NEW DELHI: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction approaching, former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has shared some bold and intriguing insights about Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) strategy.
The franchise has retained Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and uncapped pacer Yash Dayal, keeping Rs 83 crore available for auction, which gives RCB substantial flexibility.
De Villiers believes that RCB’s retention choices set a solid base and sees potential for the team to acquire impactful players who could make RCB a title contender.
“The good news is we still have Virat. And we didn’t spend too much with the retentions. There’s a lot in the bank still, which I’m very happy about,” de Villiers remarked on his YouTube channel.
Kohli’s consistency and leadership are the backbone of RCB, with his impressive 2024 season where he scored 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.70 earning him the Orange Cap.
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But, according to de Villiers, Kohli alone isn’t enough; the squad needs more players with skills tailored for Chinnaswamy Stadium.
De Villiers sees leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal as a priority: “Let’s just get Yuzi back at RCB where he belongs. He should never have left.”
He also suggested a robust bowling unit, ideally including Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
“We’re talking about a tournament-winning attack there,” he added.
Additionally, de Villiers suggested Bhuvneshwar Kumar as an option if Rabada isn’t available, highlighting his vision for a versatile, street-smart team that can excel on the home ground.
“My four priority players are Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ravi Ashwin. We can make a plan with the rest of the money we have left in the auction. If you can’t get Rabada, I get hold of Mohammed Shami. If you can’t get him, get hold of Arshdeep Singh. So there’s lots of options,” he further added.
“We don’t need a trophy. Forget about the trophy. We need a team that understands the Chinnaswamy, who are street smart, who can bowl to plans, who can play to plans, who has got a very good understanding about the game of cricket,” de Villiers noted.
With a calculated mix of spin, pace, and experience, RCB’s potential auction strategy could be groundbreaking. As de Villiers suggests, RCB has a strong chance to build a winning formula with the right investments.