Excited for the IPL 2021 season? This expert guide will look in detail at the Royal Challengers Bangalore betting odds, players and history. Everything you need to know before making a bet on RCB is right here.
We will provide you with the following:
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to interrupt elite sport, and preparations for the 2021 IPL are no different. The 2020 season was delayed and played outside of India for just the 3rd time. The 2021 season will be affected too.
The provisional date for the 2021 auction is the 11th February, with franchises having to release their lists of retained and released players by 20th January. Further details of the auction have still not been decided, including the venue and due to the pandemic, all of these plans are subject to change.
As soon as the auction has been completed, we will update this page, preview the 2021 season and make predictions about Bangalore. Be sure to check back in for the latest news on RCB and the 2021 Indian Premier League season soon.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have not been successful in their bid to win the IPL crown. On the IPL 2020 betting market, they’re one of three teams that are currently active in the league to fail to triumph.
RCB have finished as runners-up on three occasions, last losing in the final in 2016 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Since then the franchise have been underwhelming, failing to reach the playoffs in the last three seasons.
Under the tenure of Gary Kirsten, RCB finished bottom of the table last season and he was replaced as head coach of the team for the 2020 IPL season by Simon Katich. Despite their struggles in recent years, Royal Challengers Bangalore betting odds for the tournament are still in the region of 6/1 and 7/1.
The presence of Virat Kohli – arguably the best batsman in the world – perhaps justifies the thoughts of the bookies to make RCB one of the leading contenders for the title.
AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch are also quality players in the shortest format, although there is not a great deal of depth in the Royal Challengers Bangalore team for the coming campaign. It will be a concern for Katich, despite the talent of his veteran players.
Eight franchises will battle it out for the Indian Premier League. The tournament begins with a round-robin format where the sides play one another home and away. After 14 matches the top four sides in the table qualify for the post-season.
Teams in the third and fourth spot face off in an eliminator, while the top two seeds play in a qualifier with the winner advancing to the final. The loser of the qualifier then takes on the winner of the eliminator for a final berth before the ultimate showdown for the IPL title.
The complete 2020 Royal Challengers Bangalore squad is:
Name | Role |
Virat Kohli | Batsman |
Gurkeerat Singh | Batsman |
Devdutt Padikkal | Batsman |
Aaron Finch | Batsman |
Shivam Dube | All-Rounder |
Moeen Ali | All-Rounder |
Pawan Negi | All-Rounder |
Chris Morris | All-Rounder |
Pavan Deshpande | All-Rounder |
AB de Villiers | Wicket-Keeper Batsman |
Parthiv Patel | Wicket-Keeper |
Josh Philippe | Wicket-Keeper |
Yuzvendra Chahal | Bowler |
Mohammed Siraj | Bowler |
Umesh Yadav | Bowler |
Navdeep Saini | Bowler |
Kane Richardson | Bowler |
Dale Steyn | Bowler |
Shahbaz Ahmed | Bowler |
Isuru Udana | Bowler |
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli is the shining star of the team. Between Kohli, Aaron Finch and AB de Villiers, RCB have three of the best batsmen in the 2020 competition.
The hopes of the franchise will rest on the power of their talented trio as the balance of their squad is not the best compared to their rivals. There are star performers, but there is not a lot of depth beyond the elite players in the ranks.
Moeen Ali has struggled for form after being left out of England’s recent tours and could lose his place due to the restrictions on overseas players. Chris Morris has been a solid bowler in the competition and can strike the ball a great distance. The South African should make for a savvy addition.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2020 auction yielded pace bowlers Dale Steyn and Kane Richardson. Richardson returns for a second spell with RCB, having impressed during an initial stint in 2016. The Aussie has improved significantly since his first season with the club and will hand Kohli a potent weapon with the ball.
Steyn’s experience will be vital, although injuries have blighted his career at the highest level. His fitness could make or break the success of the franchise this term.
The spinning ranks are not well populated, which is a concern given the conditions in India. Yuzvendra Chahal is a high-quality performer and excelled in the 2019 campaign, but support around him will be crucial. Shahbaz Ahmed, Pawan Negi and Ali will have to rise to the occasion to turn Royal Challengers Bangalore betting odds into ones of true contender.
Virat Kohli is perhaps the best batsman in the tournament and probably in the shortest format of the game. The 31-year-old will carry the fortunes of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament.
During their run to the Final in 2016, he scored an incredible 973 runs, including four centuries and seven fifties. Kohli can lead RCB into the latter stages of the IPL 2020 season by himself on the basis of his brilliance. There is not a player in the world that can match his excellence at the crease.
Kohli had a down year in the 2019 campaign and it showed as his side struggled immensely to compete. If the India captain returns to his best then the Royal Challengers Bangalore betting odds will narrow rapidly.
AB de Villiers has talent comparable to Kohli and has been equally impressive in the Indian Premier League during his career. The South African has scored over 400 runs in each of the last two IPL seasons, averaging at least 53 and 44 at the crease. His power and ingenuity at the top of the order will be vital.
Aaron Finch is one of the most destructive openers in white-ball cricket. The Aussie has the power to dominate but has not found his form in the IPL. Katich will need that to change for his team to have success in the tournament this time around. Finch has the potential to be the Royal Challengers Bangalore best batsman should he hit his stride.
RCB had huge problems with their bowling attack in the last campaign. Dale Steyn at his best can bolster the unit, although he has struggled to produce his peak form in the IPL since 2013.
The 36-year-old has only taken 18 wickets in his last 23 matches. He could be RCB’s best bowler, but his form and injuries will be a concern for Katich.
Yuzvendra Chahal was outstanding last season, taking 18 wickets in his 14 matches at an average of 21.44. He has been a model of consistency for RCB since his move to the franchise in 2014 and is one of the team’s true match-winners.
Year | Performance |
2020 | Fourth |
2019 | Eighth |
2018 | Sixth |
2017 | Eighth |
2016 | Runners-Up |
2015 | Third (Lost in playoff Qualifier 2) |
2014 | Seventh |
2013 | Fifth |
2012 | Fifth |
2011 | Runners-Up |
2010 | Fourth (Lost playoff Semi-Finals) |
2009 | Runners-Up |
2008 | Seventh |
The Royal Challengers Bangalore have known nothing other than failure in their pursuit of the IPL crown, finishing as runners-up on three occasions. Therefore, there should be caution when eyeing up their IPL odds to win this year. In 2009, RCB surged all the way to the final, only to lose in a thriller to the Deccan Chargers.
They restricted their opponents to 143 from their 20 overs as Anil Kumble claimed figures of 4-16. However, RCB lost their composure in the chase, especially after the dismissals of Ross Taylor and Roelof van der Merwe. Robin Uthappa could have played the hero, but he and his team-mates fell six runs short.
Through the blistering striking of Chris Gayle, RCB finished top of the league in 2011. They lost their first playoff game to the Chennai Super Kings, placing them in the Eliminator. A victory over the Mumbai Indians paved the way for a rematch against the Super Kings in the Final.
Chennai opener Murali Vijay rocked the RCB bowlers to put a score of over 200 on the board. Ravichandran Ashwin then dismissed Gayle for a third-ball duck to effectively end the chase, with Bangalore falling to a 58-run defeat.
RCB suffered their most heart-breaking defeat in 2016. The talent of their batting line-up allowed them to advance to the Final to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad. David Warner smashed the ball around the park as the SunRisers posted 208 from their 20 overs.
Gayle and Kohli handed their side a lightning start to whittle down the total, but once the West Indian was dismissed for 74 and Kohli for 54, the rest of the line-up cracked under the pressure, falling to an eight-run loss. They qualified for the play-off for the first time in four years in 2020 but were knocked out by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator.
Highest IPL Run-Scorer All-Time – Virat Kohli (5878 runs)
Highest IPL Team Score – 263/6 v Pune Warriors India
Highest IPL Individual Score – Chris Gayle 175* v Pune Warriors India
Orange Cap – Chris Gayle (2011, 2012), Virat Kohli (2016)
Most Valuable Player – Chris Gayle (2011), Virat Kohli (2016)
Emerging Player of the Season – Shreevats Goswami (2008)
Maximum Sixes Award – Chris Gayle (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015), Virat Kohli (2016)
The Royal Challengers Bangalore betting odds suggest that they will be able to mount a charge to win the IPL for the first time. Simon Katich’s side are top heavy with talent as Virat Kohli, Aaron Finch, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Yuzvendra Chahal will carry their hopes.
If they all perform to an elite level RCB have a solid chance, but if any of their leading men struggle, the rest of the squad does not look capable of rising to the occasion.
If you’re backing RCB, try to get the best value possible and lay a small stake as there are too many variables that can affect their form.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have the potential to get to the playoffs, with the power of Virat Kohli, Aaron Finch and AB de Villiers. However, a lot will hinge on the performances of their bowlers.
RCB have failed to win the Indian Premier League, although they have finished as runners-up on three occasions.
Mumbai Indians won the IPL in the 2019 season and thus are currently the best outfit in the league.
Should Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch enjoy a rich vein of form in the competition then there’s a good chance that RCB can make a surge into the latter stages.
Virat Kohli is the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the IPL 2020 season.