De Villiers reveals bowlers RCB must target during mega auction

Former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter AB de Villiers has outlined his top priorities for the franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, set to take place from November 24-25 in Jeddah. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers mentioned a few bowlers he believes the franchise should target, emphasising the need for players familiar with the dynamics of RCB's home ground, Chinnaswamy Stadium, who can execute plans effectively.

"My four priority players are Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ravi Ashwin. We can strategise with the remaining funds in the auction. If Rabada isn't available, I'd go for Mohammed Shami. If he's unavailable, then Arshdeep Singh is a solid option. So there are many possibilities," said de Villiers.

"We don't just need a trophy. Forget the trophy. What we need is a team that understands Chinnaswamy, one that can bowl and play to plans, with a strong grasp of the game," he added.

De Villiers also expressed a desire to see Chahal return to RCB, "where he belongs."

"The good news is we still have Virat, and we didn't spend much on retentions, leaving a healthy budget. Let's bring Yuzi [Chahal] back to RCB. He never should have left," he said.

Chahal remains the leading wicket-taker for the franchise, even after departing in 2021 following a tenure that began in 2014. In 113 matches for RCB, he took 139 wickets at an average of 22.03, with a best of 4/25. Since joining Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2022, Chahal has helped the team reach the playoffs twice in three seasons. He is also the leading wicket-taker in IPL history, amassing 205 wickets in 160 matches at an average of 22.44, with a best of 5/44. He won the Purple Cap in 2022, his debut season with RR, securing 27 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 19.51, with best figures of 5/40.

RCB recently announced they had retained Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Registration for the IPL 2025 player auction has officially closed, with a total of 1,574 players signing up, including 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players, all competing for a place in the world's premier T20 league. The auction will be held over two days, on November 24 and 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The registered players include 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 from Associate Nations. Specifically, there are 48 capped Indian players, 272 capped international players, 152 uncapped Indian players with previous IPL experience, 3 uncapped international players with prior IPL experience, 965 uncapped Indian players, and 104 uncapped international players.

Of the 409 overseas players, South Africa leads with 91 registrations, followed by Australia with 76, and England with 52. Other notable countries include New Zealand (39), West Indies (33), Afghanistan and Sri Lanka (29 each), and the USA (10). Players from Bangladesh (13), Ireland (9), Canada (4), Netherlands (12), Zimbabwe (8), Scotland (2), UAE (1), and Italy (1) have also registered.

With each of the ten IPL franchises able to assemble a maximum squad of 25 players, a total of 204 slots will be available at the IPL 2025 player auction. The event promises intense competition as teams build their rosters for the next three years. (ANI)