IPL 2024 RCB Preview: Check Royal Challengers Bengaluru players list, probable XI, matches, schedule

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will start their 17th IPL season with renewed hopes of ending the 16-year-long wait of the coveted silverware. The team has reached the finals thrice so far, but the title has evaded the team every single time.

RCB has had the most powerful T20 batting lineup for the past few years. Even after great players like Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers retired, RCB's batting core remains compelling, led by the trio of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell.

Starting this year, the team has a new coach, Andy Flower, who earlier helped Lucknow Super Giants reach playoffs in the previous two seasons.

The Bengaluru-based franchise open their IPL 2024 campaign against MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings on 22 March in Chennai.

STRENGTHS
RCB's top order is their biggest strength, with Kohli, Du Plessis and Maxwell in their side. Rajat Patidar's return following an injury layoff last summer should bolster their middle order followed by newly recruited Cameron Green's support, who can prove very dangerous in the death overs.

WEAKNESSES
Ahead of the mini-auction in 2023, RCB released its quality bowlers Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel, rendering them without a quality spinner or a death-over specialist.

Speedsters Alzarri Joseph and Lockie Ferguson along with Yash Dayal, who joins the RCB brigade this year, are good but their consistency is a major challenge.

RCB Schedule for IPL Phase 1

March 22, 2024: CSK vs RCB (Chennai) - 8:00 PM
March 25, 2024: RCB vs PBKS (Bengaluru) - 7:30 PM
March 29, 2024: RCB vs KKR (Bengaluru) - 7:30 PM
April 02, 2024: RCB vs LSG (Bengaluru) - 7:30 PM
April 06, 2024: RR vs RCB (Jaipur) - 7:30 PM

PROBABLE PLAYING XI: Faf du Plessis (captain), Virat Kohli, Cameron Green, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Alzarri Joseph, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

FULL RCB 2024 SQUAD: Faf du Plessis (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan