IPL 2023 RCB franchise is one of the most exciting teams to watch out for in the 16th edition of the world’s biggest T20 league. Though the franchise didn’t snap up any prominent names in the mini auction, the Bengaluru outfit has what it takes to land its first Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
IPL 2023 RCB Players
After struggling to reach the playoffs for a few seasons, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has found its mojo back in the IPL. The three-time runners-up have made it to the top four in the last three editions of the IPL. In 2019, appointing Mike Hesson as director of cricket operations and Simon Katich as head coach, who left RCB after the 2021 season, has paid dividends for the franchise.
RCB has the most experienced and reliable batting line-up among all other franchises. Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell have scored more than 16,000 runs between them in the IPL. Meanwhile, uncapped Rajat Patidar and Shahbaz Ahmed, who made his debut for ‘Men in Blue’ in 2022, had memorable campaigns in the last IPL edition.
With retained players Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, and Mohammed Siraj in their ranks, RCB has a top-class bowling attack. The Lankan all-rounder was the second-leading wicket-taker last season with 26 scalps from 16 matches. Hazelwood and Harshal grabbed 20 and 19 wickets, respectively.
Indian pacer Siraj is a player to watch for RCB in colors after his impressive performances in ODIs last year. The Hyderabad-born cricketer was India’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 24 wickets at an economy of 4.6. Also, the purchase of England duo Reece Topley and Will Jacks in the TATA IPL 2023 auction adds more strength to the RCB bowling unit.
IPL 2023 RCB Squad
Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Rajat Patidar, Rajan Kumar, Finn Allen, Suyash S Prabhudessai, David Willey, Sonu Yadav, Siddharth Kaul, Shahbaz Ahamad, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Mahipal Lomror, Will Jacks, Manoj Bhandage, Karn Sharma, Himanshu Sharma, Harshal Patel, Dinesh Karthik, Avinash Singh, Anuj Rawat, Akash Deep
Royal Challengers Bangalore Captain 2023
Faf du Plessis will lead the RCB team for a second successive IPL season. In IPL 2022, Faf du Plessis guided the team to a fourth-place finish in the points table, and the franchise lost to Rajasthan Royals in qualifier 2. He made 468 runs in 16 innings, finishing as RCB’s top run scorer.
The 38-year-old was one of the most consistent performers in 2022. With two centuries and seven fifties, Du Plessis racked up 1352 runs at an impressive strike rate of 141.86. He scored a hundred each in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Faf Du Plessis IPL Captaincy Record
Matches: 16, Won: 9, Lost: 7
Head Coach
Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar is RCB’s head coach in the IPL 2023 edition. He was appointed in November 2021 on a two-year contract and took the franchise to the playoffs in his maiden season. Bangar has plenty of coaching experience as he guided Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) to the final in IPL 2014 season and served as the national team assistant coach.
IPL 2023 RCB Schedule
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t announced the IPL schedule for the 2023 season. RCB opened its campaign against Punjab Kings in the 15th edition. The Faf du Plessis-led side beat Kolkata Knight Riders to pick up its first win in IPL 2022. Three wins in their last four league outings saw them finish fourth.
Venue
RCB fans will be excited to see their team return to Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time in four years. The IPL returned to India last year, but only four cities hosted the matches. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 40,000, hosted seven RCB fixtures in the IPL 2019 season. The franchise won three, lost three, and the match against Rajasthan Royals was abandoned.
The Bengaluru-based team has a great fanbase who stood by the team through thick and thin. Can RCB reward its faithful by winning its maiden IPL title this season?
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was RCB’s most expensive player in the IPL 2023 auction?
Will Jacks was RCB’s most expensive player bought in the IPL 2023 auction. RCB paid Rs 3.2 crore to sign the Englishman.
Which pair will open the batting for RCB in IPL 2023?
Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli will likely open the batting for RCB in IPL 2023 season.
Who are the key overseas players in the IPL 2023 RCB squad?
Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood, and Wanindu Hasaranga are the key overseas players in IPL 2023 RCB squad.
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