Last Updated on 2 weeks by Charbel Coorey

Retained: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal
RTMs available: 3

RTM options: Mohammed Siraj, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Lockie Ferguson

Out of these players, the first three names are likely to be of the most interest to RCB.

Purse available: Rs. 83 crores

Talking on the need to create a strong Indian core, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat said, “We’re all too aware of the need to establish a strong Indian core to our team going into the 2025 IPL season, and we feel that our retention decisions are a significant step in the right direction.”

“As for us, we now commence our auction preparations having retained top Indian talent, whilst also giving ourselves both options and flexibility with our three remaining RTMs, and a healthy available purse. It should be fun!” he added.

RCB IPL 2025 Auction Strategy: Indian core & class wicket-keeper key

Assuming RCB uses a Right to Match (RTM) card for Mohammed Siraj, who has been an integral part of the franchise since 2018, and buy back/RTM in-form 25-year-old Mahipal Lomror, who has scored 300*, 111, 6, and 99 in the last month of first-class cricket, RCB would have a strong Indian core to build around. They’ll have a world-class opener (Kohli), one of the country’s top middle-order T20 batters and spin-hitters (Patidar), a young and promising domestic left-hander (Lomror), one of India’s leading pacers (Siraj), and a domestic left-arm pacer who can swing the new ball upfront and also bowl in the death overs (Dayal).

Their primary requirement now? A solid wicketkeeper-batter, preferably Indian. Top options include Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan. Given that they have the second-largest purse, RCB would ideally aim to secure one of these players.

While Pant is the ideal fit – a left-handed domestic wicketkeeper-batter who can also captain – acquiring him may be difficult due to high demand, particularly with PBKS holding a massive ₹110.5 crore purse. Kishan also fits the bill in all areas Pant does, except for captaincy, and could be a great option. As for Rahul, it’s well-known that RCB will target him in the auction.

There’s also a possibility that RCB may target Jos Buttler as a wicketkeeper-batter. He can captain the side like KL Rahul and is one of the world’s top T20 openers.

If RCB somehow are unable to acquire any of Pant, Kishan, Rahul, or Buttler, they may bid heavily for Jitesh Sharma (whom they might target anyway as a middle-order batter and second keeping option). However, there’s a possibility that PBKS could use their RTM on him.

Who RCB finally acquires will also depend heavily on auction dynamics. Buttler and Pant will feature in the first marquee set, with KL Rahul in the second. Kishan and Jitesh will be part of wicketkeeper-batters Set 1, which will come a bit later.

RCB may need a solid left-hander for the top order

If RCB secure one of Buttler or Rahul, which is most likely, they must also target a solid left-hander at No. 3 to split the right-handers in the top 4. This would make it harder for opposition sides to attack with left-arm spin, a bowling type that has been a nemesis for them lately. Of course, while Lomror himself can play that role at No. 3, other options include: Rachin Ravindra, Venkatesh Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Nitish Rana, and Ben Duckett. If Jos Buttler opens, a domestic option at No. 3 may become a priority.

However, if RCB manage to acquire one of Pant or Kishan, they need not prioritize a left-hander at No. 3. In that case, options would still include the names mentioned above, but also expand to include Harry Brook, Glenn Maxwell (an outside chance for RTM), and Will Jacks (a probable RTM).

In any case, RCB will need a strong finisher to replace Dinesh Karthik, and the leading emerging option is Liam Livingstone, although he may be on PBKS’s radar for RTM. Other potential options to bat at No. 6: Marcus Stoinis, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, and Tim David.

There’s also a chance RCB might look to bolster their middle-order with the experienced David Miller at No. 5/6, although his returns have dipped of late.

Among Indian options, RCB might look to acquire local boy Abhinav Manohar, who has been in stellar form recently and could bat at No. 5. Abdul Samad is another high-ceiling young Indian lower middle-order option.

Currently, two potential XIIs are shaping up as follows:

Should RCB target Marco Jansen?

After the recent IND-SA T20Is, Marco Jansen’s stock has certainly risen, and he could be a solid No. 7/8 for many teams. Standing at 6’8″, he can move the new ball and with his long levers, has the ability to clear the fence with the bat. However, RCB are unlikely to target Jansen, as it would result in three bowlers whose best phase is the Powerplay (Dayal, Siraj, Jansen).

Among domestic options, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Sai Kishore stand out as top choices. Given the conditions at the Chinnaswamy, bowlers who maintain tight, defensive lines and lengths should be prioritised. My personal preference leans towards Sai Kishore or Krunal, although Brar could be available at a lower price, and I wouldn’t mind him either. While Ashwin is undoubtedly a genius and still can be valuable, given his age and recent inconsistency with his length, I think I’ll pass on him.

Head Coach Andy Flower’s preference for tall, hit-the-deck pacers could see the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Josh Hazlewood, and Anrich Nortje attract bids from RCB, with Lockie Ferguson possibly being a candidate for RTM. Although William O’Rourke is raw, taking a punt on him could be worthwhile — provided he doesn’t get too expensive — potentially as a backup, with the future upside in mind.

That leaves one spot for the lead spinner in the side, with several domestic and international options available: Yuzvendra Chahal, Noor Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Adam Zampa, Allah Ghazanfar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Adil Rashid, and Mitchell Santner (however, in that case, the chances of Sundar, or another off-spinner, increase instead of Brar/Krunal/Sai Kishore). For a venue like Chinnaswamy, it would be wise to opt for a defensive spinner rather than an attacking one. Mental strength also becomes a factor in such flat conditions. I personally will be very interested in the 18-year-old Allah Ghazanfar, who can also bat a bit.

*The names mentioned are not in order of priority, but rather based on their position in the full list of 574 players released by the IPL. For example: Venkatesh/Rachin/Wadhera/Rana/Duckett for No. 3 – Venkatesh is listed as the 21^st player, Rachin as the 25^th, as so on.

With so many potential combinations emerging just from this discussion, and so many more players yet to be considered, the possibilities are endless. The stage is set for an exhilarating mega auction starting this Sunday – let the bidding wars begin!