets in 10 matches with an economy rate just over 7. 10. Yuzvendra Chahal: Yuzvendra Chahal RCB. (Photo Source: BCCI) A contender for the Pepsi Emerging player of the year Chahal has impressed this season with his bowling. He has picked up wickets at regular intervals and is currently the leading wicket taker from both these teams with 19 scalps so far. His economy rate has been on the higher side but on most occasions the skipper has been asked him to bowl in the power plays or towards the end, his economy was hit hard especially in the 10 over games that RCB have played this season due to rains. 11. Dhawal Kulkarni: Dhawal Kulkarni RR. (Photo Source: BCCI) 11 wickets from 10 games make him the second highest wicket taker in the RR line up. He hasn’t been as lethal as he would’ve hoped but Dhawal Kulkarni has chipped in with some decent wickets in the tournament so far. Since he has now been picked in the Indian squad for the Bangladesh tour, he will look to give it his best and seal a spot in the XI as a larger perspective goal.