Royal Challengers Bengaluru picked three players to retain ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction at the end of November. The franchise stuck with Virat Kohli (Rs. 21 crore), Rajat Patidar (Rs. 11 crore) and uncapped Yash Dayal (Rs. 5 crore).
RCB chose not to retain the services of captain Faf du Plessis, all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Will Jacks, as well as fast bowler Mohammed Siraj.
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Siraj, who had joined the franchise in 2018 as a Rs. 2.2 crore pick during the auction, has been one of the most lethal bowling option for the team over the years.
Since joining the RCB, Siraj has taken 83 wickets from 87 matches, with best figures of 4/21 coming in the 2023 season. Last season he took 15 wickets from 14 matches at an average of 33.07, economy of 9.19 and a strike rate of 21.60.
Explaining the rationale behind not selecting Siraj, the team’s Director of Cricket Mo Bobat said, “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,” he added.
Speaking of the retention choices, he stated: “For us, prioritising 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.”
