If there’s anything that’s been a long time coming in the Indian Premier League (IPL), it has to be Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally winning the championship. The team and the fans have been waiting for this despite always having a strong team with several star players on board.
It’s likely that RCB not having won yet has something to do with how inconsistent their performances could be in a single season. Then there’s also the constant pressure for them to do so well each year, especially since they had players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle in the team.
But even if it’s taking a while, each year is another chance for RCB, and the fans have always been hopeful. Since the Mega Auction for the 2025 IPL has already concluded, let’s take a closer look at how likely RCB will perform this year.
RCB’s Choices During the Mega Auction
All teams for the 2025 IPL had an increased purse of INR 120 crore (around $15 million). This was a 20% increase from their previous purse of INR 100 crore. For RCB, they had a remainder of INR 83 crore before the Mega Auction as they retained the following players:
- Virat Kohli: Retained for INR 21 crore
- Rajat Patidar: Retained for INR 11 crore
- Yash Dayal: Retained for INR 5 crore
Retaining only Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal likely reflects RCB’s strategy to balance their squad while effectively managing their budget. Kohli is a no-brainer since he’s simply one of the best batsmen of all time, and it can be agreed that he’s always had consistent performances.
Meanwhile, both Patidar and Dayal are promising talents. Patidar is also a skilled batsman and has already proven he’s a great asset to the team. Dayal is also a smart move because they get to keep a talented bowler while maintaining a balanced budget.
Since only 3 players were retained, they had to fill 22 slots before the auction, and they were able to do so. During the first day of the auction (November 24), RCB was able to purchase the following players:
- Liam Livingstone: INR 8.75 crore
- Phil Salt: INR 11.50 crore
- Jitesh Sharma: INR 11 crore
- Josh Hazlewood: INR 12.50 crore
- Rasikh Dar: INR 6 crore
It was on the second day when they filled the remaining slots with these players:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: INR 10.75 crore
- Tim David: INR 7.5 crore
- Romario Shepherd: INR 6.5 crore
- Nuwan Thushara: INR 5 crore
- Jacob Bethell: INR 4.5 crore
- Suyash Sharma: INR 2.6 crore
- Krunal Pandya: INR 5.75 crore
- Swapnil Singh: INR 50 lakh
- Devdutt Padikkal: INR 2 crore
- Swastik Chikara: INR 30 lakh
- Lungi Ngidi: INR 1 crore
- Abhinandan Singh: INR 30 lakh
- Mohit Rathee: INR 30 lakh
RCB’s strategy in signing these players likely revolves around strengthening their team dynamics and addressing specific needs. It does seem like they prioritised balancing their lineup on the first day with Livingstone, who’s great at both bowling and batting; Salt, who’s also known for being a flexible player; and Hazlewood, who is one of the fastest bowlers out there.
Virat Kohli’s Potential Return as a Captain
Since RCB has released Faf du Plessis, who has captained the team for three years, everyone’s now wondering who will captain the team. There are rumours that Kohli will be captain again, but there’s no official announcement yet.
However, players like AB de Villiers and Jitesh Sharma hinted that Kohli will play again. In an interview on De Villiers YouTube channel, he said, “I don’t think it has been confirmed yet, but he will be the captain, I think, looking at the squad.”
De Villiers also praised recruits like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood but noted the absence of a match-winning spinner as a potential concern.
On the other hand, Sharma shared his excitement about working under Kohli with Times of India. He said, “It will be great to play under Virat Kohli. I would love to play under him because he is energetic and enthusiastic and can push my limits.
“A person always involved in the game can inspire me to further my game. I’ll try to learn from Kohli’s consistency and how he has kept himself fit and motivated over all these years.”
Wrap-Up: Will They Champion the 2025 Edition of the IPL
Based on the IPL 2025 auction results, RCB has made some strategic acquisitions that could significantly boost its chances of finally getting a championship. They have a good mix of skilled players in different departments, so it will be interesting to see if they can utilise this effectively.
Add to that the excitement of who the captain will be. Many RCB fans would be happy to see Kohli be captain again, but we can only wait for this to be confirmed.