3 players whom RCB should retain ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction Ft. Virat Kohli

RCB are yet to win the IPL.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made a miraculous entry into the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. After struggling at bottom of the table for the first half, they went on a winning spree to finish at the fourth spot. However, they were knocked out in the Eliminator, thus once again their dream of a maiden IPL title was crushed.

RCB have reached the finals thrice in the IPL so far and lost all three of them.

Faf du Plessis has done well as a leader in the last three seasons but being 40 years old, RCB will think of the future heading into the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The IPL GC has granted the franchises to retain up to six players using retentions and the Right To Match (RTM) card option. The six retentions/RTMs can contain a maximum of five capped players (Indian and international) and two uncapped players.

With this in mind, here are three players that the Bengaluru-based franchise should retain ahead of the mega auction.

Here are the three players whom RCB should retain ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction:

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is the face of the RCB franchise, on and off the field. He is also the only active cricketer in IPL history to play for only one franchise. Kohli is the IPL’s all-time leading run scorer, with 8004 runs from 252 matches. He has eight centuries, the most by any player in the competition, and 55 half-centuries.

Considering all this, Kohli should be the first player RCB retain ahead of the auction.

2. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj might be the second name on the retention list of RCB. After playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in his initial years in the IPL, Siraj was roped in by RCB and was groomed to become a world-class pacer. He is one of the premier Indian pacers in two of the three formats.

Siraj has been one of the go-to bowlers for RCB captains across the years and has a decent record even at the unforgiving M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

He has played 87 matches for RCB from IPL 2018 onwards and has 83 wickets to his name with a best of 4/21 and an economy of 8.60.

3. Will Jacks

Willi Jacks was roped in by RCB as a backup for their overseas all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. While Maxwell was at the top of his game for the first three seasons for RCB, scoring 513, 301, and 400 runs respectively, the Australia all-rounder managed only 52 runs in IPL 2024 in 10 games.

Maxwell was even benched owing to poor form, while on the other hand, Jacks impressed in his eight outings, scoring 230 runs with one century and a strike rate of 175.57. He also bowled decent off-spin, taking two wickets.

With Maxwell struggling with injuries and form, it would be wiser for RCB to invest money in Jacks, who has cemented his place in England’s white-ball teams and is in contention for a test slot as well.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.