IPL 2018 Auctions Day 1: Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad

Having let go several players from those who last played for them, the team focused on a bunch of new cricketers.

Published - 28 Jan 2018, 00:21 IST | Updated - 28 Jan 2018, 00:21 IST

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Royal Challengers Bangalore is one of the few teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) who haven’t won the tournament even once. They have boasted of several big names over the past few years. RCB players have individually been fantastic but failed to perform as a team. They reached the final in 2009 and 2016 respectively and on both occasions, slumped to defeats.

They have promised with their swashbuckling brand of cricket, but haven’t been consistent enough to lift the title. Given an opportunity to retain 3 of their players RCB opted for the two big names Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers -on expected lines. However, they also retained Sarfaraz Khan which surprised many. Having let go several players from those who last played for them, the team focused on a bunch of new cricketers.

New set of players

Other than Yuzvendra Chahal who was bagged with the Right to Match (RTM) card, they didn’t buy back any player from their previous squad. They grabbed two of the world’s most explosive openers Quinton de Kock and Brendon McCullum by shelling 6.4 crores.

The franchise also bagged a couple of handy all-rounders in Moeen Ali and Colin de Grandhomme who have shown reasonable form in international cricket. Chris Woakes has been in tremendous touch in the ongoing One-Day International series against Australia and the rich vein of form has earned him a contract of 7.4 crores by the RCB.

RCB also brought Umesh Yadav, who played for the Knight Riders last season at 4.2 crores. The team also focused on some domestic performers and bagged Kulwant Khejroliya, Navdeep Saini and Aniket Chaudhary. They still need to buy four cricketers to complete the minimum quota of squad composition. RCB also have an RTM left with them in their kitty. It will be interesting to find out the players RCB go for on the second day.