3 Reasons why Royal Challengers Bangalore could win their maiden IPL title in 2020
The upcoming 2020 IPL season will indeed be a challenge for Virat Kohli and his boys. The team, led by Kohli, has had a horrendous run in the last three years. They finished last on the points table in the years 2017 and 2019, and sixth out of eight teams in 2018.
Kohli will be keen to get his team to a winning start in the upcoming season of the IPL. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have qualified for the IPL final on three occasions - in the years 2009, 2011 and 2016. However, they are yet to win the coveted IPL trophy.
While the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have been an integral part of the RCB outfit, the lack of performances from other players has often resulted in the downfall of the team in the past.
Luckily, the team management of RCB acquired the services of experienced overseas players like Aaron Finch, Chris Morris, Kane Richardson, and a few others to strengthen their team in the 2020 IPL auction. The team now looks like a more balanced outfit with a good blend of Indian and overseas players.
On that note, lat's take a look at why the 2020 IPL will be a perfect opportunity for RCB to win their maiden IPL trophy:
#1. Variety in the opening combination
In the past, RCB have been over-reliant on the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to get them across the finishing line on several occasions. Lack of options as openers has forced Virat Kohli to give up his number 3 batting position and he has opened the batting for RCB several times.
The 2020 IPL season may see Virat Kohli getting back to his number 3 batting position as RCB have an experienced opener in Aaron Finch to open the batting. The Australian skipper in the ODI and T20 format is an exceptional T20 player and has the knack of scoring big runs in the T20 format.
Parthiv Patel had a reasonable IPL season in 2019 and in all likelihood, will open the batting with Finch in the 2020 IPL. The presence of Finch will firstly ensure that there is a left-hand right-hand combination at the top of the order. Finch has a considerable experience of playing T20 cricket around the globe and can guide Patel while batting together.
Apart from Finch and Patel, RCB have the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Joshua Phillippe as their back up openers. The 19-year-old Padikkal was the highest run-scorer in the 2019-2020 Vijay Hazare trophy and scored consistently at the top of the order. He will look to make his presence felt on the big stage if and when he gets an opportunity.
Also see – IPL 2020 time table
Joshua Phillippe too has tasted success as an opener in Big Bash cricket and if he gets an opportunity, he will look to replicate his Big Bash League performances in IPL.
Thus RCB have a variety of options in the opening department which will ensure that their skipper and the other middle-order batsmen bat at their regular batting positions.
The very thought of Finch opening the batting with Parthiv Patel followed by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers may cause nightmares in the camp of the opponents.