Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Players Retained – Virat Kohli (21 cr), Rajat Patidar (11 cr) and Yash Dayal (5 cr)
Purse Remaining – 83 cr
No. of RTMs Available – 3 (1 uncapped plus 2 capped players, or 3 capped)
What do the retained players bring to the table? Virat Kohli has been the fulcrum of the RCB line-up for more than a decade and a half. The RCB opener accumulated 741 runs at an average of just under 62 last season. At his best, Kohli is the kind of player, who can turn out to be the foundation stone while chasing down the target. He can also galvanise the side with his spirited and lively outlook.
Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar is an excellent player of spin, especially against leg-spin. His strike rate against that mode of bowling is more than 200. Patidar also has a range of shots while facing off-spinners and pace bowling. Yash Dayal, the left-arm pace bowler, made a fine comeback after a disappointing 2023 IPL season. In 2024, Dayal was the highest wicket-taker for RCB with 15 scalps. Up front, the left-arm bowler mainly looks to generate away swing. With the older ball, he mostly attempts yorkers and mixes up his pace as well as angles.
The disadvantages of RCB letting go of key players: Faf du Plessis, who captained RCB for a few seasons, compiled 1636 runs for the franchise at a strike rate of 146.99. However, at 40, he isn’t getting any younger. On the other hand, Will Jacks accrued 230 runs at an incredible strike rate of 175.57 in 2024. He can also bowl off-spin. Mohammed Siraj and Vijaykumar Vyshak haven’t been retained either. Both of them have some noteworthy skills, but the duo have been rather inconsistent.
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Players RCB could look to reclaim in the auction: Jacks could be high on the list. The batting all-rounder is a quintessential modern-day T20 player, and quite suited to the conditions at the Chinnaswamy. Depending on how the auction goes, they could still eye Swapnil Singh, who did an adequate job with the ball in hand last season. There could still be a slim chance of RCB bidding for Mahipal Lomror or Vyshak.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Players retained – Heinrich Klaasen (23 cr), Pat Cummins (18 cr), Abhishek Sharma (14 cr), Travis Head (14 cr) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (6 cr).
Purse Remaining – 45 cr
No. of RTMs available – 1 (uncapped player)
What do the retained players bring to the table? SRH has basically retained the core of the players who powered them to the summit clash in IPL ’17. Klaasen has been the go-to man of SRH’s batting unit. He has gained a reputation as a superb spin-hitter, exemplified by his strike rate of 173.92 in the IPL. He is also adept at taking on pace bowling.
Pat Cummins, the incumbent captain, was praised for his leadership skills in IPL 2024. He also largely bowled the tough overs, employing defensive hit-the-deck bowling to good effect. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head were instrumental in giving the side whirlwind starts, which is again capsulised by their respective strike rates of 191.55 and 204.21. Nitish Reddy provides balance to the side with his all-round abilities.
The disadvantages of SRH letting go of key players: T Natarajan, the left-arm pacer, was one of the mainstays of the pace attack in 2024. He took 19 scalps at 24.47 and was a vital cog of the side in the death overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a core member of the side for many years. However, last year, he only took 11 wickets at an average over 48. The medium pacer has plenty of bowling experience at different phases of the innings.
Rahul Tripathi has played some valuable knocks for the franchise over the years, but SRH has decided to release him. Umran Malik has also been released. In 2022, Umran had a very good season, but he has struggled for consistency since then. There is a school of thought that the SRH coaching staff didn’t use him well.
Players SRH could look to reclaim in the auction: The backroom staff might bid for Natarajan as he will add variety and nous to the bowling line-up. If they don’t get adequate replacements, Tripathi, Mayank Markande or Bhuvneshwar could still come into the equation.
Also Read: RR and GT: A peek into their retention lists and likely auction strategies