 |
|
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are gearing up for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, and experts are speculating about the team's retention strategy. While Virat Kohli seems like a certainty for retention, the future of captain Faf du Plessis remains uncertain. The IPL's retention rules, laid out by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), dictate a tiered cost system for retained players, with higher fees for the first few retentions.
IPL expert Aakash Chopra, speaking on JioCinema, expressed doubts about RCB retaining du Plessis, citing his age and the three-year timeframe of the mega auction. He believes du Plessis, despite being an active cricketer, may not be a part of the team for the entire duration. Ajay Jadeja, another IPL expert, suggested a more cautious approach, stating RCB will be 'judicious' with their retentions. He highlighted the importance of retaining young players like Rajat Patidar, who played a key role in RCB's resurgence. He also emphasized the value of wicketkeeper-batsmen, particularly high-quality ones like Anuj Rawat, who has performed well alongside Patidar.
Jadeja further predicted that RCB would likely retain only two or three players. He mentioned that retaining bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal might be an emotional decision, with Dayal potentially having a higher chance of being retained due to the back-end of the team. However, with new personnel in charge, a fresh start could see fewer players retained due to the Right to Match (RTM) rule.