Initially, all eyes were on the IPL retention rules and how they would be structured. The rules for the IPL 2025 mega auction have been announced, and now fans are anticipating how their favorite franchises will capitalize on the 5+1 retention policy. Speaking about the one of the most popular IPL franchise RCB, which is still searching for its first IPL trophy, how will they structure their retention list this time? They now have a good number of options to retain both superstars and emerging players.
So, who should they target? Since franchises need to submit their list of five retained players by October 31, take a look at RCB’s possible retained list ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Players RCB should retain ahead of IPL 2025 auction
Virat Kohli
The first name that will not surprise any IPL fan is Virat Kohli, as it is a no-brainer that there is a strong chance King Kohli will be retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. There are many reasons for this; he is the extremely experienced face of this franchise.
Since the IPL’s inception, he has been with the team and has consistently come out on top whenever his team needed him. Although there were a few hiccups in the past, especially in IPL 2022, if we leave that season aside, there have not been many flaws in his IPL career.
Last season, he was not only the highest run-scorer for the team but also won the Orange Cap for the second time in IPL. It is highly likely that RCB management will retain Virat Kohli once again for IPL 2025.
Rajat Patidar
Aggressive batter and now RCB’s backbone, Rajat Patidar was one of the players who helped the team get back on its toes last season. Initially, RCB saw seven losses in eight games of IPL 2024, but then this aggressive batter stepped up and did an impressive job. In 13 innings, he scored 395 runs with a striking strike rate of 175.13.
Now, with Dinesh Karthik not in the team and Faf du Plessis’s chances of getting retained looks little difficult, RCB can’t afford to lose Rajat Patidar. We may see him getting retained as well ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Mohammed Siraj
RCB’s outstanding pacer Mohammed Siraj is likely to be one of the picks, as there is no question that Bengaluru should retain him. Currently, RCB’s major issue lies in their bowling rather than their batting. The team plays seven home games at Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the ground dimensions are extremely small. Still, this pacer has performed well in the past, even in away games. He has shown promise and has delivered many times. Although his bowling economy is often under pressure, there is no doubt about his ability to effectively utilize the seaming conditions. We can expect to see Mohammed Siraj once again in the RCB mix.
Yash Dayal
Apart from some capped names, speaking about uncapped ones, Yash Dayal could be the player whom RCB should retain, as the redemption we saw from him is remarkable. After having a poor IPL in 2023, when he was hit by Rinku Singh for 30 runs, Dayal, who was playing for the Gujarat Titans at that time, came to RCB, and the tide changed completely last season. He took 14 wickets with a decent bowling economy of 9.15, and his big over against the five-time champions CSK in a must-win game changed everything for him. The team will look to invest more in Dayal.
Vyshak Vijaykumar
Can we see some out-of-the-box players getting retained? One name that might stand out is another uncapped player, Bengaluru homeboy Vyshak Vijaykumar. Although this emerging pacer is currently new to the IPL circuit with just 11 matches of experience, what makes Vyshak Vijaykumar special is his consistency. Last year, he played only four games, but his effective bowling length and ability to control runs became his major strengths. Similar to Dayal, he is also making a name for himself. We may see Vyshak Vijaykumar getting retained as well.
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