Former Australian National Cricket Team cricketer Adam Gilchrist has stirred up IPL fans with his latest prediction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. In a lighthearted yet bold statement he suggested that Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) could end up at the bottom of the points table this season.

adam-gilchrists-bold-ipl-2025-prediction-rcb-to-finish-lastAt the IPL 2025 auction RCB made some aggressive moves, bringing in key overseas players. They secured England Phil Salt for ₹11.50 crore, expecting him to open alongside Virat Kohli. They also added Liam Livingstone (₹8.75 crore) a proven match-winner known for his explosive batting and all-round abilities.

To further strengthen their squad RCB roped in young Another English talent Jacob Bethell (₹2.60 crore) and brought back Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood (₹12.50 crore). Additionally they secured another power-hitter from Australia Tim David (₹3 crore) to bolster their middle order.

Gilchrist known for his candid takes jokingly claimed that RCB’s over-reliance on English players might work against them. 

"I think there is a fair chance (that RCB finish last), because I'm basing it on the fact that there's just too many Englishmen in the squad. So, RCB. On the back of having too many Englishmen in there," Gilchrist said in the podcast.  

Despite his bold prediction Gilchrist made it clear that he has nothing against Virat Kohli or RCB fans. Instead he playfully urged them to question their team’s recruitment strategy  

"Nothing against Virat, nothing against their fans. I apologise to the fans, but you've got to talk to your recruiting agents," he added.

RCB squad: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.