RCB Squad IPL 2025

A new year, and a new-look team for Royal Challengers Bangalore. The pressure always seems to be through the roof at the Chinnaswamy Stadium when the IPL season rolls around, as much for the coaches and management as for the players: can a team be built that covers all bases? That doesn’t have the weaknesses that always seem to be the undoing for RCB, targeted and taken advantage of by opposition?

RCB hit the reset button going into the IPL 2025 season. Gone were strong names such as Glenn Maxwell, Faf Du Plessis, Will Jacks, and Mohammed Siraj, despite how well they all did in RCB’s miracle winning run to somehow qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs despite a disastrous start. Only three players stayed on for this new season: the talismanic Virat Kohli, for whom Bangalore is a second home. Rajat Patidar, who has shown the potential to be one of the best Indian middle order batters in this format, and now the captain of the franchise. And the uncapped Yash Dayal, who has had some massive lows in the IPL but has shown a fighter’s spirit.

RCB therefore entered the auction looking likely to splash some money on the marquee names, with most fans expecting them to go after Rishabh Pant, or Shreyas Iyer, or at the very least Arshdeep Singh. RCB’s think tank shocked everyone by simply not raising their paddles when these big names came up. Instead, the most expensive buys for RCB were two seamers: Josh Hazlewood, and alongside him, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Plenty of experience, plenty of know-how, plenty of threat. Still, a decision that isn’t too easy to understand on the surface.

It was a similar story in the batting, where RCB didn’t chase big names, but they will be very happy with the addition of Phil Salt alongside Kohli to open. As good as Jacks was, Salt provides an upgrade in that position, and crucially will don the gloves as well while providing similar output. In the middle order alongside skipper Patidar, RCB will have Jitesh Sharma, who must have been a key name on the radar as they shelled out 11 crore for his services, as well as another pair of Englishmen in the young and exciting Jacob Bethell and Liam Livingstone. RCB also have access to Tim David, who has been hot-and-cold in the IPL, but might really enjoy the conditions on offer in Bangalore, while Romario Shepherd could see game time in that role as well.

Krunal Pandya provides that all-round extension in the back-end, while his spin will be accompanied by Suyash Sharma in all likelihood. They also went for exciting pacer Rasikh Salam Dar, who found himself in a bidding war after his exciting spell at Delhi Capitals and the potential he has shown.

RCB didn’t go down the route of targeting big marquee names on this occasion, making for a more balanced squad. There is fantastic depth in this unit, with backups for key positions and plenty of options to turn to. It doesn’t feel like their ceiling is as high as others on this list, but the key will be to have these players step up when the need arises. Will the momentum from last year keep the wheels turning in Bangalore?

RCB Squad IPL 2025: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Salam, Krunal Pandya, Yash Dayal, Tim David, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Lungi Ngidi, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Swastik Chikara, Mohit Rathee, Manoj Bhandage.

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