IPL 2022 | Royal Challengers Bangalore might find leadership in the IPL auction, opines Irfan Pathan

IPL 2022 will be more exciting with the addition of two new participant teams and a mega auction ahead of the tournament. Each franchise is allowed to have four retentions and the deadline to confirm the names is November 30. Royal Challengers Bangalore are still waiting for their maiden IPL title and will look forward to building a strong core of players by choosing their picks very carefully in the mega auction. 

Not only that, the team will be looking for a leader to retain or buy from the mega auction as Virat Kohli has stepped down from the captaincy after the conclusion of IPL 2021. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that RCB might not find a new captain from the players they retain and will have to look for leadership in the mega auction. He has also named Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj as his four choices to retain 

“I think someone from the auction. Because whatever the 4 players are in my head, Virat is obviously not going to captain he has announced that, Glenn Maxwell is there, but you do not want to give him the captaincy because he his kind of a free flowing cricketer and you do not want to give him that kind of responsibility. You want him to play freely,” he said during lunch break of the ongoing Test between India an New Zealand, reported by Hindusthan Times.

“The third is Chahal, who is a bowler. The fourth one is a topic of discussion but I will go with Siraj. So you might to find leadership in that but you might find it in the auction. They need to work hard on that part," he added.

Harshal Patel’s exclusion by Irfan Pathan was a surprising one as the pacer picked 32 wickets in the IPL 2021 and was the purple cap winner. Mohammed Siraj picked 11 wickets in 15 matches with an economy of 6.78. According to Pathan, Siraj is a complete package as he can bowl with new ball and can deliver outstanding yorkers as well. 

“A lot of people will be thinking about Harshal Patel, he was the Purple Cap winner, but when you look at the complete package in Mohammed Siraj who can bowl with the new ball and deliver outstanding yorkers, he has got pace as well. So you might be looking at a more long-term option. I certainly think it's Siraj,” he explained. 

Yuzvendra Chahal was bowling very well for the team in the UAE leg of IPL 2021 and overall, he picked 18 wickets from 15 matches with an economy of around 7. Pathan praised Chahal for his courageous bowling and sad that franchise would not want to lose a bowler like him 

“In Chinnaswamy, you need a spinner who bowls with a big heart. And Chahal has got a big heart. He takes wicket and knows the pitch in and out. Not many spinners come to Chinnaswamy and takes that kind of wicket what Chahal has given. You do not want to lose a bowler like him," he concluded.