Ravichandran Ashwin, the former Indian cricketer, thinks that there are high chances that Royal Challengers Bengaluru will win another IPL title in the current three-year cycle. RCB are already considered as early betters on the next season having won their first trophy in 2025.
The team risked losing all their players except Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, and Rajat Patidar after the Indian Premier League 2024. They have also included Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to strengthen their team at the big auction. Ashwin reckons that RCB will not be long to win another trophy since their long awaited title win has ended the drought and team is now performing optimally.
“RCB can add another title in the next two years with this squad. Winning the IPL is not easy, but the building blocks they have, the kind of like-for-like replacements they have. The way they have addressed the holes in the combination. This is a good package to finish in the top two,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Additionally, Ravichandran Ashwin thinks RCB could manage to get Jacob Bethell and Salt into their starting lineup. Hazlewood has not yet been included to the RCB roster, which is an early blow for the team. After battling ailments in recent months, the Australian pacer is still recovering and awaiting full fitness clearance, so it is likely that he will miss the opening games.
“In all honesty, this is a blessing in disguise for RCB. If RCB do not have Hazlewood, and they are concerned about Salt’s form, they can play both Salt and Bethell. And when Hazlewood returns, you will have a clearer picture,” Ashwin said.
“I don’t think Venkatesh Iyer will play at the start. Brother, look at their foreign players. Salt, David, Shepherd, and Bethell. My god, that is a serious top four overseas combination that you can get. Probably one of the best in the tournament,” he concluded.
