IPL 2020: Key players, fixtures and verdict for Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore

Despite having all-time IPL greats, the title has eluded RCB

Virat Kohli is the captain but the pressure will be on him to deliver this season after returning empty handed every year. AFP

Parthiv Patel may still look the kid who played for India as a teenager but has years of experience under his belt. AFP

AB de Villiers is Mr T20 but time is running out for him to deliver the title his team should have won by now. Getty

All-rounder Moeen Ali is beginning to find his mojo in white-ball cricket. AFP

Gurkeerat Singh Mann slots in the middle order. AFP

Chris Morris will have the task of beefing up the death overs bowling that has been RCB's weakness. AFP

Hard-hitting all-rounder Shivam Dube will need to raise his batting game as his bowling is nothing spectacular. AFP

Another chance for Pawan Negi, centre, to show there is some substance behind all that promise. AFP

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is a now a T20 star. AFP

Pace bowler Navdeep Saini has raised his game to the next level. AFP

Sri Lanka's left-arm seamer Isuru Udana has been brought in purely for his variations. AFP

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Based: Dubai

Last season: Eighth

Best finish: Runners up in 2009, 2011 and 2016

Coach: Simon Katich

Captain: Virat Kohli. The highest run-scorer in IPL history. The player of the series four years ago. And yet a winner’s medal still eludes him. They have reached the final on his watch, in 2016, but since then the underachievement has been stark: they have finished last twice, and third last on the other occasion.

Standings at the end of the league phase.

Key man: Moeen Ali

There have been signs in the late UK summer that Moeen has relocated his mojo, at least with the bat, having looked increasingly careworn in recent times. His batting strike-rate is among the best in the game in T20. Performances against Pakistan and Australia have shown his value in the death overs.

Big miss: Kane Richardson

RCB have identified death-bowling as being their Achilles heel. It was why they brought in Chris Morris, Isuru Udana and Richardson for this campaign.

Richardson subsequently opted out, though, as he was concerned Covid-19 travel restrictions might cause him to miss the birth of his first child.

Verdict

How RCB have never won the IPL despite the list of all-time greats – Kohli, de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Dale Steyn – who have passed through their doors remains a mystery.

Now they have employed Kiwi super brain Mike Hesson to try to solve it. He is the director of cricket operations for the franchise, with Simon Katich as the team’s head coach.

Their batting remains strong, and they have added some bowling firepower in the form of Morris.

Udana, an unheralded Sri Lankan left-armer who was picked up for his base price at auction, might also be a canny bit of business in a historical problem area for RCB.

Fixtures

1. Match 3, Monday, September 21, 6pm, Dubai - Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bangalore

2. Match 6, Thursday, September 24, 6pm, Dubai – Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Bangalore

3. Match 10, Monday, September 28, 6pm, Dubai – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians

4. Match 15, Saturday, October 3, 2pm, Abu Dhabi – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Rajasthan Royals

5. Match 19, Monday, October 5, 6pm, Dubai – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Capitals

6. Match 25, Saturday, October 10, 6pm, Dubai – Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore

7. Match 28, Monday, October 12, 6pm, Sharjah – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders

8. Match 31, Thursday, October 15, 6pm, Sharjah – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab

9. Match 33, Saturday, October 17, 2pm, Dubai – Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore

10. Match 39, Wednesday, October 21, 6pm, Abu Dhabi – Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore

11. Match 44, Sunday, October 25, 2pm, Dubai – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings

12. Match 48, Wednesday, October 28, 6pm, Abu Dhabi – Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore

13. Match 52, Saturday, October 31, 6pm, Sharjah – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad

14. Match 55, Monday, November 2, 6pm, Abu Dhabi – Delhi Capitals v Royal Challengers Bangalore