IPL 2025: AB de Villiers outlines key targets for RCB
Former South African cricketer, AB de Villiers, has laid out his strategic recommendations for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. De Villiers stressed the importance of putting together a team that can handle their home ground, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, well. He also suggested four priority targets for RCB to consider during the upcoming auction.
De Villiers advocates for Chahal's return to RCB
A revered figure in the RCB franchise, de Villiers has made Yuzvendra Chahal his priority. He believes Chahal should have never left RCB in the first place. "I want the priority to be a world-class spinner. Let's just get Yuzi back. Let's stop messing around. Let's get Yuzi back in RCB where he belongs," de Villiers said on his YouTube show.
De Villiers' strategy for a strong bowling lineup
De Villiers emphasized on RCB building a strong and experienced core of bowlers. They should be able to handle the batting-friendly conditions of their home ground, and implement plans without getting flustered at one of IPL's highest-scoring venues. He proposed most of the remaining budget should be spent on acquiring four players who are seasoned and have a profound knowledge of their game.
RCB's retained players and auction budget
Ahead of the mega auction, RCB has retained Virat Kohli for ₹21 crore, batter Rajat Patidar for ₹11 crore, and left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal for ₹5 crore. This gives them a whopping ₹83 crore budget for the upcoming event. "The good news is we still have Virat. We didn't spend too much money with the retentions," de Villiers said on his YouTube show.
De Villiers' top picks for RCB in IPL 2025 auction
Apart from Chahal, de Villers also listed Kagiso Rabada, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and R Ashwin as his top picks for the team. "There is my list of my four priority players -- Yuzi Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Bhuvi Kumar and R Ashwin," he said. He also recommended Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh as possible alternatives if the team fails to get his preferred choices in the auction.
RR let Chahal leave after three seasons: Decoding his stats
Chahal was a prime force for RCB before he was snapped up by RR ahead of the IPL 2021 season. Despite a strong performance for the Royals in his three seasons with them, Chahal was a surprise release. Chahal is already RR's top wicket-taker (66). He managed 27, 21 and 18 scalps respectively. Earlier for RCB, Chahal claimed a staggering 139 wickets being the side's only bowler with 100-plus scalps. Overall, Chahal owns 205 IPL wickets at just 22.44.
