The trend of selecting five Impact Players began in IPL 2023, permitting an IPL team to replace an injured player with a pre-picked substitute player. As per the conditions of the match, a potential player can replicate the performance of the player who has no option other than signing off from the live match due to a valid reason.
As Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have 22 players in the squad to play diverse roles and a history of on-ground injuries, picking up five in-form substitutes can alter the direction of the match. Here, we will talk about the top three impact player options RCB can name in addition to the playing XI.
In the season opener, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be confronting defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 22, 2025. Ahead of IPL 2025, RCB preferred to undo the previous mistake of buying massive names and came up with a solid squad. Three star players from England will join the campaign, while the services of star batter Virat Kohli have been retained. However, the importance of impact players for RCB is undeniable. Before talking about the top three impact players, let’s have a look at probable RCB’s playing XI.
RCB Probable Playing XI for IPL 2025
Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(C), Liam Livingstone, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood/Nuwan Thushara, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Impact Player Options for RCB in IPL 2025
1. Tim David
Tim David is an Australian all-rounder who is picked up in the RCB squad at INR 3 crore. Selecting him as an impact player can add diversity in both batting and bowling as a probable replacement for Josh Hazlewood or Nuwan Thushara. David is known as a finisher, as he has been highly effective for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League (BBL). Tim David carries a remarkable career in BBL from 2018 to 2025. Below, you can check the summary of his batting stats in BBL, T20, and IPL.
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 4s | 6s | 50 | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBL | 76 | 76 | 1326 | 76 | 28.82 | 157.66 | 88 | 71 | 4 | 0 |
| T20 | 54 | 48 | 1201 | 92 | 33.36 | 161.21 | 101 | 65 | 6 | 0 |
| IPL | 38 | 35 | 659 | 46 | 28.65 | 170.29 | 38 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
Tim David stays consistent in all tournaments he participates in, as his batting average is above 28 whether he represents his team in T20I, BBL, or IPL. While batting second or finishing the first inning, he will be in acceleration mode. Moreover, David can bring variation in bowling line-up as well, even though his experience in bowling is limited but impactful. You can check his bowling stats below.
| M | Inn | B | Runs | Wkts | Avg | Econ | SR | BBI | 5w | 10w | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBL | 76 | 29 | 274 | 381 | 4 | 95.25 | 8.34 | 68.5 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 |
| T20 | 54 | 11 | 164 | 255 | 5 | 51.0 | 9.33 | 32.8 | 1/18 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | -/- | 0 | 0 |
Tim David is an occasional bowler with acumen for off-spin. Although he has rarely been given the ball, he inculcated his best bowling inning as 1 wicket at the expense of just 4 runs in a BBL match. In an attempt to lower the run rate of the opposition, he can be handed over a few overs in a match.
2. Rasikh Dar
With the auction price of a whopping INR 6 Crore, Rasikh Dar is a suitable impact player for RCB. Although his selection did not make much of the headlines, he brings IPL experience, having been released by Delhi Capitals. Also, his presence in the domestic circuit has been consistent, which makes him a suitable pick for an impact player. Considering his minimal experience in a cash-rich league, he may have to wait for his spot in the playing XI. However, he can show his bowling prowess as an impact player, having 9 wickets to his name in 11 IPL matches. Below you can check Rasikh Dar’s IPL bowling stats.
| Mat | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 195 | 339 | 9 | 3/34 | 37.67 | 10.43 | 21.67 | 0 | 0 |
Although Rasikh Dar has not played much in the IPL, he can be the best choice for death overs, which was visible in the Emerging Asia Cup, where he grabbed three important wickets in the semifinal and conceded only 25 runs in his 24 legal deliveries. He can add an extra layer of pace in the RCB campaign as he can be called up in place of an Indian player who may not contribute with the ball.
3. Swapnil Singh
Although Swapnil Singh is not as popular as other star players, he is an emerging player RCB witnessed in the last season. He has the potential to change the direction of the match while performing as an all-rounder. Below, you can look at his T20 stats in IPL.
| Mat | No | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 4 | 39 | 15* | 19.50 | 25 | 156.00 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Bringing Swapnil Singh as an impact player guided RCB to note victory against SRH in IPL 2024. He accelerated with a strike rate of 200 to give a desirable finish to the first inning of RCB, and he gathered 2 important dismissals. In that match, he was a substitute for Rajat Patidar, who had played his inning while RCB was batting first. In case RCB fields second, he may replace an Indian batsman to have his overs reserved for the remainder of the match. Below you can check his bowling stats in IPL.
| Mat | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 102 | 151 | 6 | 2/28 | 25.17 | 8.88 | 17.00 | 0 | 0 |
In 9 matches, Swapnil Singh led the caravan of his team with 6 wickets and a notable best bowling inning of 2/28. The right replacement in the form of Swapnil Singh can help RCB to bring the winning odds in favour.
IPL is a dynamic tournament much like any domestic or international T20 match. The clarity of adding suitable impact players to the RCB campaign is another factor to measure success in IPL 2025.
