For the majority of franchises in the IPL, the IPL has been a positive experience but one team who have suffered more heartbreak than most are the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Also known as RCB, the team has been led by the talismanic figure of Virat Kohli, but have lost in all three finals that they have played.
Kohli has won every trophy in the game but his quest for IPL glory has been hugely frustrating and he will want to change that record this year.
With Kohli slowly winding down his cricketing career, time is beginning to run out for one of cricket’s greatest players to win one of the game’s biggest prizes. With a talented team being assembled, everyone connected with RCB, will hope that this is finally the year that everything comes together.
Who are RCB?
RCB are one of the original eight franchises to have played in the IPL since the tournament was first configured and are based in Bangalore.
A cricketing mad part of the country, fans of RCB have long wanted glory, but so far IPL glory has managed to evade them.
As we have already mentioned it hasn’t been for the want of trying. The team have come close to IPL glory on several occasions and have lost in the finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016.
Always regarded as one of the front runners for overall IPL glory, in last year’s campaign they once again found themselves in the latter part of the tournament having qualified from the group stage in fourth place. But despite reaching the final four, it would end up being another year of frustration for Kohli and his men as they would fall in the eliminator round of the playoffs to the Rajasthan Royals.
RCB are owned by United Spirits who are one of the richest owners in the league. They have owned the franchise since the beginning of the IPL and once again they looked to have put a team capable of winning together.
Where do RCB play?
The home of RCB has always been the Mangalem Chinnaswamy Stadium. Able to host 40,000 fans, the stadium was built in 1969 and during that time has hosted the Indian national team and bore witness to several famous moments.
Due to its age, the stadium is one of the smallest in the IPL and with its short boundaries it is a ground that often see’s an abundance of boundaries hit and on average it is one of the highest scoring grounds in the tournament.
It was the scene of the barnstorming game between RCB and the Sunrisers which saw the Sunrisers set a new record by posting a first innings total of 287 which is the highest T20 score ever recorded.
Some believe that the short nature of the ground has been a hindrance for RCB’s title aspirations. With the ground welcoming to all teams, RCB at times can struggle for control and therefore an emphasis on their bowling lineup has always been crucial.
The RCB hierarchy have made some savvy acquisitions for this year and will hope that finally they have the balance right and can win the franchise its first ever IPL tournament.
Who will RCB be playing this year?
Each of the teams in this year’s IPL will play fourteen matches in the initial league phase.
With the ten teams in the tournament being placed in two separate groups, RCB are in Group A and will play against the Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and the defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders twice.
They will also play the Delhi Capitals twice and Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers once.
On paper this looks like a daunting list of opponents but there are no easy matches in the IPL and in order to be the best you have to beat the best and you can be guaranteed that RCB will be highly motivated by the challenge.
Who are the stars of RCB?
As we have already mentioned the one man that has helped make RCB one of the most popular teams in the IPL is Virat Kohli.
A true T20 great, Kohli was in magnificent form at the ICC Champions Trophy and helped guide India to another major victory. Kohli is in magnificent form and will hope that this is finally the year that he can help guide his team to an IPL victory.
Set to open the batting alongside Kohli, is the recently acquired Phil Salt. Salt has shown both in the IPL and in T20 tournaments that are held around the globe that he can be a major force at the top of the innings and he could be a real contender in the race to finish as the IPL’s leading run scorer.
For a team that needs to have the ability to score runs throughout their order, both Liam Livingston and Tim David can provide some power down the innings and could help RCB make some big scores.
With runs set to be scored every time that RCB play at home, stemming the flow of runs is crucial and the team will be relying on star bowlers Josh Hazelwood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to do exactly that.
On paper RCB look to have a team capable of making a big run but their star men will need to turn up in order for them to do so.
What do the bookmakers say, and what is our verdict?
With Virat Kohli in fantastic form it’s easy to see why the bookies believe that RCB have a great shot of overall victory.
For a franchise that has long been at the top of the IPL, it’s a mystery that RCB haven’t been able to yet land an IPL crown and they will be desperate to change that this time around.
On paper it looks like RCB have a well balanced side and look to have the perfect blend between bat and ball. Playoff participants last season, the minimum of expectations is that the team will make the latter stages once again, but the pressure will be on once the knockouts begin.
RCB have succumbed to the pressure before and with so much pressure and time beginning to run out on Kohli’s storied career, how they handle the pressure this time around will be fascinating to watch.
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Tom Gibson
Tom Gibson, 33, possesses a keen interest in cricket combined with expertise in betting. Based in Newcastle, he is well-acquainted with the dynamics of the game and the betting world. With numerous years analyzing cricket matches and odds, Tom offers a unique perspective on the intersection of the sport and betting strategies