IPL Auction 2018: With good Indian picks on Day 2, Virat Kohli's RCB is the team to beat

For the longest time, RCB has been the team which made most noise during the auction. Be it for selecting a test team in the initial editions, to getting big-ticket buys with massive splurge, RCB was much talked about. However in the last decade of IPL, it has only flattered to deceive its fans. Even Virat Kohli as skipper hasn't changed the story.

In this year's auction, RCB has tried to keep its core intact. Hence it retained the marquee players Kohli and de Villiers and also young exciting talent Sarfraz. By RTM, it has retained Chahal and Negi, who have shown great tact in bowling in the Chinnaswamy pitch, which is a complete batting paradise. on Day 1, RCB made some big acquisitions buying  McCullum, de Kock and Grandhomme, alongside Umesh, Chahal  and quality allrounders like Moeen Ali and Woakes. It needed Indian firepower to supplement Kohli's aggression. On Day 2, it managed to do it beautifully. 

RCB picked up handy Indian batsmen like Parthiv, Mandeep, and allrounders like Washington Sundar,, Pawan Negi. It also got a clutch of pacers giving them a plethora of choice for the final XI. 

Overall, RCB has strong Indian batting core with Kohli, Patel, Mandeep in the mix. The foreign batting stars include de Villiers,  Moeen Ali, Grandhomme, McCullum, de Kock. There are quality allrounders in Woakes and Washington Sundar. Assuming RCB initially start by playing de Villiers, Woakes, de Kock and McCullum, the Indian bowlers have to chip in. RCB is not short of firepower in the Indian bowling department with likes of Siraj, Umesh, Saini and Anirudh Choudhary in the team.

Overall it is a really balanced side with no real flaws. Almost all players have a good back-up option, which is important in a long league.  RCB sort of went under the radar during the auction, because maximum they spent was Rs 7.4 crore for Woakes. However, with good utility buys, RCB has got arguably the best team in the IPL. 

There you have it, Challengers- the newest ensemble of the Bold Squad that we've all been waiting for! #BidForBold #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/R6TaAbbJq4

— Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) January 28, 2018

Maybe they would have hoped for another top domestic batting star, but it was always going to be a stretch after retaining Kohli before auction for Rs 17 crore.  RCB is a genuine top 4 contender, and will be a hard side to beat in their backyard. 

Strength: Solid mix of Indian and foreign players 

Weakness: Could have got another A-lister Indian batsman in the line-up

Auction Rating: 9.5/10 

Full team: 

Virat Kohli Batsman 

Ab de Villiers Batsman

Sarfaraz Khan