IPL 2021: What will be the strategy of Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore in February auction?

Royal Challengers Bangalore is a fan's delight as well as a nightmare when it comes to the Indian Premier League. Virat Kohli has stars who are match-winners but in crucial times, they have floundered under pressure. Royal Challengers Bangalore gives the term 'flatter to deceive' a whole new dimension looking at the way how they have underachieved in the history of the tournament. In the Indian Premier League, they have lost in the final three times while they have also finished in the bottom in two of three editions from IPL 2017 to 2019. In IPL 2020, they started off well and they had depth in both batting and bowling. However, they suffered a dip in momentum at a crucial time by losing five out of the last league games to lose out in the Eliminator.

Before IPL 2021, Royal Challengers Bangalore are already on the backfoot by being criticised for releasing 10 players. This is the most number of players a franchise has released prior to the February 2021 auction. The players who have been released are Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Dube, Aaron Finch and other domestic stars. The release of Shivam Dube is a surprise considering the domestic talent like him performed alright in IPL 2020 with both bat and ball. Heading into the February 2021 auction, this might be the strategy employed by Royal Challengers Bangalore as their quest to win the Indian Premier League continues.

Royal Challengers Bangalore squad, released players and updated purse

Players released: Chris Morris, Moeen Ali, Aaron Finch, Umesh Yadav, Dale Steyn, Parthiv Patel, Isuru Udana, Pawan Negi, Gurkeerat Mann, Shivam Dube

Updated purse: Rs 35.7 crore

Updated Squad: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Pavan Deshpande, Shahbaz Ahmad, AB de Villiers, Josh Philippe, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams(T), Harshal Patel(T).

RCB strategy for IPL 2021 auction

Before the IPL 2021 player retention and release day, Harshal Patel and Daniel Sams were traded from Delhi Capitals to Royal Challengers Bangalore. With the majority of the bowlers being released as well as a batting all-rounder, Royal Challengers Bangalore may have to revamp their middle order. Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Mohammad Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal make up a solid core of their bowling and it did come through well in the IPL 2020 clash. However, they may require a good death overs bowler but more importantly, they will need a solid batting all-rounder.

Royal Challengers Bangalore needs solid batsmen as well as power-hitters in the batting order. They may want to closely monitor the developments in the Syed Mushtaq Ali while they would want good batsmen to ensure they the reliance on AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal is not so much.