IPL Auction 2023 Review: Royal Challengers Bangalore
The Royal Challengers Bangalore had a decent IPL 2023 mini-auction where they did manage some smart buys. Heading into the mega event, RCB had a balanced squad having retained their core players from the last season. They only released five players, the least by a franchise.
The Bengaluru-based franchise had a purse of INR 8.75 crore heading into the auction. It was a no-brainer that they could not afford any of the big guns. Nonetheless, RCB did succeed in roping in two international players and it can rightly be termed a smart investment.
Best buys
RCB’s best buy happened to be England’s Reece Topley for INR 1.9 crore. Topley’s inclusion will bolster Bangalore’s already-strong pace attack, having the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel and Josh Hazlewood. Moreover, they also have an additional overseas left-arm pacer in David Willey.
Meanwhile, RCB also signed English all-rounder Will Jacks for INR 3.2 crore. Jacks’ inclusion is a handy one for Bangalore as they desperately wait for Glenn Maxwell’s recovery.
Domestic talents
After two main international buys, the Bengaluru-based franchise then decided to invest their remaining money in emerging domestic talents of India. While some of these uncapped players were bought at their base price, the others were offered a slightly higher price. The new domestic players include- Manoj Bhandage (INR 20 lakh), Himanshu Sharma (INR 20 lakh), Sonu Yadav (INR 20 lakh), Avinash Singh (INR 60 lakh) and Rajan Kumar (INR 70 lakh).
Thus, having made some valuable additions to their squad of 2023 despite having limited resources, it certainly looks to be a new beginning for RCB as their quest for a maiden IPL title continues. The Faf du Plessis-led side broke their two-year Eliminator jinx when they made it to Qualifier 2 after a hard-fought win over the new entrants Lucknow Super Giants last year. However, their campaign ended following a defeat against the eventual finalists Rajasthan Royals in a one-sided contest.
