The Royal Challengers Bangalore, one of the most followed franchises in the Indian Premier League, have been on a quest for their maiden IPL trophy for quite some time now. Despite having a competent think tank, they have not been able to get their hands on the trophy yet. However, they have made some strategic moves during the IPL 2023 Auction, hoping to finally clinch the title.
Last year, RCB retained their star players Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammad Siraj, spending a total of INR 33 Crores, and spent INR 55.45 Crores in the mega auction. After the conclusion of IPL 2022, they had INR 1.55 Crore left in their kitty. In the previous season, Faf du Plessis was appointed as the skipper of the team and emerged as their highest run-getter. While Virat Kohli had an uncharacteristically below-par season, Rajat Patidar and Dinesh Karthik stepped up. Amongst the bowlers, Wanindu Hasaranga was their second-highest wicket-taker, while Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel also had a decent season.
In the lead-up to the mini-auction, the Bangalore-based franchise traded Australian left-arm seamer Jason Behrendorff to Mumbai Indians, whom they had bought for INR 75 Lakhs in the previous edition but did not get a chance to play. Behrendorff has now reunited with his former team ahead of IPL 2023.
IPL 2023 Mini Auction performance
The Royal Challengers Bangalore, known for their ardent fans, entered the IPL 2023 auction with a moderate purse of 8.75 crores. While their rivals Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians made a splash by breaking the bank for the likes of Ben Stokes and Cameron Green respectively, RCB took a low-key approach in the initial rounds of the auction.
However, the Men in Red got off the mark with the acquisition of the towering English speedster Reece Topley for a modest 1.90 Crore. The left-arm quick made a resounding return to the limited overs format for England last year and promises to add some much-needed firepower to the star-studded RCB bowling line-up that boasts the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Josh Hazlewood.
In addition, the Bangalore-based franchise secured the services of England’s dynamic all-rounder Will Jacks in a notable signing for IPL 2023. Jacks, a gifted batsman who can also chip in with the ball, was roped in for a price of 3.20 crores as the team looked to cover for the injured Glenn Maxwell. Despite their efforts to snap up the experienced IPL campaigner Manish Pandey, they were outbid by Delhi Capitals, who secured the services of the stylish Indian batting stalwart.
The final Royal Challengers Bangalore squad to play in the IPL 2023
Wicket Keeper/Batsman
Dinesh Karthik
Anuj Rawat
Finn Allen
Batsman
Virat Kohli
Faf Du Plessis
Rajat Patidar
Suyash Prabhudessai
Karn Sharma
Siddharth Kaul
Will Jacks
All-Rounders
Glenn Maxwell
Shahbaz Ahmed
Mahipal Lomror
Manoj Bhandage
Sonu Yadav
Bowlers
Mohammad Siraj
Harshal Patel
Wanindu Hasaranga
Akash Deep
Josh Hazlewood
David Willey
Reece Topley
Himanshu Sharma
Rajan Kumar
Avinash Singh
