Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have finalised their 22-member squad for the 2025 Indian Premier League after a two-day auction, but the captaincy remains uncertain. While there is no official confirmation yet, many expect Virat Kohli to be reappointed as captain. Kohli, who led RCB for several years before stepping down in 2021, guided the team to their last IPL final in 2016.
AB de Villiers, former RCB batter and cricket legend, seemed to drop a hint about Kohli’s potential return as captain. Speaking on his official YouTube channel, de Villiers said, “I don’t think it has been confirmed yet, but he will be the captain, I think, looking at the squad.”
In the auction, RCB secured senior India player Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has led in the IPL on an interim basis for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Krunal Pandya, who captains Baroda in domestic cricket. However, neither has extensive IPL captaincy experience, further fueling speculation that Kohli might return to lead the side.
De Villiers expressed satisfaction with RCB’s squad, particularly their pace attack, which includes Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. However, he noted the absence of a match-winning spinner in the team. He also mentioned missing out on Ravichandran Ashwin, who was picked up by CSK, but praised RCB’s overall balanced squad and hopes to make the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium a fortress.
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The former South African captain pointed out that the squad lacks a spinner who can turn the ball both ways, which could be a disadvantage, especially in home games. He suggested that RCB might consider picking up a spinner from the unsold players list or even called for the introduction of a mid-season transfer window to address such gaps. “It’s something to think about,” he added.