Dubai: In a couple of days from now, Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore start their quest for their first-ever IPL title when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday. While fans are trying to figure out the best XI for RCB, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked his side for the UAE leg.
There are no surprises at the top as Kohli will partner young Devdutt Padikkal. Rajat Patidar, who came up with decent knocks in the India leg, would slot in at No 3 and he would be followed by Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers at No 4 and 5.
Shahbaz Ahmed is going to play the role of an all-rounder and would come in at No 6. The three seamers would be Kyle Jamieson, Mohammed Siraj, and Dushmantha Chameera. Yuzvendra Chahal would be the sole specialist spinner in the side.
Kohli’s RCB has a solid chance of making the playoffs with a couple of wins. With five wins, they already have 10 points from seven games and occupy the third spot in the points table. RCB would know that they cannot afford to be complacent as the tournament enters the backend. They would certainly like to get off to a winning start against KKR.
Complete XI: Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Kyle Jamieson, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dushmantha Chameera.
Meanwhile, after spending six days of quarantine, Kohli has joined his RCB teammates at the training in Dubai. The RCB skipper also had a net on Friday.