RCB Misses Out: 5 Players They Should’ve Snagged in the IPL 2023 Auction

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finished third in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) after losing to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2. It was a close but no cigar scenario for the franchise, but this time, Faf du Plessis and his guys will seek to be at their best and take home the historic trophy.

RCB acquired a few of English names and a few local players in the IPL 16 mini-auction last month. They may, however, have strengthened themselves by enlisting the help of some recent event performers. The franchise also had the opportunity to replace the non-performing names from the previous edition with these players who seemed to be in strong form in recent months. They should’ve also signed a few of veterans who play for Karnataka and had previously played for RCB. Both of these names are genuine, since they have a long history in the league. Based on these considerations, it might be argued that the franchise should have signed these two names as well as recent performances.

Here are five players the RCB should have pursued at the mini auction.

 

Number 1. Samarth Vyas

 

 

Samarth Vyas may have been an ideal addition to the RCB team to improve their middle order ahead of the 2019 season. With hitters like Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Rajat Patil, Vyas’ current form might do wonders for the squad.

He demonstrated his hitting abilities in a handful of domestic events last year. He pounced on bowlers in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23, hitting 314 runs in seven matches at a phenomenal strike rate of 177.40. He also maintained his success in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 443 runs in 10 games with a strike rate of 106.74.

RCB should have bought him at the auction last month based on his monstrous batting stats. He will be seen in an SRH shirt in the next competition, after the 2016 champions paid INR 20 lakh for him. Samarth, on the other hand, could’ve been a significant player for RCB to outperform other teams with his aggressive batting style.

 

Number 2. Adil Rashid

 

 

Adil Rashid was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for INR 2 crore after an outstanding T20 World Cup performance last year. He was expecting to make good money at the mini-auction, but the 34-year-old managed only attract SRH. However, the trade worked out well for the SRH since they obtained Rashid at a modest cost.

RCB might have brought in the English leggie to help with their spin assault. Because of his recent performance, the franchise may have exhibited trust in him. The 34-year-old was brilliant for England in the past two years (2021 and 2022), collecting 42 wickets in 40 T20I matches. He demonstrated his bowling prowess in the T20 World Cup 2022, taking four wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 6.12.

Wanindu Hasaranga commanded the RCB spin-bowling team well last year. The Sri Lanka spinner looked amazing with the ball, taking 26 wickets in 16 IPL games at an economy of 7.54. However, with Rashid on board, the team’s spin assault may have been one of the finest in the next tournament.

 

Number 3. Vidhwath Kaverappa

 

 

Vidwath Kaverappa made his domestic T20 debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23, claiming 18 wickets for Karnataka in eight matches at an economy of 6.36. With this bowling effort, he became the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker. The kid was unstoppable.

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022-23, the teenager showed off his bowling abilities once again, capturing 17 scalps in eight games at an outstanding economy of 3.53. Following the pacer’s amazing statistics, Punjab Kings signed him at the Kochi mini-auction last month for INR 20 lakh.

However, RCB should have invested in the Karnataka teenager at the main event since his speed bowling ability may have improved the team’s fast-bowling squad. The local lad might be the finest alternative to replace the 32-year-old Siddharth Kaul, who played just one game for RCB last year and seemed out of place.

 

Number 4. Manish Pandey

 

 

Manish Pandey, who was unhappy with his bat, was released by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) before to the 2022 mini-auction. In six games, the veteran scored just 88 runs for his team, with a strike rate of 110.00. Pandey has extensive league experience, having served six organisations throughout the course of the tournament’s 15 seasons.

With 3,648 runs in 160 IPL matches, he becomes a league bankable player. In the second season of the competition in 2009, he batted for RCB and scored 114 runs off 73 balls against the Deccan Chargers. With this memorable inning, the right-handed hitter established himself as a well-known hitting name in the league.

DC and RCB competed for his services in the next season at a mini-auction conducted last month. Ultimately, DC chose him for INR 2.4 crore based on his skills. However, the Bangalore-based franchise should have gone with Pandey because of his significant expertise in the middle order. The franchise relied on Rajasthan’s Mahipal Lomror to bolster their batting in the 2022 season. Lomror, on the other hand, gave a flop performance with the bat, scoring just 86 runs for the organisation in seven games.

 

Number 5. Mayank Agarwal

 

 

Mayank Agarwal did not do well with the bat in the previous IPL season, scoring just 196 runs for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 13 matches with a strike rate of 122.50. Due to his poor batting performance, PBKS parted ways with him in November of last year. The 31-year-old was also the captain of Punjab, but he was unable to lead his club to the playoffs.

After being freed from PBKS, his name was put up for sale in a mini-auction to find a buyer. SRH spent INR 8.25 crore in IPL 16 due to his exceptional abilities and vast expertise. The 2016 champions were involved in a bidding battle with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the auction table (RCB).

Agarwal began his career in the league with RCB, where he played from 2011 to 2013. RCB attempted to get him into their camp at the previous auction but failed. However, the franchise should have signed him because he might have given the squad a fantastic start with captain Faf du Plessis. The Karnataka hitter has 2,327 runs with a strike rate of 134.28 in 113 IPL games.