Brad Hogg picks RCB's ideal playing XI for IPL 2021

Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg has elected Royal Challengers Bangalore's ideal playing XI for the IPL 2021 season. RCB will be playing against defending champions Mumbai Indians on April 9 in their inaugural game of the tournament.

Starting with the opening slot, Brad Hogg picked RCB's last year's highest run-scorer, Devdutt Padikkal, along with the captain Virat Kohli. Hogg believes that Padikkal and Kohli will make a fierce opening partnership. Padikkal was brilliant last year, scoring 473 runs. He was also in excellent form in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring four consecutive hundreds.

Brad Hogg leaves out New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson 

Talking about the number three slot, the former left-arm off-spinner picked AB de Villiers, whereas the number five and six positions were given to RCB's two new players, Glenn Maxwell and Daniel Christian. To make the batting line-up fatal, Brad Hogg believes that RCB should play Mohammed Azharuddeen at the number six position as he can also act as a wicket-keeper for the team.

RCB has a good spin line-up with Adam Zampa, Washington Sundar, and Yuzvendra Chahal. However, Hogg chooses to go with two Indian spin options in order to include Kane Richardson. Brad Hogg wants Indian bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini to lead the pace attack for the team. With this, he left behind RCB's highest signing for IPL 2021, New Zealand's fast bowler Kyle Jamieson. Kyle Jamieson was a hot property at the IPL 2021 mini-auction, with many franchises entering into a bidding war for his services. Royal Challengers Bangalore ended up snatching the tall pacer for a whopping amount of INR 15 crore.

Brad Hogg's predicted playing XI

Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Mohammed Azharuddeen, Daniel Christian, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kane Richardson.

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