In the 2021 edition of the IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore made the playoffs for the second year in a row. In the league stage, Virat Kohli and his teammates performed excellently, finishing third on the points table. They were unable to secure the title, though, after losing to KKR in the Eliminator match.
Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammed Siraj have all been retained by RCB ahead of the 2019 edition of the event. All three are vital members of the team and will be expected to make significant contributions in the forthcoming edition. RCB have a lot of stuff to iron out before the huge auctions. They’d like to construct a formidable pace assault in addition to selecting a new skipper.
They have Mohammed Siraj in their ranks, but it is unclear who will split the fast bowling duties with him. We’ve highlighted three pacers that Royal Challengers Bangalore will target at the auctions in this post.
Holder, Jason
According to sources, Royal Challengers Bangalore has set aside a significant sum of money for former West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder. Holder’s diverse skill set may help him land a big contract this year. In the IPL 2021, he was outstanding with both bat and ball for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The franchise, on the other hand, decided not to keep him for the following instalment. Holder will be auctioned off, and RCB are expected to make a significant bid for him. He might be the one to share the new ball with M Siraj, and he also has experience bowling at the death. Jason Holder has 35 wickets in 26 matches for an average of 22.45 in his IPL career so far.
Ferguson, Lockie
RCB has been on the lookout for bowlers who can bowl well in the death overs over the years. They’ve tried a variety of approaches but haven’t had much luck. M Siraj has unquestionably improved, but RCB would benefit from having extra options as well.
Lockie Ferguson, a fast bowler from New Zealand, could be the man for the job. Ferguson showed his class while playing for KKR in the second part of the IPL 2022. In just eight games, he took 13 wickets at a fantastic average of 17.23. Despite bowling in the last few overs, he finished with a 7.46 economy rate.
Unfortunately, the Kolkata Knight Riders had no choice but to release him, which means he will be auctioned off. At the auctions, Royal Challengers Bangalore was engaged in a bidding war for the New Zealand pacer.
Mohammed Shami is a member of the Islamic State
Despite bowling successfully in the last two seasons of the Indian Premier League for Punjab Kings, the club decided not to keep Mohammed Shami for the upcoming edition. The Indian pacer was particularly impressive in the death overs.
Shami will be up for grabs in the mega-auctions, and franchisees are expected to make a strong bid for him. In a quest to add another world-class Indian fast bowler to their set-up, Royal Challengers Bangalore could put their hands up to hire him. It will also allow them to play an extra overseas batsman rather than a bowler. It will be fascinating to see if RCB can secure his services at the auctions.