Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) might recreate something they did four years ago. At the coming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, the franchise might buy William O’Rourke. How will it be a deja vu moment? In 2021, RCB got another New Zealand quick, Kyle Jamieson, at the auction. Apart from playing for the same nation, there are a few eerie coincidences.
Virat Kohli troubles against Jamieson & O’Rourke
The first one is, both troubled Virat Kohli. O’Rourke and Jamieson both had their first meeting against the Indian great in Test cricket and that too caught. Fascinatingly, it took both the pacers just six deliveries to get the former Indian captain out. Jamieson did so at the Basin Reserve in Wellington and O’Rourke got that special scalp M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Jamieson troubled Kohli with his bounce and movement. Standing at 6’8, everyone found it tough, but the batter from Delhi couldn’t even play more than six balls in their first meeting. This happened in 2020; next year at the IPL 2021 auction, RCB bagged Jamieson for a whopping Rs 15 crore. Jamieson continued to trouble Kohli, and just after the 2021 season, they faced off in the World Test Championship Final, where the tall Kiwi got him out both times in the match.
Four years later, he faces another tall New Zealand pacer. O’Rourke stands at 6’4 and, as mentioned above, got Kohli out in just 6 balls. On November 24-25, there’ll be the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, and considering that O’Rourke has pace and bounce, no one would be shocked if the 23-year-old returns to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium; the only difference would be seeing him in a Red and Gold jersey.
William O’Rourke getting rich at IPL 2025 auction?
O’Rourke’s T20 record is average, but if we know anything, it’s that RCB have always failed to assemble a good team. They’ve consistently made errors at the auction table, and don’t be surprised if they overpay him. He’ll start at a Rs 1.5 crore base price and might as well take 10 times more money. Don’t forget they paid Jamieson Rs 15 crore, and O’Rourke is younger, faster, and more volatile than him.
William O’Rourke’s T20 stats
| Matches | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 28 | 23.14 | 7.76 | 17.8 | 4/23 |
