IPL 2025: Former Indian captain Virat Kohli is expected to lead the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming IPL season, according to experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin, who has been included in the mega auction by Chennai Super Kings this time, discussed the auction and noted that RCB did not sign any player who could potentially take on the captaincy. As a result, he believes Virat is the obvious choice to lead the team.
Before Ashwin’s comments, former South African cricketer and RCB player AB de Villiers also predicted that Virat would return as the franchise’s captain next year. Kohli stepped down as RCB’s captain after the 2021 season. In a video posted on his official YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “I think Virat will captain the RCB team. I feel this way because the team hasn’t picked any new players who could take on the captaincy role. I don’t see anyone else but Virat as the leader.”
RCB’s New Additions For IPL 2025
Ashwin also praised RCB’s strategy in the auction, noting the franchise was very selective and thoughtful in its approach. In the two-day auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, RCB managed to acquire key players such as Tim David, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Jitesh Sharma. However, they chose not to use the right-to-match card for players like Mohammad Siraj, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, and Will Jacks.
Ashwin On RCB’s Auction Approach
Ashwin highlighted RCB’s decision to play a patient game during the auction. He said, “I feel that the auction was great for them. They maintained a good balance and were careful with their spending. While many teams came in with huge amounts of money and started bidding aggressively from the beginning, RCB decided to wait, even though they had plenty of money left. They focused on what they needed and understood the importance of having a well-rounded squad.”
RCB Squad For IPL 2025
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandaage, Jacob Bethell.
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