Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) built perhaps their strongest bowling lineup for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. What was the result? Well, they lifted their maiden trophy after a wait of 18 years. Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal were exceptional as the batting, which has always done well for them, stood up.
However, they have an even tougher task at hand now. Winning the first time isn’t easy, but backing that up is much more difficult. That’s why Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are rated so highly; they haven’t just won once but have backed their results consistently with finals and titles.
RCB’s batting and fast bowling worked well, so they aren’t expected to make many changes for IPL 2026. But their spin-bowling can be improved. For those other departments, they might look for backups in the mini auction later this year.
RCB’s spin hole
Krunal was exceptional for them. But an issue lies there as well. The 33-year-old hadn’t bowled this well in IPL since his debut. Krunal has played over 12 matches each year since 2016. Yet, he had never taken more than 12 wickets in a season. For RCB, he got 17. Only once had he averaged under 25 before, but for RCB, he produced his best, 22.29.
His strike rate had never gone under 20. For RCB, it was 16.2. The pattern is clear; this was Krunal’s best. The left-arm spinner has never been a wicket-taker, and to expect him to perform like this again doesn’t seem a certainty at all. The second spinner, Suyash Sharma, wasn’t good at all.
The leggie missed just one match in IPL 2025, yet he took just 8 wickets. His average was over 55. He took a wicket in 6 overs. Had Krunal not massively overperformed, RCB would have been in trouble. Liam Livingstone actually outbowled Suyash statistically.
RCB’s spinners in IPL 2025
| Spinner | Type | Style | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krunal Pandya | Frontline | Left-arm orthodox | 17 wickets (Avg: 22.29, Econ: 8.23, SR: 16.2) |
| Suyash Sharma | Frontline | Leg spin | 8 wickets (Avg: 55.25, Econ: 8.84, SR: 37.5) |
| Liam Livingstone | Part-time | Off spin & leg spin | 2 wickets (Avg: 38, Econ: 8.44, SR: 27) |
| Jacob Bethell | Part-time | Left-arm orthodox | Did not bowl |
| Swapnil Singh | Frontline | Left-arm orthodox | Did not bowl |
| Mohit Rathee | Part-time | Leg spin | Did not bowl |
How Washington Sundar can solve RCB’s woes
They don’t just need more quality but also variety. They have one off-spinner, and that’s part-timer Livingstone. You need a front-line bowler. A perfect pick for them might be Washington Sundar. The talented all-rounder got wasted away in IPL 2025. The Gujarat Titans (GT) had acquired Washington for just Rs 3.20 crore.
It was a steal. But Washi played just 6 matches for them. Bowled just 11.5 overs. He showed improvement in his bowling, undergoing an action change in 2024, but Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore kept him out. Rashid probably had his worst IPL season yet, and Washi couldn’t find a spot.
Safe to assume that’ll happen again. He’s getting wasted. RCB can get him and that too for just Rs 3.20. For an all-rounder who’s a frontline bowler and can bat anywhere, it can’t get any better. RCB may not want a player from GT, but they can do an all-cash deal and bring Washington Sundar back to RCB after he spent seasons 2018 to 2021 with them.
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