The existing ten franchises of the Indian Premier League have announced their final lists of retained players on November 26 ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024 auctions. The upcoming IPL Auction is going to be very important for all the ten teams. It will be the final opportunity for the teams to build their squad from scratch. Each franchise will look forward to acquire players who can be their long term partners. Some teams will target young talent whereas some teams will look for a new captain. In this article we will talk about Royal Challengers Bangalore and its approach towards the IPL auction.
Royal Challengers Bangalore had quite a successful campaign in the 2023 edition of the tournament as they were able to reach the play offs. South Africa’s Du Plessis, Australian hitter Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli were the best performers for the side. However, the situation has changed completely for the next season. RCB have retained their regular players like Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj and Faf Du Plessis. RCB have released their three main bowlers – Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel and Josh Hazlewood. Therefore, the management need to rebuild the squad.
Royal Challengers Bangalore retained and released players list
Retained Players: Akash Deep, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Faf Du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Himanshu Sharma, Karn Sharma, Mahipal Lomror, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar (T), Mohammed Siraj, Rajan Kumar, Rajat Patidar, Reece Topley, Suyash Prabhudessai, Virat Kohli, Vyshak Vijay Kumar, Will Jacks
Released Players: Avinash Singh, David Willey, Finn Allen, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Kedar Jadhav, Michael Bracewell, Siddharth Kaul, Sonu Yadav, Wanindu Hasaranga, Wayne Parnell
Let’s have a look at players that RCB can target in the IPL 2024 auctions.
Mitchell Starc
The one department that always haunts RCB is its fast bowling department. At present, Siraj is the only recognized pacer in Bangalore’s squad. The franchise have released Harshal Patel and Josh Hazlewood ahead of IPl 2024 auction. Assessing the present situation, it is high time for RCB to bid all out for Mitchell Starc. The last appearance of Australian fast bowler came in IPL 2015 for Royal Challengers Bangalore itself.
Starc is a highly skilled Australian fast bowler, known for his pace and ability to swing the ball. If RCB is looking to bolster its pace attack and add a world-class fast bowler to their squad, Starc could be a valuable addition. His experience makes him a seasoned campaigner. Starc can strengthen their bowling attack and enhance their chances of success in the tournament.
Chetan Sakariya
Bangalore have released Harshal Patel ahead of IPL 2024 auctions. The pacer gave too many runs in IPL 2023 and proved to be very expensive. Now the management need to bring in another Indian fast bowler and Left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya could be his replacement in the RCB squad. If RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) is looking to strengthen their fast-bowling department in the IPL 2024, Chetan Sakariya could be a valuable addition.
Consider RCB’s current squad composition, there’s a gap in the fast-bowling department and a need for a young and promising talent, Sakariya could be a suitable choice. If we take into account Sakariya’s age, he has huge potential for growth, and he easily aligns with RCB’s long-term plans. Investing in young and talented players can be beneficial for the team’s future.
Shivam Mavi
Even if RCB succeeds in purchasing Chetan Sakariya then also there will be need for another fast bowler because the team has released a total of five fast bowlers ahead of IPL 2024 auction. The likes of Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Wayne Parnell, Siddharth Kaul and David Willey have all been released. All of them played at least one match in the last season.
Shivam Mavi is known for his fast bowling abilities. The youngster has been released by Gujarat Titans for IPL 2024. He did not get playing opportunity in IPL 2023. It would not be very difficult for RCB to rope in Mavi considering his price.
