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The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had an interesting campaign in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While the first half of their league stage was nothing short of abysmal, they played like a team possessed in the second half and managed to pip the Chennai Super Kings to a spot in the playoffs.
RCB fell in the Eliminator to the Rajasthan Royals, but not before they had given their fans enough hope for the new season. A mega auction is on the cards, giving the franchise the chance to rebuild around a core that did well in 2024.
What kind of combination could RCB go with ahead of the auction? Depending upon their risk appetite and various other factors, the three-time IPL finalists could go with a variety of strategies.
On that note, here are the three best IPL 2025 retention combinations for RCB.
#3 Retain the entire core - Kohli (18) + Green (18) + Jacks (14) + Siraj (14) + Patidar (11) + Dayal (4)
2024 wasn't necessarily a poor season for RCB, who qualified for the playoffs. They have a decent core to build around, especially in the batting department, and could consider keeping all of their star men from the last campaign.
Virat Kohli is a straightforward pick to be the first retention, and RCB could also retain Will Jacks and Cameron Green from the overseas contingent. Both young all-rounders are among the most exciting talents in T20 cricket right now and add different dimensions to the side.
Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar is one of the most fearsome spin hitters in the IPL and will complement Kohli, Jacks and Green well. Quality Indian pacers who can bowl at all stages of the innings will be hard to come by at the auction, making Mohammed Siraj a safe retention choice.
Yash Dayal was called up to India's squad for the Bangladesh Test series, but didn't get a cap and hasn't been picked for the New Zealand assignment. So it's safe to assume that the left-arm seamer will be uncapped by the time the IPL 2025 auction deadline rolls around. Picking him at ₹4 crore would be a relatively straightforward decision, with none of the other uncapped players at RCB impressing much.
#2 Get bold with it - Kohli (18)
The above strategy is a safe one, but it might not be a bold one.
₹14 crore might be a bit high for Siraj, whose form has been off the mark lately across formats. There are also concerns over Green's availability, with a back injury likely to put him out of action for several months. Cricket Australia are bound to be protective of their star all-rounder, and he might not be available throughout the upcoming IPL seasons.
Jacks is, of course, a quality player, but whether he is worth more than ₹10 crore at this point in time is uncertain. There might not be that much demand for the Englishman at the auction, with plenty of other options available. So RCB could opt to take a risk and attempt to save funds by retaining just Kohli, who simply cannot be let into the auction pool.
This would give RCB plenty of room to work with at the auction. Not only would they have one of the biggest purses, but they would also have five RTM cards to bring back their key players at cheaper prices.
#1 Retain just the essentials - Kohli (18) + Green (14) + Patidar (11)
The most sensible choice for RCB would be to retain Kohli, Green and Patidar, assuming that the Aussie's back injury isn't one that will threaten his availability in the IPL. If it is, and Bengaluru don't want to shell out big bucks for Green, Jacks is a straightforward pick instead. But RCB should look to keep the pace-bowling all-rounder, whose profile will be impossible to find at the auction.
Kohli and Patidar are also players who are immensely valuable to a T20 side, both on and off the field. Letting them go wouldn't make much sense, with most other teams likely to retain their main batting powerhouses. Given Siraj's indifferent form, RCB could opt to take a call on him based on his auction price.
