RCB face CSK in a blockbuster of an opening match in the 2024 IPL at the Chepauk Stadium
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) start the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season with a shiny new logo, new jersey colours and a slightly tweaked name as well with the ‘Bangalore’ being replaced by the city’s current official name. Apart from that, though, there has been seismic change in personnel that have been seen in quite a few of the other teams, case in point being their opponents on Friday in the season opener.
RCB have changed the black in their jerseys to blue(PTI)
Matches between RCB and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are always emotionally charged affairs and Faf du Plessis’s side could ask for no better start to a season than to beat the defending champions at their home ground in Chennai. As is usually the case for them, RCB’s choice of overseas players is pretty obvious. Captain Du Plessis would be opening the batting, Australians Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green would occupy the middle order and Alzarri Joseph would lead the pace department. What remains to be seen if Green will come in at No.3 or if he would slot in at No.5 below Maxwell.
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Former captain and talisman Virat Kohli will almost certainly continue to be the opener, a role in which he enjoyed a return to form last season, although Green has proven to be a dangerous customer at the top of the order playing for Australia, particularly in India. It is also quite likely that RCB would be tempted to pick Rajat Patidar, in which case Green’s place would most probably at No.5.
Mayank Dagar could be first choice spinner for RCB, a department where they don’t have too many riches to boast. It could also be here that they would use the Impact Player Rule. Mohammed Siraj would be an automatic choice as pacer and Akash Deep could get the nod as well based on his impressive performances recently in domestic cricket and the headline-grabbing show for India on his Test debut.
RCB XI (If batting first): Faf du Plessis (capt), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
RCB XI (If bowling first): Faf du Plessis (capt), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, Akash Deep, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj
RCB would select Lomror to lengthen their batting lineup if they bat first and then replace him with Karn Sharma as their impact player. One can expect them to do right the opposite if they are bowling first, starting with Karn and then replacing him with Lomror.
