The much anticipated IND vs ENG Test series is just a few days away from now. The series will begin on 25th January in Hyderabad and the preparations have already started with both the teams looking for their permutations and combinations.&nbsp;



Both India and<a href="https://www.ecb.co.uk" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.ecb.co.uk"> England</a> have announced the squad for the IND vs ENG series. The five games are expected to be exciting because both the teams over the years have played a sensational brand of cricket.?



India in their home conditions are extremely threatening while England with their Bazball approach has conquered a lot of things. However, their biggest challenge will be against the Rohit Sharma-led side, who haven?t lost a single Test series at home since the last one decade.?



Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ind-vs-eng-indian-team-for-the-first-two-test-matches-against-england-announced-england-tour-of-india-2024/" data-type="post" data-id="125199">IND vs ENG: Indian Team for the first two test matches against England announced | England tour of India, 2024</a>



With IND vs ENG series just around the corner, it is learned as per the reports in Indian Express that BCCI is all set to prepare rank turners for the series. England batters over the years have struggled against spin and it won?t be good news for them.&nbsp;



Since the last few home series, India has produced pitches that have started turning from Day 1. This hasn?t allowed opponents to settle and has allowed&nbsp; Indian spinners to run through the batting lineup of the teams.&nbsp;



Both teams have some quality spinners in the ranks. It?s expected that both of them will play three spinners in the XI. The challenge will be equally tough for the Indian batters as well. The IND vs ENG series also will be crucial in the context of the ICC World Test Championship.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">IND vs ENG: India and England squad for the five-Test series</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2021/02/India-vs-England-1.jpg" alt="Team India to leave for the UK on 2nd June for the six Test Games, Families to accompany them" class="wp-image-33797" /></figure>



India recently announced the squad for the IND vs ENG Test series. BCCI, however, named the team for two games only. Tensile it is expected that they might make some changes after the two games.?



Here?s the India&nbsp; squad for the first two Tests:&nbsp;



Rohit Sharma (C ), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan



England on the other hand has announced a strong Team for all five Tests. They have given opportunities to some young guys as well along with the regulars.&nbsp;



Here?s the England squad for the five-Test series



Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.

IND vs ENG: BCCI to prepare rank turners for the five-Tests against England - Reports?

ind-vs-eng-bcci-to-prepare-rank-turners-for-the-five-tests-against-england-reports

ICC WTC Points Table: England's home season is being fruitful for them as they have claimed their fourth win in a row. The home team England have won the first Test against Sri Lanka and are 1-0 up in the series. This series of wins has put England from the last position to the Top 4 ranks in the Latest Updated ICC WTC points table 2023-25.



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><h2>Table of Contents</h2><nav><ul><li class=""><a href="#eng-vs-sl-1st-test-match-summary">ENG vs SL 1st Test Match Summary</a></li><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-points-table-2023-25">ICC WTC points table 2023-25</a></li></ul></nav></div>



Sri Lanka are on a tour of England for a series of three test matches. The absence of Ben Stokes was one of the major concerns for the English Team coming to this Test Series but Olie Pope and his leadership skills never made us miss Stokes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="eng-vs-sl-1st-test-match-summary">ENG vs SL 1st Test Match Summary</h2>



The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first. They didn't receive a warm welcome from the home side as England pushed Sri Lanka into terrible situation in the first half hour only. Sri Lanka lost three wickets within 7 overs of the day with just 6 runs on the board. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/WOOD-ENjoys-early-wickets.jpg" alt="ICC WTC Points Table Updated After ENG vs SL 1st Test | England in TOP 4 With Commanding Victory" class="wp-image-146241" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Wood celebrates Mendis's Dismisal (Getty Image)</figcaption></figure>



Sri Lanka were not allowed to make a comeback against the fiery English bowling attack but later assault by skipper Dhananjaya De Silva and <a href="https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/39678/milan-rathnayake">Milan Rathnayake</a> added individual 70+ runs and Sri Lanka ended their first innings at 260 runs. 



England also lost wickets in regular intervals, nevertheless, the overtook Sri Lanka by 57th over. The maiden century by wicketkeeper batter James Smith was the dominating factor for England in the first innings. Riding over his crucial innings England were 122 runs in lead after first innings.



Again, in the second innings, Sri Lanka lost two wickets within 10 balls and England were simply on the driving seat. Angilo Methews, and Dinesh Chandimal showed the fighting spirit and they took Sri Lanka to lead again. Kamindu Mendis came again for rescue and smashed a valient century to give Sri Lanka some space to defend in the fourth innings.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/08/joe-root.jpg" alt="ICC WTC Points Table Updated After ENG vs SL 1st Test | England in TOP 4 With Commanding Victory" class="wp-image-146240" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Root and Woakes lead England to Win (ESPN)</figcaption></figure>



England needed to chase 205 runs in the fourth innings and they got a fluent start to ease things off. Joe Root led the England's innings with his not-out 62 and with the loss of five wickets, England took just 57 overs to chase down the target and sealed the match.



Let's Take a look at the the ICC WTC points table updated after ENG vs SL 1st Test:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-points-table-2023-25">ICC WTC points table 2023-25</h2>



England, after winning the four test matches in a row have made a big jump from 9th rank to the 4th rank. They, now, have played 14 tests and have won 7 and have a PCT of 50%. 



Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have won 2 out of the 5 matches, they played. With the PCT of 40%, they are ranked 5th. 



India and Australia are at the top of the WTC Points Table with 68.52% and 62.50% wins. 



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>POS</th><th>TEAM</th><th>MAT</th><th>WON</th><th>LOST</th><th>DRAW</th><th>DED(-)</th><th>POINTS</th><th>PCT</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>INDIA</td><td>9</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>74</td><td>68.52</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>12</td><td>8</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>90</td><td>62.50</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>NEW ZEALAND</td><td>6</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>36</td><td>50.00</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>14</td><td>7</td><td>6</td><td>1</td><td>19</td><td>69</td><td>41.07</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>SRI LANKA</td><td>5</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>24</td><td>40.00</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>SOUTH AFRICA</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>28</td><td>38.89</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>PAKISTAN</td><td>5</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>22</td><td>36.66</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>BANGLADESH</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>12</td><td>25.00</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>WEST INDIES</td><td>9</td><td>1</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>20</td><td>18.52</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">ICC WTC points table 2023-25</figcaption></figure>



READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/rumours-over-kkr-unofficially-offering-captaincy-to-suryakumar-yadav-for-ipl-2025/">Rumours over KKR unofficially offering captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav for IPL 2025</a><div></div><div class="tdb-author-name-wrap" style="align-items: baseline"></div><div></div>



SOURCE- <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/world-test-championship/standings">ICC OFFICIALS</a>

ICC WTC Points Table Updated After ENG vs SL 1st Test | England in TOP 4 With Commanding Victory

icc-wtc-points-table-updated-after-eng-vs-sl-1st-test-england-in-top-4-with-commanding-victory

Pacers are having a day out here at Jeddah on the second day of the much anticipated IPL auction, as after several among batters and all-rounders went unsold, the pacers are making the banks of the franchises shaken up. First of all, Marco Jansen, the lanky pace bowling all-rounder from the Proteas, goes for the biggest bid of the day from the first session, with the Punjab Kings showing immense interest in the left-arm seamer.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1860991686236647806</div>
</figure>



 Followed by a short break, the teams now seemed too determined, with the likes of Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and RCB all looking forward to decking up their pace bowling set. India?s one of the most anticipated pacers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, also the greatest ever Indian in the history of the IPL, gets rewarded for his consistency, as RCB bring him in for a whopping INR 10.75 crore, the only double-digit bid for the day.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1861003917598883891</div>
</figure>



 While Indian pacers other than Bhuvi, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepak_Chahar">Deepak Chahar</a> earns a huge bid going to the arch-rivals MI from the Men in Yellow. While followed by him are Tushar Deshpande to the Rajasthan Royals, while Mukesh Kumar was retained by the Capitals using the RTM.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">https://twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns/status/1861003858396451129</div>
</figure>



Coetzee is the only overseas bowler now going to the Gujarat Titans pace deck alongside national mate Kagiso Rabada, pairing for a breathtaking pace bowling duo.



Akash Deep gets a new franchise in the Lucknow Super Giants, who have their first player of the day and quite intriguing a futuristic option seemingly for the Super Giants.



Lockie Ferguson off at base price to the Punjab Kings.



ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/live-ipl-auction-2025-live-updates-day-2-latest-news-and-more-on-auction/">[LIVE] IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates DAY 2, Latest News and More on Auction</a>

The IPL Auction  Day 2 sees its first major jump; A pacers day out Bhuvneshwar Kumar sold for INR 10.75 Crores to RCB

the-ipl-auction-day-2-sees-its-first-major-jump-a-pacers-day-out-bhuvneshwar-kumar-sold-for-inr-10-75-crores-to-rcb

BGT: The Indian Cricket Team, under the leadership of stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah kicked off the 2024 Border Gavaskar Trophy on the best possible note as they went on to secure a comfortable victory versus the Australians in the opening fixture of the series.



After being bundled out for a mere score of 150 runs in the 1st inning on the first day of the Perth Test-Match, the Men in Blue brought their A game forward and turned things around as they initiated an all-out on the Aussies for 104 runs and managed to take a decent first-inning lead of 46 runs.



Captain Jasprit Bumrah wrecked havoc with the ball registering yet another five-wicket-haul and ended the first inning with figures of 5-30 next to his name. He received a tremendous amount of support from the duo of debutant Harshit Rana (3-48) and Mohammed Siraj (2-20) as the home side didn't have any answer versus the excellent bowling performance of the Indians.



In the 2nd inning of the Perth Test-Match, the Jasprit Bumrah-led team put up a masterclass with the bat, with the opening duo of KL Rahul (77 runs in 176 deliveries) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (161 runs in 297 balls) stitching a mammoth partnership of 201 runs for the opening wicket, the highest ever opening wicket stand by an Indian batting pair in the history of the Border-Gavaskar-Trophy in Australia.



22-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal's 161 run knock helped him the become just the second batter ever in the history of the sport to convert his first 4 Test Cricket tons into 150s. This knock of the Southpaw played a crucial role in helping his side win the Perth Test-Match



Legendary batsman Virat Kohli also managed to bring up his highly-awaited 30th century in the longest format of the game, going past the tally of Legendary Australian batsman Don Bradman. In order to score some quick runs, Kohli got involved in a really good partnership of 77 runs in just 52 deliveries with debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (38" Runs) before the Men in Blue declared their second inning for a mammoth score of 487-6. The Indians set a huge target of 534 runs for the Aussies, their highest ever in the history of the longest format of the game versus their fierce-rivals.



A defeat for the Kangaroos was guaranteed as their batters didn't look comfortable at all out their in the middle versus the Indian bowling unit and eventually they got all-out for a score of 238 runs, suffering a defeat by a margin of 295 runs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Updated WTC 2023-2025 cycle Points - Table</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Team</td><td>Matches</td><td>Won</td><td>Lost</td><td>Drawn</td><td>Points deducted</td><td>Points</td><td>PCT</td></tr><tr><td>India</td><td>15</td><td>9</td><td>5</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>110</td><td>61.11</td></tr><tr><td>Australia</td><td>13</td><td>8</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>90</td><td>57.69</td></tr><tr><td>Sri Lanka</td><td>9</td><td>5</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>60</td><td>55.56</td></tr><tr><td>New Zealand</td><td>11</td><td>6</td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>72</td><td>54.54</td></tr><tr><td>South Africa</td><td>8</td><td>4</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>52</td><td>54.17</td></tr><tr><td>England</td><td>19</td><td>9</td><td>9</td><td>1</td><td>19</td><td>93</td><td>40.79</td></tr><tr><td>Pakistan</td><td>10</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>8</td><td>40</td><td>33.33</td></tr><tr><td>Bangladesh</td><td>10*</td><td>3</td><td>7</td><td>0</td><td>3</td><td>33</td><td>27.5</td></tr><tr><td>West Indies</td><td>9*</td><td>1</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>20</td><td>18.52</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2025-mega-auction-full-list-of-players-acquired-by-all-the-teams-following-the-end-of-day-1/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2025-mega-auction-full-list-of-players-acquired-by-all-the-teams-following-the-end-of-day-1/">IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Full list of players acquired by all the teams following the end of Day 1</a>



For more information, visit the official website of <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/world-test-championship/standings">ICC</a>

BGT: Updated WTC Points-Table following India's win in the 1st Test-Match

bgt-updated-wtc-points-table-following-indias-win-in-the-1st-test-match

<img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/images/202411/image_870x_67481bd9012ce.jpg" alt="">
RCB Squad IPL 2025: The IPL 2025 auction is over, and RCB is one of the most talked-about franchises for its auction strategy. Here, we analyze the RCB squad's strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in the upcoming IPL 2025.
Royal Challengers Bangaluru was one of the franchises with the most purse before the auction. They retained just three players- Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. With a purse of over Rs 80Cr, everyone hoped they would rope in some big names, especially in the bowling department, but the management had different ideas.  
RCB team in the auction table was slightly inactive on DAY 1 of the auction. They let go of all the big names and roped in crucial but less-known names under the eyes for cheap. They really played smart on the table but the question is- do they have a strong squad to fight in the IPL 2025?
<h2>RCB Squad For IPL 2025</h2>
The RCB management indicated a complete change in the squad and built the team around Virat at the top, Patidar in the middle, and Yash Dayal in the bowling unit. They spent 23 Cr for just two pacers—Josh Hazlewood (Rs 12.25 Cr) and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (Rs10.75 Cr). They roped in Jitesh Sharma (Rs 11 Cr) and Phil Salt (Rs 11.25 Cr) for another 22 Cr and then spent around 12 Cr for two allrounders, Krunal Pandya and Rasikh Dar. 
All in all, they have built a strong unit around some strong Indian options in all departments. Let's take a look at the RCB Squad for the Upcoming IPL 2025:
<div dir="ltr" align="left">
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 56.8074%; background-color: #f8cac6; border-color: #000000; border-style: ridge;"><colgroup><col width="59" style="width: 21.7721%;"><col width="159" style="width: 39.3382%;"><col width="158" style="width: 39.0908%;"></colgroup>
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Player
</th>
<th scope="col" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Price
</th>
<th scope="col" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Country
</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Virat Kohli
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 21 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rajat Patidar
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 11 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Yash Dayal
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 5 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Liam Livingstone
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 8.75 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
England
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Jitesh Sharma 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 11 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Josh Hazlewood 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 12.50 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Australia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 10.75 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rasikh Dar
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 6 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Phil Salt 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 11.50 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
England
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Krunal Pandya 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 5.75 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Suyash Sharma 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 2.60 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Swapnil Singh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 50 lakhs
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Tim David 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 3 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Australia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Jacob Bethell 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 2.60 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
England
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Romario Shepherd 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 1.50 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
West Indies
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Nuwan Thushara 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 1.60 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Sri Lanka
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Devdutt Padikkal
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 2 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Swastik Chhikara
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Lungi Ngidi 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 1 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Manoj Bhandage 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakhs
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Abhinandan Singh 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Mohit Rathee 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"></div>
<h2>SWOT Analysis of RCB Squad</h2>
RCB spent most of its money on middle-order players and roped in players like Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, and Tim David. They strengthened their middle order, which was the problem in the previous seasons. 
<ul>
<li>Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Tim David</li>
<li>Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma</li>
<li>All-rounders: Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Romario Shepherd, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell</li>
<li>Fast bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Yash Dayal, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh</li>
<li>Spinners: Suyash Sharma, Mohit Rathee</li>
</ul>
<h3>STRENGTHS of RCB Squad</h3>
RCB has always been known for its batting. From Chris Gyle and AB de Villiers to Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, they have always had a batting-heavy squad. This time, they are among the strongest when it comes to batting power. With these names, they can play free and bold cricket, and they have also managed to rope in plenty of all-rounders to the team. 
Not only batting, but they also hold pretty strong fast bowling options. They have Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who are well-known for their tight bowling, and Rasikh Dar, who is an excellent middle over and death over bowler. 
<h3>WEAKNESSES of RCB Squad</h3>
They have weak spin-bowling options! With Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya seeming to be in the playing11, the spin department of RCB isn't promising even for their home ground. However, they have Liam Livingstone who can roll his arms, but that is not going to be enough. Spin is going to be their weak link.
<h3>OPPORTUNITIES in the RCB Squad</h3>
Playing with Virat Kohli, most likely under Virat Kohli, is a dream of many youngsters in India and across the world. There are a couple of young names in the squad, who can prove their young talent in the upcoming season. Especially, Suyash Sharma has a big opportunity to play bold and knock the international doors. 
Devdutt Padikkal is another name for opportunities. His charm and form were lost after he joined RR, but coming back to his home team, he really has a chance to unleash his potential in the IPL Stage. 
<h3>THREATS for RCB Squad</h3>
Threats for the Challengers squad are mainly not having proper backups. Their spin looks fragile, and a bad day of fast bowlers can ruin the game for them. They have enough options for bowling in the death, and bowling at the top, but concerns may arise in the middle order. 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/hardik-pandya-destroys-new-csk-bowler-slams-4-continuous-sixes-scores-an-excellent-fifty/">Hardik Pandya destroys new CSK bowler, slams 4 continuous sixes, scores an excellent fifty</a>
SOURCE- <a href="https://www.royalchallengers.com/">RCB OFFICIAL</a>

Most cricket pundits might not have liked the RCB's work at the auction table, but they are still strong and can turn the table anytime and against anyone in the league. Here is the SWOT analysis and review of the RCB squad for IPL 2025.

IPL 2025: RCB Squad after Auction, Players, Prices and Full SWOT Analysis