RCB team sad ( Source : IPL )

Royal Challengers Bengaluru had their backs hit the wall in the last edition of the Indian Premier League. That’s when the Faf du Plessis-led side showed resilience and grit to script a comeback that the fans would remind other teams for the next few years. They qualified for the playoffs by beating Chennai Super Kings in their final league game but unfortunately, the trip ended soon after that, with them losing to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. 

It’s been 17 years since IPL’s inception and RCB are one of the four teams that are yet to lift the trophy. Every mega-auction year, they make the headlines for signing top marquee players but when it comes to performance on the field, they fail to live up to the expectations.

However, there’s optimism and there’s a belief like it always has been. Known to have one of the loudest fan bases in history, it is high time for the franchise to deliver on the field – the start of which, will begin in the upcoming mega auction. Ahead of that, they have a difficult job of retaining certain players and releasing others. When it comes to retention, they must make sure to cover all the departments.

Here are three players that RCB management can target:

3. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli. (Source -IPL/BCCI)

You need to address the elephant first. Virat Kohli is going nowhere and will be Bengaluru’s first retention ahead of IPL 2025. The star India batter never played for any other franchise and has a very strong connection with the fans, which would only grow in the coming years. When it comes to performance, there’s no doubt about his calibre, as the 35-year-old finished as the leading run-scorer in 2024.

Kohli played 252 matches for RCB and has scored 8004 runs at a strike rate of 131.97. In 2016, the Delhi-born batter stunned the cricketing fraternity as he smashed 973 runs – which is still the most runs scored by a batter in a single edition of the competition. Apart from batting, Virat’s character is vital for RCB as well.

Despite being one of the greatest white-ball batters in history, he has never won IPL gold and would be hungry to get the job done before bidding goodbye. Being 35, he doesn’t have much time left and for the same reason, the upcoming cycle is vital for him. The team is most likely to be built around him and if he could inspire the team to push harder, RCB can dream of its maiden IPL.

2. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammad Siraj. (Source -IPL/BCCI)

India’s pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj is very likely to be retained. He did not have a great season last time around but the 30-year-old can make a mark. The surface at Chinnaswamy Stadium does not help him significantly yet, but Siraj has been one of their key performers and also, the leader of their bowling unit.

RCB previously released the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel and that did work well for them. Chahal has proved to be a vital cog for Rajasthan Royals while Harshal finished as the leading wicket-taker of the IPL last season. The franchise must have learned its lesson and is expected to back Siraj in the next cycle.

They should also design their pace bowling unit around Siraj. Having a quality Indian pacer is a must and RCB would not want to release him, given that their bowling unit has failed miserably over the years. Siraj is very familiar with the RCB culture and backing him would be the ideal thing to do.

1. Cameron Green

Cameron Green. (Source -IPL/BCCI)

There were plenty of options on the table. Captain Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar or even the likes of Yash Dayal or homegrown Vijaykumar Vyshak could have made it to the top three retentions but Green currently fits the bill. The star Australia all-rounder moved to RCB from MI after the latter decided to replace him with Hardik Pandya. He was brought in by RCB for INR 17 crore and the cricketer did well but nowhere close to the expectations.

Now, the surfaces in India are changing as every team is preparing a flat track, which would help players like Green succeed. He can bat anywhere in the middle order and can bat aggressively, which is going to be an important part of the game going forward. He is known for finishing games, which is also one area RCB needs to fill after Dinesh Karthik’s retirement.

On top of that, Green can bowl well. In India, there’s always a shortage of quality pace-bowling all-rounder and the 25-year-old can fit in perfectly. Also, Faf and Maxwell aren’t getting any younger either. So, if there’s one foreigner RCB should target, it should be Green for his all-round skill.