RCB’S AUCTION SAGA

Chasing the coveted IPL trophy, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) set out to revamp their strategy and sculpt a championship-winning squad at the recently concluded IPL 2024 auction in Dubai. Armed with a formidable purse of Rs 23.25 crore and six vacant slots, RCB ventured into the auction terrain, bidding adieu to key players such as Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood. But was it a good auction for the Bangalore-based franchise? Not quite. Excitement brimmed among RCB faithful, envisioning a high-profile pacer. However, as rivals such as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made swift moves, RCB’s beginning was measured. Initially, RCB aggressively pursued Australia’s Pat Cummins but withdrew at Rs 20.25 crore, paving the way for SunRisers Hyderabad to secure him for a record-breaking Rs 20.50 crore—until Kolkata Knight Riders eclipsed the record with a staggering Rs 24.75 crore for Mitchell Starc.

RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, shared insights post-auction, saying, “We had a good crack at Cummins, but SRH outbid us. Ideally, we wanted Starc, but the order made that tricky.” While securing West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph for Rs 11.50 crore and investing Rs 5 crore in Uttar Pradesh fast bowler Yash Dayal, RCB faced scrutiny, drawing disappointment from cricket stalwarts Anil Kumble and Mike Hesson. Giving RCB a rating of not more than seven out of 10, Kumble highlighted the team’s struggle to effectively replace the released players. “I don’t think they go beyond seven, because when you look at an auction, you’re looking to better what you have done in the past or released.

Have the players you selected surpassed the capabilities of the three bowlers you released, namely Hasaranga, Hazlewood, and Harshal Patel? No,” Kumble said, while speaking to the broadcaster post the auction. Bobat, while shedding light on the auction strategy, however expressed optimism, “Given our retentions and brave decisions, our main focus was a frontline overseas bowler. You can tell from our buys that we’ve recruited with a bowling attack perspective. That’s good fun.” Another shortcoming that can hurt RCB is their abstainance from bidding on released Hasaranga, a steal for SunRisers Hyderabad at Rs 1.5 crore.

“They still require a spinner. They’ll have to lean back on Karn Sharma, who hardly played last season… I don’t think they got it quite right,” said Former Team India coach, Kumble. Two intriguing spin options for RCB were Shreyas Gopal and Jagadeesha Suchith. Shreyas, trialled by the franchise and currently representing Kerala, could have been a versatile leg-spinning all-rounder. Jagadeesha, a left-arm spinner with stellar fielding and batting prowess, offered depth to the squad despite Mayank Dagar’s presence. But his services too were not secured by RCB. As the auction dust settled, concerns loomed over RCB’s spin department, anchored by Karn Sharma and Dagar, acquired through a trade with Delhi Capitals from SunRisers. RCB’s auction saga leaves fans eagerly anticipating the performance of this revamped squad in their pursuit of IPL glory.

• Squad strength: 25 (overseas 8)
• Players bought: Alzarri Joseph (Rs 11.5 crore), Yash Dayal (Rs 5 crore), Lockie Ferguson (Rs 2 crore), Tom Curran (Rs 1.5 crore), Swapnil Singh (Rs 20 lakh), Saurav Chauhan (Rs 20 lakh)
• The wins: Lockie Ferguson’s buy in the accelerated round.
• The losses: Lack of an experienced wristspinner to replace Wanindu Hasaranga and a specialist death bowler

• Openers: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Will Jacks
• Middle order: Rajat Patidar, Suyash Prabhudessai, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Anuj Rawat (wk)
• Allrounders: Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Manoj Bhandage, Tom Curran, Swapnil Singh
• Fast bowlers: Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Rajan Kumar, Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal
• Spinners: Karn Sharma, Mayank Dagar, Himanshu Sharma, Saurav Chauhan

“I don’t think they will get more than seven out of ten, because when you look at an auction, you’re looking to better what you have done in the past or released. Have the players you selected surpassed the capabilities of the three bowlers you released, namely Hasaranga, Hazlewood, and Harshal Patel? No.”

Anil Kumble, former player and Team India coach