IPL 2024 Auction: RCB's Auction Strategy Revealed A Day Before The Event
Published - 18 Dec 2023, 08:28 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:24 AM
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head into the IPL 2024 auction with a remaining purse of 23.25 crores. They need to fill up six slots which includes three overseas slots. They have retained 19 players and invested nearly 77 crores in them.
RCB will be led by Faf du Plessis. The side has one of the most solid batting lineups among all the teams. Faf and Virat Kohli to open and Rajar Patidar or Cameron Green will bat at three. They will be followed by Glenn Maxwell, Suyas Prabhudesai, and Dinesh Karthik.
The franchise has released 11 players including the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasarana, and Harshal Patel who were their key bowlers in the last couple of seasons. Mohammed Siraj is the specialist Indian seamer who was retained.
Meanwhile, Mo Bobat, the team’s Director Of Cricket revealed the auction strategy of the franchise. RCB will need good bowlers to stack up their bowling attack after the release of three of their prime bowlers.
We Have A Strong Core Of Retained Players: RCB Director Of Cricket Mo Bobat
“Mohammad Siraj is a core part of what we do so supporting Siraj with some more bowling options including overseas bowling options is going to be a real priority for us moving forward,” Bobat was quoted as saying in a media release.
“Then we have got a core of local spinners, which I think is quite strong. Some of them got some opportunities over the last year or two and they might play more leading roles moving forward, he added.
“We have got a strong core of retaining players, and we have got a very powerful top order. Part of the decision-making that we had around our player release decisions was to try and strengthen the middle order, and bringing Cameron Green was a fantastic move,” said Bobat.
The RCB team director also spoke about ensuring the right team environment and culture heading into the auction allowing players to express themselves for the franchise.
“I am committed to a long-term project here. We have a fantastic captain in Faf, and an excellent group of senior players with the experience of Virat, Maxi (Maxwell), and DK (Dinesh Karthik). So the ingredients are really strong,” stated Bobat.
RCB traded Cameron Green from Mumbai Indians during the retention window. Green was traded for 17.5 crore to Royal Challengers Bangalore, allowing Mumbai to get back the money they needed to trade Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans. Green can open the batting and also bat in the middle order for the franchise.
Speaking about RCB, they are yet to win the IPL title despite playing 16 seasons in the league, They have been the finalists for two seasons and reached the playoffs on multiple occasions. They made it to the playoffs in 2021 and 2022. The franchise finished sixth in IPL 2022 winning seven games and losing seven.
The franchise also needs to look for an able successor for Faf du Plessis who will touch 40 by the time IPL 2024 starts. He might play a couple more seasons in the IPL within which the management needs to identify their next skippet.
The IPL 2023 will see a total of 333 players go under the hammer on December 19. There are 214 Indian players, 119 overseas players, and two players from associate nations. To break it up even further, there are 116 capped players and 215 uncapped players. RCB has a chance to buy some good bowlers in the auctions and has enough money to buy them as well.
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IPL 2024 IPL 2024 Auction RCB Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
