“Ee salla cup namde” might have turned into a meme for a 16-year long trophy drought but as Royal Challengers Bangalore do, they will try again. With a new team management coming in, RCB have already made some shocking decisions that only they can explain. But what’s apparent is that RCB need an overhaul in the bowling department at the IPL 2024 Auction. RCB auction strategy will revolve around landing Mitchell Starc for a season before another round of overhaul next year.
Royal Challengers Bangalore made some strange decisions with their retentions. With Andy Flower taking charge, they released Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga and Harshal Patel besides Wayne Parnell and David Willey. They even traded Shahbaz Ahmed for Mayank Dagar.
And with that, RCB are back to square one with their bowling department.
What do RCB need at IPL 2024 Auction?
- An overseas fast bowler
- An Indian fast bowler
- An A-list spinner
RCB’s strength
Despite releasing 11 players from IPL 2023 roster, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s strength lies in batting. Even at a premium, Cameron Green is an excellent trade from Mumbai Indians.
With Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli opening and Rajat Patidar at No 3, Cameron Green can take up the No 4 slot. Glenn Maxwell at No 5 and Will Jacks or Anuj Rawat at No 6, RCB will have the cushion in Dinesh Karthik to porvide the finishing touch.
RCB Auction Strategy: Who could be RCB’s top targets?
It goes without saying, RCB need a revamped bowling unit and with Josh Hazlewood released, they need an overseas fast bowlers. With Rs 23.25 Crore remaining in the purse, RCB Auction Strategy will be around calculated decisions to get their main targets.
Mitchell Starc: An RCB player in 2014 and 2015, Mitchell Starc is one of the best there is. He can swing it in, trouble with his in-swinging yorkers and can even hit some big shots if needed. Hence, the Australian pacer will be one of RCB’s primary targets at the auction.
Pat Cummins: If RCB can’t land Mitchell Starc, their next option would be to go for another big fast bowler Pat Cummins. The Australian Test and ODI captain is back in IPL. While his economy is on the higher side, Cummins can still be a good pick for any team. And he can also provide the batting depth.
Shivam Mavi: After spending the entire last season on the bench, Shivam Mavi would aim for a restart. And there is no better place than RCB. If he can bowl some good overs at miniscule M Chinnaswamy stadium, he would definitely attract selectors’ attention in a T20 World Cup year.
Adil Rashid: Among spinners, Adil Rashid could be a potential top pick. Even though Rashid has failed to live up to the expectations, the England leg-spinner could be an ideal replacement for someone like Wanindu Hasaranga.
Shreyas Gopal: The Karnataka leggie has already given trial at RCB and there is no one who knows the ground and conditions better than Shreyas Gopal. Having troubled Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the past, Shreyas Gopal could be the one Indian uncapped spinner with the potential to make it big. He has been a handy batter as well and that would be a bonus.
Among other options, South African Gerald Coetzee could be a good addition having impressed in the World Cup not so long ago. Lockie Ferguson is another big tall fast bowler RCB could target from the fast bowlers’ set.
Afghanistan tweaker Mujeeb Ur Rahman is also available at the auction. As he has impressed in national colours, he is another spinner RCB should watch out for.
- Remaining Purse: Rs 23.25 Cr
- Slots to fill: 6
- Overseas Players: 3
RCB Retained players: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma and Rajan Kumar.
RCB Released players: Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Wayne Parnell, Sonu Yadav, Avinash Singh, Siddarth Kaul, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, David Willey and Kedar Jadhav.
Players traded:
- Mayank Dagar (from Sunrisers Hyderabad) for Shahbaz Ahmed
- Cameron Green (from Mumbai Indians)
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