IPL 2025: Can Royal Challengers Bengaluru end their long title drought? This article examines RCB's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ahead of the season.
IPL 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin their campaign against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday, March 22.
RCB is one of the three original IPL teams to have not won an IPL title since the inaugural edition of the tournament. In the IPL 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualified for the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, but failed to go past the knockout stage after losing to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. Ahead of the IPL 2025, RCB retained their core players from the previous season while adding new faces to the squad. Rajat Patidar was appointed as captain of the side for the upcoming season.
After making major changes in the squad, will Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally realise their dream of ‘ee sala cup namde’ this season? On that note, let’s take a look at the team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
SWOT analysis of Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Strengths
One of the biggest strengths for Royal Challengers Bengaluru is a formidable batting line-up, which includes the likes of Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, and Tim David. Phil Salt and Virat Kohli are likely to open the innings for RCB in the upcoming season, while skipper Rajat Patidar to play at No.4. Liam Livingstone and Tim David are expected to take care of the middle order. Since all five batters resort to aggressive approach in T20 format, RCB will have the firepower to post big totals or chase down challenging targets. Their batting depth, combined by Kohli’s experience, and the explosiveness of Salt, Livingstone, and David, make them a formidable unit in IPL 2025.
Another strength for RCB lies in their pace bowling unit, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi. Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood are known for their ability to swing the ball in both ways and trouble the batters by bowling at right line and length. Though Hazlewood is returning to action after injury break, he is expected to find his rhythm early in the tournament. Lungi Ngidi has the ability to generate extra bounce, which can make a valuable asset in powerplay as well as in the death overs.
Weaknesses
One of the major weaknesses for RCB is that they lack depth in the spin bowling department. Despite investing in Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, they still lack a premier spinner. Having a reliable spin bowling option is crucial not only for RCB but also for all the teams, given that most of the IPL venues have spinning tracks. At the IPL 2025 Auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru did not do enough to bolster the spin bowling department. It is a huge concern for RCB as they might struggle to restrict the flow of runs in the middle overs, especially on turning tracks.
Another weakness is their over-dependence on a few players. Though Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Rajat Patidar, and Tim David form a formidable line-up, their batting unit lacks reliable backups in case of injuries or dip in form. Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd are power hitters, but they lack consistency. Moreover, RCB’s lower-order lacks a proven finisher who can take up the pressure and accelerate the innings in the death overs, leaving them vulnerable in high pressure chases.
Opportunities
Since Royal Challengers Bengaluru is set to undergo transition after appointing Rajat Patidar as their captain for the upcoming IPL season, it is an opportunity for the team to explore new strategies and build a fresh team under his leadership. Since Patidar is likely to be groomed as the successor to Virat Kohli after taking up leadership roles, this season presents him a chance to establish himself as a strong leader with the guidance of Kohli. Having been part of RCB since 2021, Rajat Patidar has a good understanding of team dynamics and playing conditions.
Additionally, young players like Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dhar, and Jacob Bethell will be nurtured and groomed and be given the opportunity to play in the upcoming IPL season, allowing RCB to experiment combination with a mix of experienced players and emerging talents who can contribute to the team’s long-term success.
Threats
One of the biggest threats for Royal Challengers Bengaluru is that they lack depth in their line-up, which is a major cause of concern. Though they boast a balanced squad, injuries to key players could affect overall performance of the team. The depth of the squad is critical to maintain high levels of performance in order to have progress throughout the season. If injuries or loss of form of star players, RCB may struggle to maintain consistent run in the season, which could hamper their chances of making it to the playoffs.
Another threat for RCB is that they always succumbed to pressure in knockout matches, which were evident in previous seasons. They came close to winning the title after reaching the final in 2009, 2011, and 2016, but fell short of clinching the coveted trophy. RCB reached the playoffs four times in the last five seasons, but they could not progress beyond the knockout stage. Therefore, Royal Challengers Bengaluru need to overcome this psychological barrier in order to win their maiden IPL title.
Also read: IPL 2025: Is Axar Patel ready to lead Delhi Capitals?
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