RCB Strikes Gold as Auction Pick Delivers Unreal Performances

Royal Challengers Bengaluru is heading to IPL 2025 with a stellar line-up. Their line-up already looked strong after the IPL retention came to an end. And after the auction, the team has added more players, which includes a golden pick, who is dominating in 2025.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru entered the IPL auction with a mediocre budget. Their costliest buy was surely Venkatesh Iyer, who was picked by the team for 7 crore rupees. But there were several other picks made by the team which are now being considered as a steal deal. One of them includes Jacob Duffy.

RCB had bought Jacob Duffy for just 2 crore rupees, and this is also his base price. Now, with the upcoming season just a few months away, Duffy has been dominating different formats of the game. He was able to finish the Test series against the West Indies as the highest wicket-taker, with Duffy also winning the POTS award.

1. Jacob Duffy in WI Series

Jacob Duffy has been a different beast this year. And fans even say that since he has been bought by the RCB, his performances have increased to a great extent. New Zealand has now started their new World Test Championship cycle with a series win against the West Indies, where Jacob Duffy played a major role.

Jacob Duffy vs West Indies:

• Innings: 6
• Overs: 154.3
• Maidens: 44
• Wickets: 23
• Average: 15.43
• Economy: 2.29
• Four-wicket Hauls: 1
• Five-wicket Hauls: 3

The first Test match between both teams had ended in a draw. Still, Duffy was able to take 8 wickets in the game, which also includes a five-wicket haul in the game. In the second Test, he took a five-wicket haul in the fourth innings of the game, finishing with 6 wickets in the match. Also, he received the POTM award for his spell.

Jacob Duffy continued his performances in the third Test against the West Indies. He took 4 wickets in the first innings, and another five-wicket haul in the second innings of the game. Moreover, Duffy also sealed the final wicket of the chase, which helped New Zealand to get a 2-0 series win.

2. Ashwin Lauds RCB’s Pick

India's retired cricketer, Ravichandran Ashwin, also praised the RCB management for picking Jacob Duffy. At a time when all other teams were saving their funds for later, RCB took the advantage to acquire Duffy for the base price. And now, taking a look at his performances, it seems that RCB will be the happiest right now.

Ashwin tweeted on his account by saying, “What a cricketer Jacob Duffy is turning out to be. 2025 has been his coming of age year. 23 wickets at 15.43, 40.3 Strike rate and MOS in the tests against Windies. He’s also the current #2 ranked T20I bowler, with a sensational 2025 in T20s with 57 wickets at 18.9, 7.89 economy, and an elite 53.1% dot ball rate. At 31, he’s operating at peak efficiency. Absolute steal by RCB to pick him up at a base price of 2C. Sensational coup.”

Jacob Duffy is also the highest ranked pacer in the T20I, as the only bowler who stands above him is Varun Chakravarthy, an Indian spinner. Moreover, Duffy seems to be a back-up pace bowler for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team. He comes as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood, as Hazlewood is also prone to injuries lately.

3. Duffy’s Performances in 2025

The year 2025 has been the one for Jacob Duffy. Being aged 31, he has been able to break records in the international format for the New Zealand cricket team. With the recent Test match against the West Indies, he has now grabbed a massive total of 81 wickets in this calendar year. This also makes him the bowler with highest international wickets in a calendar year.

Jacob Duffy in 2025 (Internationals):

• Innings: 39
• Overs: 325
• Maidens: 53
• Wickets: 81
• Average: 17.11
• Economy: 4.26
• Five-wicket Hauls: 3

He has overtaken several greats such as Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and more for this record, taking it solely to his name. Along with that, he has also been dominant in the T20 format this year. He has taken 57 wickets this year in the shortest format of the game, with an average of 18.90. Fans wonder what would happen when he finally makes his IPL debut in the upcoming season.