IPL 2018: 5 batsmen who can fulfil the opening duties for Royal Challengers Bangalore

Having enjoyed ten successful years, IPL is all set to become the centre of attraction this summer. With the eleventh edition of IPL just 40 days away, all the teams would be more or less looking forward to churning out the best possible combinations of playing 11 from their squad.

One team that is looking strong on paper this year is Royal Challengers Bangalore. With a variety of players in the mix, team selection will be an uphill task for RCB.

Let us have a look at the top five contenders for the opening spots for RCB in this year's IPL.

#5 Parthiv Patel

The elegant batsman from Gujarat has been one of the best openers in the domestic format. Having played so much of IPL and domestic cricket, Parthiv is a decent fit for Royal Challengers Bangalore's opening spot.

With no Chris Gayle this time, RCB might open the innings with Parthiv as a potential left-hander. In addition to that, Parthiv's exquisite timing and freestyle batting make him a reliable choice for the Bangalore franchise.

Parthiv Patel has featured in 119 IPL matches so far, scoring 2322 runs at a decent average of 21.70 and above par strike rate of 117.21.