RCB Director of Cricket Addresses Captaincy Rumours And Why Faf du Plessis, Mohammed Siraj Were Not Retained

RCB Director of Cricket Addresses Captaincy Rumours And Why Faf du Plessis, Mohammed Siraj Were Not Retained

Last Updated:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Director of Cricket Mo Bobat revealed RCB will have an ‘open mind about captaincy’ and will play be a ‘key aspect of auction planning’.

Virat Kohli-led RCB finished runners-up in 2016. (BCCI Photo)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat opened up on the rationale of retaining Virat Kohli (INR 21 crore), Rajat Patidar (INR 11 crore), and Yash Dayal (INR 5 crore) ahead of IPL 2025.

RCB have chosen not to retain their captain Faf du Plessis, all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Will Jacks, as well as fast bowler Mohammed Siraj.

“We’re all too aware of the need to establish a strong Indian core to our team going into the 2025 IPL season, and we feel that our retention decisions are a significant step in the right direction. It’s great to continue Virat’s lengthy association with RCB, I’m confident that a new group of players will benefit hugely from his inspirational and infectious energy, and his commitment to high standards,” said Mo Bobat.

“As for the captaincy, there are many rumours, but we haven’t made any decisions yet. The only clear decision we’ve made is not to retain Faf, who has been a great leader. We’re grateful for his contributions, but he will go to the auction. We are keeping an open mind about captaincy and will consider it a key aspect of our auction planning,” Mo Bobat was quoted as saying on Jio Cinema.

“For us, prioritizing a strong Indian core during the auction phase is crucial, and our retention reflects that decision. Retaining our players was a straightforward choice, especially given their performance last year.”

“Rajat and Yash are two high-quality players who demonstrated their capabilities last season. Rajat has a unique ability to attack spin and play aggressively, while Yash impressed us with the new ball bowler capable of swinging it both ways and performing well under pressure. Retaining them was an obvious choice,” he added.

ALSO READ | Virat Kohli On Being Retained By RCB for 20 Years: ‘Goal Is To Win The IPL Title At Least Once’

Mo Bharat also revealed why Mohammed Siraj was not retained.

“Regarding Mohammed Siraj, not retaining him was our toughest decision. We value his contributions, having been a strong performer for RCB and India over the years. However, we wanted to enter the auction with as many options open as possible, especially to build a balanced bowling attack capable of competing effectively in the IPL and other formats,” Mo Bobat said.

(With inputs from Agencies)

News cricket RCB Director of Cricket Addresses Captaincy Rumours And Why Faf du Plessis, Mohammed Siraj Were Not Retained

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *