Picking the combined RCB and PBKS 11 for IPL 2023 

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have much in common. Both have had some brilliant teams and superstar players in the past, often their jerseys and colors have been indistinguishable, and both have had great runs to the final as well, but have failed to lift the IPL title.

Last season RCB looked fresh and pragmatic after Virat Kohli stepped down from the captaincy, with 38-year-old Faf du Plessis taking over. PBKS followed it up in 2023 by releasing skipper Mayank Agarwal and making 37-year-old Shikhar Dhawan the captain.

So when two teams are so similar, what would an IPL 11 look like if you had both of their entire squads to pick from? Here's an attempt at the same:

Openers: Virat Kohli (c) and Shikhar Dhawan

It is quite difficult to drop Du Plessis and PBKS' probable opening option, Jonny Bairstow, from this team. However, we can only pick four overseas players and both teams have superb options in the middle and lower orders who can't be left out.

Hence, Kohli and Dhawan will open the innings for the team. Their stats in the powerplay aren't too encouraging and they will have to rely on their experience to get the team off to a good start. But once they get it, both can play long innings.

Kohli scored 341 runs last year at an average of 22.73. Although opening isn't statistically his favorite position, he has been in superb form and can have a run-fest.

Dhawan had 460 runs to his name in 2022, a substantial drop from 618 and 587 runs in the previous two seasons. However, he provides stability at the top of the order which PBKS can exploit this season. This season is also perhaps his last chance to get back into the Indian team and it might push him back to form as well.

No one in this team has as much captaincy experience as Kohli, so he would take the armband.

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Middle order: Glenn Maxwell, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Dinesh Karthik (wk)

RCB's explosive spin-hitter Glenn Maxwell, PBKS' pace-hitter Liam Livingstone, young future superstar Jitesh Sharma and experienced wicketkeeper cum finisher Dinesh Karthik - middle orders don't get much better than this in T20 cricket.

Maxwell scored 301 runs for RCB last season. It was a bit underwhelming after the standards he set in 2021 but he's still one of the best players of spin in the IPL. Livingstone struck at 182.08 for PBKS and was easily their best batter. In this team, he and Maxwell can exchange positions according to the situation.

Karthik, though out of favor with the Indian team, still adds immense value to RCB. Like last year, the franchise will rely on him to win matches in death overs.

Jitesh's recent maiden national call-up was a reward for his 224-run Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season, where he had a strike rate of 175. His form puts him ahead of his teammate Shahrukh Khan and RCB's Mahipal Lomror for the spot. IPL 2023 could be his breakout season.

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All-rounders: Sam Curran and Shahbaz Ahmed

The most expensive signing at the IPL 2023 auction (₹18.5 crore), Sam Curran would easily make this team. He'll be the team's primary death-overs bowler, a role he played to perfection in England's 2022 T20 World Cup-winning campaign.

RCB's Shahbaz Ahmed will be the second all-rounder. The Bengal left-arm spinner is frugal with the ball (8.58 economy rate across 29 IPL matches), is a wicket-taker in the middle overs, and can hit it long on his day. Like Curran for PBKS, Ahmed will be tasked with collecting late runs for the team with middle-order batters.

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Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

PBKS' left-arm spinner Arshdeep Singh is currently a better bet than Harshal Patel (who is struggling for form) and Mohammed Siraj (brilliant in ODIs for India but still not proven in the shortest format) to be the Indian leader of the bowling attack. He raised his game to a new level last season with 10 wickets at just 7.7 runs per over.

It was between Kagiso Rabada and Josh Hazlewood for the final overseas spot. Both had an equally great last season, with Rabada picking up 23 wickets from 13 matches at an average of 17.65 and Hazlewood 20 scalps from 12 matches at an average of 18.85.

Rabada has been in poor form of late but given that Curran and Singh are set for death overs, the team needs a powerplay wicket-taker to partner Singh. Rabada can play that role slightly better than Hazlewood. He also gives more with the bat.

Rahul Chahar will be the leg-spinner for this team. Wanindu Hasaranga would've been the first choice but dropping Rabada would mean relying on Harshal Patel to lead the fast-bowling attack which isn't ideal. Chahar was in great form in domestic cricket (eight wickets from seven matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and nine wickets from five Vijay Hazare Trophy matches) and it would be interesting to see how he performs this season.

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