Green-powered RCB short on legspin and death-bowling options

For the first time in four seasons, RCB missed the playoffs after being in contention until their final group game, where they were blindsided by a Shubman Gill century at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. It meant they finished sixth, with seven wins and seven losses.

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

RCB have all their players available right through the season.

There had been doubts over Cameron Green's availability for the first two games, but he is due to arrive in India ahead of the tournament opener after being given the green signal to miss the Sheffield Shield final by Cricket Australia.

After missing the five-Test series at home against England to be with his family for the birth of his second child, Virat Kohli is set to return to competitive cricket. He will link up with the squad at a pre-tournament camp in Bengaluru ahead of the opening game on March 22 in Chennai.

Green's acquisition during the pre-auction trades potentially gives them a four-overs bowler and batter in the top six. There's also out-and-out pace, with the option to bring one of Lockie Ferguson and Alzarri Joseph into the first XI.

RCB have seen several of their key Indian players enjoy a breakthrough season over the past few months.

Rajat Patidar's return after missing IPL 2023 because of a heel injury strengthens their top order. Patidar, who struck the first hundred by an uncapped Indian in the IPL playoffs in 2022, has been capped in Tests and ODIs over the past three months.

Fast bowler Akash Deep's excellent returns for India A against the England Lions in January-February led to him being handed a Test cap against England in Ranchi.

Fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak has come in the selectors' radar after earning a fast-bowling contract on the back of an excellent domestic season for Karnataka. His 39 wickets in eight Ranji Trophy matches in 2023-24 were the second-highest among fast bowlers this season. He also contributed wholesomely with the bat, hitting 343 runs in 13 innings.

They lack an experienced legspinner having released Wanindu Hasaranga. They will have to rely on the uncapped Himanshu Sharma or Karn Sharma, who has featured in barely a handful of games for the franchise over the last two seasons. Without Harshal Patel, they also need to find a death bowler.

RCB open their campaign with an away fixture in Chennai, where they haven't beaten CSK since 2008. They then return to play three straight home games before flying to Jaipur to end their first leg of matches as per the tournament's schedule.