Royal Challengers Banglaore released a number of bowlers ahead of the upcoming auction. The preparation for the 17th edition of the league is going pretty well. All ten IPL franchises have released some of their key players and will look to sign a few in the coming auction.
RCB relased Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Wayne Parnell, and David Willey don’t have many bowling options within the team. They have a little more than 23 crore to spend at the auction. One thing is pretty clear: RCB will be looking to get some bowlers, as they are not left with many.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan recently opened up about RCB’s position ahead of the auction. In an interaction on Star Sport, Pathan said that Cameron Green’s inclusion has sorted out the middle-order problem in the batting order, but they still need a good bowler.
The 2007 T20 World Cup-winning al-rounder feels that RCB should try to get Hasaranga back at a cheaper price. However, he suggested two bowlers whom RCB should try to sign. He named Mitchell Starc and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman as the perfect bowlers for RCB considering their small home ground at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
He said, “If RCB can get Hasaranga back at a cheaper price, that’s good. But if not, they can go for Mujeeb. Mujeeb can actually take the pitch away from the equation. And I really think you might see Mitchell Starc playing for RCB because he was there before. They would want him there as well because he is a left-armer, bowling 140-plus.”
Pathan also reckons that the good form of Vijaykumar Vyshak last season for RCB helped them let go of Harshal Patel. Vijaykumar played 7 matches in 2023 and took 9 wickets in total. RCB currently has Mohammed Siraj and Reece Topley as the two main pacers, and Karn Sharma is the established spinner in the squad.
