Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is one of the most popular IPL franchises. The Red Army has been part of the IPL since its inception, participating in all 17 editions of the most popular cricket league. With the IPL 2024 mega auction set for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, fans are eagerly anticipating which players will join their favourite team.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB retained three players: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. While Kohli was retained for Rs 21 crore, RCB invested Rs 11 crore in Patidar and Rs 5 crore in the uncapped Indian pacer Dayal. With a substantial remaining budget of Rs 83 crore, fans are excited to see which players the franchise will add to its lineup in the upcoming auction.
RCB’s IPL 2025 Mega Auction Plans: Strengthening the Squad for Success
RCB will have three Right to Match (RTM) cards available in the mega auction, and the franchise owners are keen to bring back as many star players as possible. Looking at RCB’s history, it’s clear that their main struggle in winning a trophy has often been due to weaknesses in their bowling lineup. Despite consistently having a strong batting side, RCB has faced challenges in their bowling department. Let’s have a look at which players they might target to strengthen their squad in the upcoming auction.
1. KL Rahul: KL Rahul made his IPL debut in 2013 for RCB and has scored 417 runs in 19 matches for the franchise over two seasons. The 32-year-old right-handed batter has expressed his desire to play for RCB again on multiple occasions. After not being retained by the Lucknow Super Giants, he will enter the auction for the first time since 2018, allowing RCB to bring him back to the team. If RCB picks him from the auction pool, we could see a destructive opening pair of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, as Faf du Plessis was not retained by the franchise.
2. Washington Sundar: The Tamil Nadu all-rounder, has played 31 IPL matches for RCB between 2018 and 2021, taking 19 wickets and scoring 208 runs. He joined SRH in the IPL 2022 mega auction but didn’t get many opportunities to play for the Hyderabad-based franchise. However, Sundar has been in red-hot form for India recently, and his impressive performances make him a key target for many teams in the upcoming auctions. Despite India losing the New Zealand series, he became the highest wicket-taker for India in the series. If RCB picks him, he could add significant value with both the bat and the ball, especially in the death overs.
3. Yuzvendra Chahal: Chahal is RCB’s leading wicket-taker in IPL history and the most successful bowler in IPL history, with 205 wickets. In 113 matches for the franchise, he dismissed 139 batters. Chahal was released by RCB ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, after which he joined Rajasthan Royals, where he took 66 wickets in 46 matches. He is the only bowler to have taken more than 200 wickets in the IPL and still has a lot to offer. This makes him a highly sought-after player, with many teams eager to secure his services in the mega auction.
In addition to the discussed players, RCB could also target Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mitchell Starc, and Devdutt Padikkal, all of whom have previously played for the franchise. It will be interesting to see which players RCB chooses to strengthen their squad for the upcoming IPL season. With their significant auction budget, fans are eagerly awaiting the team’s next moves.