Bhuvneshwar Kumar the villain behind Mohammed Siraj-RCB separation in IPL

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) director Mo Bobat revealed the team’s strategy to not bid for Mohammed Siraj during the IPL 2025 mega auction. The director also stated that retaining Siraj would have complicated RCB’s plans to sign Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and the decision was made after careful consideration.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a bold call ahead of IPL 2025 by letting go of several senior names. They had three Right to Match cards but used only one. The team brought back Swapnil Singh but decided not to re-sign experienced stars like Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell.

Siraj played for the franchise for seven seasons. He is their third-highest wicket-taker with 83 scalps in 87 games. RCB did not place a single bid for him during the mega auction, nor did they exercise the RTM option. Gujarat Titans secured Siraj for a hefty ₹12.50 crore.

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We Were Keen to Sign Bhuvneshwar Kumar - Mo Bobat

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Mo Bobat said that releasing Mohammed Siraj was a strategic move to sign Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He added that retaining Siraj could have hindered the team’s plans to bring in Bhuvi.

“We were keen to try and get Bhuvi and we felt like hanging on to Siraj would make it difficult to get Bhuvi,” Mo Bobat told Cricbuzz.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20Is. He has taken 90 wickets in 87 matches at an average of 23.10 and a strike rate of 6.96, including two five-wicket hauls and three four-wicket hauls. However, he hasn’t represented India in T20Is since November 2022.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Played a Pivotal Role in RCB’s IPL 2025 Campaign

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 campaign. The right-arm pacer took 17 wickets in 14 matches, including best figures of 3/33. Kumar played a key role in the final against the Punjab Kings by dismissing Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis for 2/38.

Bhuvneshwar showcased his consistency and longevity in his IPL career. He has taken 198 wickets in 190 matches at an average of 27.33 with an economy rate of 7.69. The pacer has taken two five-wicket hauls and two four-wicket hauls.

Kumar is the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, with only Yuzvendra Chahal, who has 221 wickets, ahead of him. It is worth mentioning that Chahal also played for the Bengaluru franchise in the past.

Mohammed Siraj’s Performances for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025

Mohammed Siraj played for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. He took 16 wickets in 15 matches with an average of 32.93 and an economy rate of 9.24.

Siraj last played a T20I match for India during the 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka in July 2024, where he bowled nine overs across three matches but claimed only one wicket.

The Hyderabad-born cricketer was part of India’s victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign in the West Indies and the USA. Siraj featured in the first half of the tournament, taking just one wicket in three games. Notably, he was not included in the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.

Also read: Indian Government slaps BCCI with close to ₹400 Crores penalty before Asia Cup 2025