Royal Challengers better known as RCB have received much glory and acclaim under the captainship of Virat Kohli, India’s tallest and one of the most legendary Indian Cricket team captain who has made history of soughts. In the opening match of IPL T-20 against Mumbai Indians RCB has an assortment of worlds key batsman and balers with an undeniable victory mark shining brightly on their forehead. WinDaddy has dig deep into the biopic of each star to gauge their efficacy both individually and collectively as a team fighting to lift the IPL Trophy this time.
In the season fourteen RCB has left no room for cricket by chance as during the auction itself they have selected the high scoring champs having an enviable profile. Here’s the fact check of the star performers.
Captain: Virat Kohli
Coach: Simon Katich
Best finish: Second (2009, 2011, 2016)
Last season: Fourth
Virat Kohli:The most runs in IPL history and RCB’s captain fantastic is awesome.
Kohli has scored 5,878 runs in the IPL to date and is showing no signs of slowing down. In 2020, Kohli was RCB’s second-highest runscorer – and ninth overall for the tournament – with 466 runs, including three 50s, at an average of 42.36 and a strike rate of 121.35.
Before the tournament, Kohli appeared to confirm he will be opening batting for RCB in 2021, instead of occupying his more familiar No.3 berth. However, after scoring 80 not out versus England at the top of the order, RCB fans can still expect their captain to surpass 450 runs.
Dan Christian: Veteran all-rounder Dan Christian has won nine T20 franchise titles around the world, scored over 5,000 career T20 runs and taken 259 wickets, and possesses a strike rate in excess of 135 in the Big Bash, T20 Blast, Pakistan Super League and Mzansi Super League.
Yuzvendra Chahal: Unarguably, the 30-year old didn’t have the greatest time of it during India’s recent white-ball series against England but there can no questioning his incredible IPL performances last year.
Chahal was the tournament’s premier spinner, taking 21 wickets at 19.28 and bowling with an economy of 7.08, and although he doesn’t get the same headlines as other spinners – like Rashid Khan and teammate Adam Zampa – there is no doubting his importance to RCB’s bowling attack.
Devdutt Padikkal: The 20-year-old burst onto the scene in 2020, scoring 473 runs – including five half-centuries – in 15 appearances to finish last year’s delayed tournament as RCB’s leading runscorer – outscoring both Kohli and De Villiers.
Padikkal continued his stellar form into January’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 218 runs at a strike rate of 134.56 in six appearances for Karnataka and comprehensively proving his IPL performances were no fluke.
All eyes will be on Padikkal in IPL 14 and if he can add a second 400-plus run season to his CV, it shouldn’t be too long before he finds his way into Kohli’s India setup.
Finn Allen: In barely six months, Finn Allen has steered Wellington Firebirds to their fourth Super Smash title – scoring 512 runs at a strike rate of 193.93 to top the runscoring charts, received his maiden call-up to New Zealand’s white-ball squad, and earned an IPL ticket as a late replacement for Josh Philippe.
It may be difficult for the 21-year-old to break into RCB’s star-studded XI but Kohli will be happy to have the explosive Kiwi in his arsenal.
WinDaddy feels RCB has a higher stake in today’s match to lift the bar upwards as they have multiple permutation and combinations in their team to make the big win happen.