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RCB has retained three players from the IPL 2024 squad and will enter the mega auction in Jeddah on November 24 and 25 with a purse of Rs 83 crore.
Ab De Villiers wants RCB to sign Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kagiso Rabada in IPL 2025 mega auction. (Picture Credit: Sportzpics, AFP)
Former South African captain and star batter Ab de Villiers, who was associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL from 2011 to 2021, wants the Bengaluru-based franchise to sign Indian spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin along with pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and South African quick Kagiso Rabada in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The mega auction for the upcoming edition of IPL is scheduled to take place in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.
RCB will enter the mega auction with a purse of Rs 83 crore after retaining Virat Kohli for Rs 21 crore, Rajat Patidar for Rs 11 crore, and Yash Dayal for Rs 5 crore.
Chahal and Ashwin were associated with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL from 2022 to 2024, but the duo was not retained by RR. Similarly, Bhuvneshwar and Rabada, who played for SRH and PBKS, respectively, in IPL 2024, were also released.
De Villiers wants RCB to go all out to sign these four players, who according to him are very smart cricketers and will do very well for RCB at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, De Villiers said, “I want the priority to be on a world-class spinner. Let’s get Yuzi Chahal back at RCB, where he belongs. Imagine we get the twin spins from RR at RCB. Guys who really know their games inside out. Kagiso Rabada, let’s get him at RCB. Please, Kagiso Rabada, Yuzi Chahal, then we can think about Ravi Ashwin. You get those three there.”
“Okay, so there’s my four priority players, and I’ll almost spend the entire purse on them. Yuzi Chahal, KG Rabada, Bhuvi Kumar, and Ravi Ashwin. I mean, I don’t have to say anything further. We can make a plan with the rest of the money we have left in the auction. Have a full go at that,” he added.
“We need a team that understands the Chinnaswamy, who can play there, who are street smart, who can bowl to plans, who can play to plans, who’s got a very good understanding about the game of cricket. And Yuzi Chahal, Ravi Ashwin, Bhuvi Kumar, and Kagiso Rabada. It doesn’t get better than that, okay? They understand their games. They will find a way to make the Chinnaswamy work for RCB.”
