The Royal Challengers Bengaluru may have stumbled through past IPL Auctions like a puppy on a slick floor, but their think tank is gearing up for another shot at crafting a dream team that could finally end RCB's trophy drought. Let's dig into the possible players that the Bengaluru franchise might retain ahead of the mega auction.
Retaining Virat Kohli for Rs.18 crore is a no-brainer. This cricketing legend has been the heartbeat of RCB since day one and is the league’s top run-scorer—definitely a no-brainer! While most teams are clinging to their captains like a kid to a candy bar, Bengaluru might just wave goodbye to Faf du Plessis, let alone flush 18 crore on him. The former South Africa skipper is already 40 and retaining him for the next 3 years might not be a sensible move.
RCB is likely to retain Rajat Patidar for Rs.14 crore.Will Jacks could be RCB's surprise third retention for Rs. 11 crore. This 25-year-old English all-rounder is just what the doctor ordered to keep Bengaluru's middle order from collapsing like a house of cards in a windstorm. After smacking a century last season, letting go of a player of his caliber would be like tossing a winning lottery ticket into the recycling bin.
RCB might not be known for their bowling but one pacer who has done exceedingly well for them has been Mohammed Siraj.
The Royal Challengers might just pull a rabbit out of a hat by retaining Swapnil Singh as an uncapped player for Rs. 4 crore. The off-spinner made the most of his limited chances last season, snagging 6 crucial wickets in just 7 games. He turned into RCB’s secret weapon during powerplay overs, getting the job done more often than not.
Word on the street is that Glenn Maxwell is packing his bags, and retaining Cameron Green would mean dipping into that Rs. 14 crore retention slot. RCB might just decide to let these players go, roll the dice in the auction, and try to snag Yash Dayal or Akash Deep instead. Plus, they'd get to save a few shiny coins in the process. Well, who wouldn't want to swap their old phone for a new one and score a killer deal?