Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: Former India pacer RP Singh has come up with a piece of advice for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after IPL retention rules were announced on Saturday night allowing each franchise to retain up to six players or re-acquire players through the use of RTMs (Right to Match).
RP Singh has advised RCB to prioritize retaining Virat Kohli for the upcoming IPL 2025 auction.
Singh expressed his opinion that Kohli should continue to be a part of the team. He suggested that players such as Mohammed Siraj and Rajat Patidar could be reacquired during the auction by utilizing the RTM (Right to Match) card.
“I feel they don’t have any problem. They will just retain Virat Kohli, release everyone else, and use the RTM. If we see the value taking Rajat Patidar as an example, will we get him for more or less than 11 crores at the auction?” he said while speaking to Colors Cineplex.
“I feel you will get Rajat Patidar for fewer. So you get him back at the auction. Even if he reaches close to 11 crores, you have the RTM which you can use there,” RP Singh observed.
“Siraj, performance-wise, you will have to again judge whether you will get him close to 11 crores. I don’t think Siraj will reach close to 14 crores. They will always have the option that if he reaches there, you can use the RTM,” he added.
Singh believes RCB should enter the auction with a fresh approach, keeping Kohli as their key player. The former pacer suggests that RCB build the team around the star batter.
“So they should go with a new mindset. They need Virat, he has contributed a lot to the franchise, and Virat is the most important player as well. So they should think about building the team around him, or with a new thought. I don’t see anyone else apart from Virat Kohli having a value of 18 or 14 crores in this team,” RP Singh opined.
