Former SA cricketer of international repute AB de Villiers well known for his exploits with RCB has revealed his ideal 2025 RCB squad for the new mega auction. In his selection, de Villiers said it was crucial to create a team that has certain ‘streetwise’ and assigned to the prevailing conditions in the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. He did not spend much time boasting about signing big names so as to go and win the IPL, he focused on how best he could build a side that best suits the conditions that are offered in Bengaluru.
Some of the players that de Villiers mentioned include; experienced Indian internationals and world-class bowlers such as Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Ravichandran Ashwin & Bhuvneshwar Kumar. De Villiers also praised Chahal, a leg-spinner, who was a part of the RCB and is familiar with the Chinnaswamy ground. He has understanding of these conditions and limited over’s containment skills may come in handy given that Bangaluru pitch has historically been a batting friendly surface. Chahal is equally effective in giving away not many runs and at the same time picking wickets which is a boost for RCB’s home strategy since boundaries are typically short and teams score big.
Rabada and Kumar were also de Villiers’ choice for fast bowling but he preferred Bhuvneshwar out of the two. Rabada has demonstrated ability and rapport as a wicket taking bowler in addition to being an explosive fast bowler who may put the willow wielders under pressure. Combination of speed and swing through his partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar would be ideal. While the team’s death over specialist, he can definitely put the brakes on the opposition once they are going full throttle for massive totals. This would balance the aggression and tactician on the field to ensure that RCB does not lose a formal structure for playing under pressure which de Villiers noted to as characteristic of their home ground.
Besides Chahal, de Villiers suggested to provide spinning department Ravi Ashwin, one of the veteran Indian bowlers. Ashwin’s variations and this leadership make him a great asset from where traditional spin may not same much to offer. His experience and ability to outwit the batsmen this would enable RCB to shift their bowling prowess depending on the match situation and this would produce the ‘street smart’ element that de Villiers said the team lacked.
De Villiers also spoke in length about the need to focus on constructing a valuable team with bench strength and not to look only at the stars or just the cup. And then again, he is right; instead of focusing on the trophy that is to be won, it is about time people thought about having a good team: The championship is won as part of a good team and a good team is a well-planned team. He wants a group capable of making small changes in strategy, being able to take pressure on board and contend for a variety of pitching situations especially for those played out in Chinnaswamy Stadium which lacks big scores and is a bowler’s paradise.
The tactics once implemented by the former RCB star show that he firmly believes that a well-crafted team is the most important component that helps one carry on a sensible campaign in the series. For the fans of the RCB it has presented a hope that there can be a new change of the scenario with the kind of thinking which is very much clear in Ab de Villiers’ strategy in the future games and possible make the team stronger in the next season.