In the auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will have their work cut out for them. The franchise is known for lavishing large sums of money on batters while failing to reach the same level of balance as MI or CSK.
Their batting order has been stacked with great names over the years, but they have lacked real Indian batters. The franchise is eager on bringing in top Indian talent in order to move away from their sloppy past.
According to sources, Ambati Rayudu and Riyan Parag are the franchise’s key goals. Rayudu is a proven performer, and the franchise has put aside INR 8 crore for him, despite his age. Jason Holder of the West Indies is also on their radar, with RCB prepared to pay up to INR 12 crore for the 30-year-old.
“They’ve set aside Rs 12 crore for Holder, Rs 8 crore for Rayudu, and Rs 7 crore for Parag.” They will have Rs 28 crore left over after spending about Rs 27 crore on these guys. Kohli, Maxwell, Siraj, Holder, Rayudu, and Parag will form the core. PTI quoted a source close to RCB as stating, “Let’s hope they can secure two out of the favoured three.”
Aakash Chopra reports that RCB is interested in signing Shreyas Iyer for up to INR 20 crore.
A source told Aakash Chopra that the Bangalore franchise is interested in bringing Shreyas Iyer on board. They need a young Indian star to take over the captaincy now that Kohli has stepped down, and Iyer is one of the most sought-after signings.
“Now that Ishan Kishan has been dropped, money will be saved for him, and huge offers will be placed on Shreyas Iyer.” Someone told me that RCB had kept 20 crores for Shreyas Iyer, therefore it could be 15-16 crores. “Shreyas Iyer might be a future captain for KKR or RCB,” says a source.
The massive auction will take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.