If Virat is the captain, RCB will try to bring their old trump card back

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Sanjay Manjrekar expects the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to try and acquire Yuzvendra Chahal at the IPL 2025 auction if Virat Kohli is their skipper. However, he feels the Bengaluru-based franchise might find it difficult to reacquire their former potent weapon as the Rajasthan Royals (RR) will want to reassemble the spin-bowling duo of Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin.

RCB have retained only three players – Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal – and have an available purse of ₹83 crore heading into the auction. The Royals have retained the maximum allowed six players. They have a remaining budget of only ₹41 crore and do not have the option to use the Right To Match card either.

On the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’, Manjrekar reflected on some of the players the Royal Challengers Bengaluru might look to acquire. As for Chahal, he said:

“I believe it will be very difficult for RCB to get Chahal because the Rajasthan Royals will try their best to maintain the partnership of Ashwin and Chahal. If Virat is the captain, RCB will try to bring their old trump card back.”

Chahal picked up 18 wickets at an economy rate of 9.41 in 15 innings in IPL 2024 for RR. With 139 scalps at an economy rate of 7.58 in 112 innings, the leg-spinner is RCB’s highest wicket-taker across all T20s.

“I see Glenn Maxwell returning there” – Sanjay Manjrekar expects RCB to reacquire Aussie all-rounder in IPL 2025 auction

Glenn Maxwell managed 52 runs at a paltry average of 5.78 in nine innings in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]Glenn Maxwell managed 52 runs at a paltry average of 5.78 in nine innings in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]
Glenn Maxwell managed 52 runs at a paltry average of 5.78 in nine innings in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same show, Sanjay Manjrekar opined that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will reacquire Glenn Maxwell at the IPL 2025 auction.

“I believe RCB will be interested because they can use Maxwell well on the pitches they play. Plus they used his bowling a lot. So I see Glenn Maxwell returning there,” he said.

The former India batter added that onboarding Faf du Plessis might be a better option than picking an inexperienced player.

“He (Du Plessis) is such an experienced player who is extremely fit and he still has the power game. He has shown that with CSK and has been RCB’s captain. So, if he is available, I will always think about him for sure rather than experimenting with a young player,” Manjrekar reasoned.

With 438 runs at a strike rate of 161.62 in 15 innings, Du Plessis was RCB’s second-highest run-getter in IPL 2024. Only Orange Cap winner Virat Kohli (741) scored more runs for the franchise in the previous season.