Champions Trophy 2025: 3 RCB players to watch out for

Cricket fans around the globe are set to witness the two back-to-back blockbuster tournaments - the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 followed by the highly-anticipated Indian Premier League 2025 in the coming weeks.

The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy will begin on February 19 with the top eight ODI teams battling for the prestigious title after the long gap of eight years. The final will be played on March 9 and then the Indian fans will turn their focus to the IPL 2025 which will begin on March 21.

The majority of the IPL stars are participating in the Champions Trophy and will be looking to make an impact in the 50-over tournament and then enter the cash-rich league with good form on their back.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans will see their star Australian players Josh Hazlewood and Tim David miss the ICC tournament while Indian cricketers Rajat Patidar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya, Yash Dayal and Devdutt Padikkal also fail to make the team. But five RCB players are set to feature in the Champions Trophy 2025 and we pick three players who can make an impact in the tournament.

1. Virat Kohli (India)

The former Indian and RCB captain was retained by the Bengaluru-based franchise for Rs 21 crore for the upcoming IPL 2025. Virat Kohli is surprisingly the only Indian player from the RCB setup that will be featured in the Champions Trophy 2025.

With almost 14000 ODI runs at an amazing average of 58.18 and with the help of 50 centuries, the out-of-form Indian batter will look back at his past performances in the upcoming tournament to gain some confidence. Kohli boasts 529 runs in just 12 innings at a sensational average of 88.16 and is only 262 runs short of Chris Gayle’s record for the most runs in the Champions Trophy history.

2. Jacob Bethell (England)

The 21-year-old rising English all-rounder Jacob Bethell was a surprise selection in England’s squad for the upcoming ICC which was announced in December last year. But since then, the youngster has proved his worth across formats and is likely to make headlines in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Bethell was signed by RCB for Rs 2.6 crore which now comes as a steal buy by the franchise, Bethell has scored 218 runs and has taken five wickets in nine ODIs and will be looking to have a positive performance in the Champions Trophy to earn a place in RCB’s preferred playing eleven for the IPL 2025 season.

3. Lungi Ngidi (South Africa)

Lungi Ngidi is set to get one big chance to impress and display his worth to cement a regular place in South Africa’s ODI team for the years to come. He was a surprise selection in the Proteas squad for the Champions Trophy after a poor show in the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023.

RCB managed to clinch Ngidi’s signature in the IPL 2025 mega auction for a base price of just Rs 1 crore. Ngidi boasts an impressive record in ODIs with 96 wickets in 61 innings at an average of 28.42 but faces strong competition from Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder for the places.

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