Sat Mar 22 14:30:00 UTC 2025: ## RCB Unveils New Captain and Squad for IPL 2025: Can They Conquer Chinnaswamy?

**Bengaluru, India** – Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have announced a revamped squad for the upcoming IPL 2025 season, highlighted by the appointment of Rajat Patidar as captain. Patidar faces the significant challenge of improving RCB’s dismal home record at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the team has struggled since 2017, boasting a win percentage of just 44.12%.

To address this, RCB have bolstered their bowling attack with experienced players like Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Josh Hazlewood. The success of this strategy will be crucial to their overall performance. Hazlewood’s fitness, after a period on the sidelines, will be a key factor.

The batting lineup also features new faces, notably English T20 specialists Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone, who are expected to play significant roles alongside Virat Kohli. Jitesh Sharma replaces Dinesh Karthik as wicketkeeper, while Tim David and Romario Shepherd provide explosive power hitting in the lower middle order. Devdutt Padikkal, aiming for a resurgence, will be hoping for a consistent top-order position. Suyash Sharma is another player tipped for a breakout season.

A notable area of concern for RCB is their spin bowling performance at Chinnaswamy. Over the past two seasons, they’ve bowled the fewest spin overs and conceded the most runs at the venue. The team hopes that Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma can significantly improve this statistic.

RCB’s home advantage might be felt towards the end of the season, with their last two league games scheduled at the Chinnaswamy. Whether these changes will be enough to transform RCB’s fortunes remains to be seen, but the team has clearly made a concerted effort to address its weaknesses ahead of IPL 2025.

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