4 players who will be key for RCB in IPL 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be stepping into the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League with a long-lost hope of clinching the title. RCB is the only team to have made it to the IPL final thrice, having lost all three of them.

The 2024 IPL season was the ninth time that RCB made it through to the playoffs. The team miraculously finished fourth in the standings after completing a very successful turnaround, winning six out of their last seven matches. However, RCB disappointingly lost to Rajasthan Royals in the eliminator in another unsuccessful attempt to win the trophy.

Ahead of the 2025 edition, the team, under coach Andy Flower, decided to retain only three players. Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal were retained. In the auction, RCB spent a fortune on strengthening the team. They made some good buys, including players like Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Josh Hazlewood, Jitesh Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Strongest playing XI of RCB for IPL 2025 🥶

What will you rate their squad out of 10? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/r1y2OElqot

— CricXtasy (@CricXtasy) November 26, 2024

However, injuries to Hazlewood and Bethell could derail the team’s plans for the rest of the season. It remains to be seen what lies ahead for RCB in 2025. Here is a look at the four players who could turn out to be pivotal for the side this year.

Virat Kohli

36-year-old Virat Kohli still remains the foremost player for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He is IPL’s all-time highest run-scorer with 8004 runs in 244 innings over the last 17 years. Virat also holds the record for the most centuries (eight) in the IPL.

In the upcoming 2025 edition, Kohli is set to keep his place in the starting XI as an opener, alongside new recruit Phil Salt. He is the team’s most trustworthy batsman and will be important in high-scoring matches. The 36-year-old was the Orange Cap winner last season for being the highest run-getter of the tournament with 741 runs coming off his bat in just 15 matches.

Rajat Patidar

The Madhya Pradesh star will be donning the RCB colors in a new role this season as the captain of the side. Having made his IPL debut in 2021, Rajat Patidar has played 21 matches to date in the competition and has scored 799 runs at an average of 34.74.

RCB retained Patidar for Rs. 11 crores this season, placing their trust in the right-handed batter’s abilities. He is set to keep his number three position in the RCB XI. Patidar had a blistering run in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 428 runs at an average of 61.14, guiding his side Madhya Pradesh to the finals of the tournament.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar made a stellar return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru after having been a part of the team in the inaugural edition of the IPL. The veteran Indian pacer was bought at a whopping price of Rs. 10.75 crores after being released by the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The Uttar Pradesh-born pacer brings in a lot of experience, having scalped 181 wickets so far. Moreover, he is IPL’s fourth highest wicket-taker. Should he manage to remain injury-free, Kumar will be the RCB’s strike bowler alongside Yash Dayal. He had a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season with 11 wickets, which included a stunning hat trick against Jharkhand.

Phil Salt

English opener Phil Salt became RCB’s second-most expensive buy of the 2025 IPL season. He was roped in to replace outgoing skipper Faf du Plessis. The 28-year-old wicketkeeper batsman is currently ranked third among T20 batters in the world.

Nonetheless, Salt’s explosive batting in the 2024 edition of the IPL helped Kolkata Knight Riders win the tournament. In 21 IPL matches, the Englishman has scored 653 runs at an average of 34.37 and a stunning strike rate of 175.54. He ended the 2024 edition with 435 runs and is set to open the batting alongside Virat Kohli this season.