Bangalore, 26 November (IANS). After the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Cricket Director Mohd. Bobat shared the strategy behind the team’s thoughtful and bold approach to the auction and its related decisions. He stressed that RCB focused on building a balanced and competitive team and stayed away from the unpredictable nature of the auction (spending money recklessly).
Acquiring explosive batsmen like Phil Salt (11.5 crore), Liam Livingstone (8.75 crore) and Tim David (3 crore) was central to RCB’s vision, bringing aggression to the top and middle order and building a reputation for being an ‘adventurous brand of cricket’. Coordinated with. RCB also created an attractive bowling unit by bringing back Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood (12.5 crore), who knows Chinnaswamy tracks well, and pairing him with Indian swing king Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10.75 crore). This pairing can be fatal.
Mo Bobat said, “To be honest, RCB has never won the IPL. In the past, we have focused on spending more money on a smaller number of players. This year, we looked at it differently, aiming to build a balanced team rather than overspend on top-order batsmen. Jitesh Sharma is a high quality Indian player who can add real strength to the lower order. He is a player who might be able to replicate the finishing touch of Dinesh Karthik (DK).”
The decision to not participate in the initial phase of the auction and focus only on the players they really wanted with them was a deliberate and bold strategy adopted by the team management. Each successful bid filled a key role the team needed and added diversity to the team, aligning with broader goals for the upcoming season and beyond.
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma (₹11 crore) added finishing prowess lower down the order, forming a formidable batting lineup, while veteran Krunal Pandya (₹5.75 crore) and West Indies’ Romario Shepherd provided strength to both the batting and bowling departments. .
Team head coach Andy Flower said, “It was really great to acquire Bhuvi. With the addition of Krunal, skill has come into the team and with the arrival of Hazlewood, who is back in RCB, the team has been strengthened. It would be great to have him back at the club. We saw what Yash Dayal did last year and now we also have Rasikh Dar, who is vying for a spot. So I think that’s the kind of skill you need in Chinnaswamy in the bowling department. So, getting that level of skill is a good thing for us. Well, actually we have several of our first options. So, we are really happy with where we stand at the moment.”
RCB batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik said about RCB’s IPL 2025 squad: “All the fans feel that RCB definitely has one of the strongest teams ever. We have tried to achieve everything that RCB did not have. A strong bowling unit, a batting that can be consistent and powerful. There is not a single player on whom we have invested too much. We have made consistent investments around the batting order. And I think when you look at it, that’s one of the good aspects of RCB. Our goal is to perform big and we will do everything we can to make sure we do that and keep the fans happy.”
The strategy of buying players also reflected the strong confidence in uncapped players who would deliver results. This meets the needs of bold outfits created by the management. The purchases of Suyyash Sharma (2.2 crore) and Rasikh Dar (6 crore) underline that mindset. Rasikh, who emerged as a particularly economical bowler in IPL 2024, and Suyyash, whose spin bowling troubled many batsmen, became part of that objective.
RCB IPL Auction 2025 Players Bought:
Liam Livingstone (8.75 crore), Phil Salt (11.5 crore), Jitesh Sharma (11 crore), Josh Hazlewood (12.5 crore), Rasikh Dar (6 crore), Suyyash Sharma (2.2 crore), Krunal Pandya (5.75 crore), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10.75 crore), Swapnil Singh (50 lakh), Tim David (3 crore), Romario Shepherd (1.5 crore), Nuwan Thushara (1.6 crore), Jacob Bethel (2.6 crore), Manoj Bhandale (30 lakh), Devdutt Padikkal (2 crore), Swastik Chhikara (30 lakh), Lungi Ngidi (1 crore), Abhinandan Singh (30 lakh), Mohit Rathi. (30 million).
–IANS
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