IPL 2025: Virat Kohli RCB's sole target as franchise plans full overhaul

As the countdown to the IPL player retention deadline heats up, all franchises are in overdrive, strategizing their next moves ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

With just 10 days to go, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) yet again found itself grappling with familiar dilemmas over their retention, as only Virat Kohli is the sure-shot retention as of now for the franchise.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) retention strategy has always revolved around the iconic Virat Kohli, but with the new season approaching, the franchise might shake things up ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Back in 2022, RCB had retained Kohli for INR 15 crore, Glenn Maxwell for INR 11 crore, and Mohammed Siraj for INR 7 crore.

RCB set to shake up core squad with only Virat Kohli confirmed retention for IPL 2025

However, this time around, they could opt for only a few retentions, hinting at major changes in their core lineup. Well, the RCB will follow; it's the age-old story of building a squad around Virat Kohli, but who will join the legendary cricketer on this ride is still unknown, according to the Times of India.

Virat Kohli, RCB’s backbone for over a decade, is a no-brainer for retention, but their other retentions are still unclear. Mohammed Siraj was once RCB’s pacer leader, but the Indian pacer failed to perform consistently in the last three editions of the IPL, leaking a lot of runs.

Glenn Maxwell was also underperformed in the 2024 season, while RCB skipper Faf du Plessis, who is now 40 and is unlikely to retain along with the Australian all-rounder, some big Indian names like Shivam Dube, Varun Aaron, and Australian all-rounder Cameron Green have not impressed the RCB at all.

Big RCB players set to be released by the IPL team

Cameron Green, who was traded from the Mumbai Indians (MI) in a big INR 17.50 crore deal, has recently undergone back surgery that ruled him out of action for at least six months, so he must not be on RCB’s radar. What makes the matter even worse is that RCB’s finisher and wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik retired from the game.

And Rajat Patidar doesn’t have that fire to lure the franchise into going for him. This leaves RCB to press the reset button, and the Right to Match (RTM) card could help them to retain some of the talents, but they are fresh faces and targeting a long-term captain to lead the team.

Adding to their dilemma, there is increasing pressure on RCB to focus on local Bengaluru talent. Over the years, the franchise has paid little attention to local players, with only a few like Devdutt Padikkal making a significant mark in the cash-rich tournament.

Karnataka government pushing RCB to go local

Now, the Karnataka government is pushing RCB to go local. So, all eyes will be on Karnataka players as the IPL 2025 mega auction. Well, KL Rahul is on the RCB’s wishlist, and he seems perfect for the franchise for the captain, having played for them in the IPL from 2013 to 2016.

KL Rahul ticks all the right boxes: captaincy experience, local connection, and the added bonus of being a more than capable wicketkeeper that the RCB needed after Karthik’s retirement. But it is only possible when Rahul and his current team, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), decide to part ways. Until then, RCB’s strategy is to build the team around Virat Kohli and hope the rest falls into place.