One of the most popular franchises, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will soon reveal their top retention list, as 31st October is the deadline to submit it. All eyes are on the big players expected to return once again.
However, their captain, Faf du Plessis, who led the team to the playoffs twice during his short RCB captaincy career from 2022 to 2024, may not get into the mix this time. The main reason coming is Du Plessis age, as he is now 40 years old, and he is surely not the future of RCB. This means there is a high chance the team will release him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
So the real question is, who will be the captain of RCB? This Bengaluru franchise has come close several times to the trophy under various captains, but everyone has failed to cross the final line. Now, changes are expected to come at the skipper level.
See three players who could lead the team if Faf du Plessis isn’t retained. There are also a few players not currently in the camp but are rumored to be targeted by RCB in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Players who could replace Faf du Plessis as captain of RCB
Virat Kohli
This is going to be the first IPL for Virat Kohli since his retirement from T20 international cricket. His potential return as RCB captain is a possibility, as many reports and social media are flooded that Virat Kohli may return to the camp not only as a player but as RCB captain. If RCB goes with this move, it is understandable in many ways, given his massive experience in international captaincy and in the IPL.
If we look at the timespan of Kohli’s captaincy in the IPL, he led RCB from 2013 to 2021, and the team reached the playoffs on four occasions. He also understands the culture of RCB well. Not to forget, RCB reached the finals in the 2016 IPL season under him, with Kohli coming out on top with the bat, scoring 973 runs, including four centuries and seven fifties.
KL Rahul
Apart from the RCB lineup, if we look outside, there are enough reports claiming that Lucknow Super Giants will release KL Rahul ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. RCB could show interest in Rahul if he goes into the auction, making this interesting, as it would be a homecoming for him if the Bengaluru franchise manages to buy him. Rahul is not new to the RCB camp, the stylish Karnataka player has a stellar record with the Bengaluru franchise during his stint from 2013 to 2016.
Now, if he goes into the auction and RCB buys him, looking at the current scenario where Faf du Plessis’s retention looks difficult, he could be one more contender alongside Kohli to replace Du Plessis as captain in the IPL.
Rishabh Pant
Last but not least, one more name who is not currently playing for RCB but is expected to be targeted by the franchise in the mega auction is Rishabh Pant. Retention with DC also looks difficult for Southpaw. Interestingly, this wasn’t the case a few months ago, but now changes have come that clearly hint at some big tweaks expected to take place.
If we look at the bigger picture, there is no Dinesh Karthik in the RCB mix, which means the team needs a wicketkeeper-batter. Given Pant’s attributes of aggressive batting and flexibility in wicketkeeping, there is a strong possibility that they will look to acquire him if the southpaw goes into the auction.
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