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Top Three best and worst buys of RCB in the IPL auction over the years
The Indian Premier League is one of the most popular T20 leagues in the world. The fact that all of the teams have the same quantity and quality of firepower the excitement of the tournament keeps growing. Meanwhile, among the ten regular competitors, the squad that has always provided fans with thrilling games is none other than the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Although Bangalore has failed to win any trophy in the tournament they have always been entertaining on the ground. However, they have made some great and worst strategic decisions in signing players and that has been replicated in the results too. Today, in this article, we will discuss the top three best and worst buys made by RCB in the history of IPL.
#3 Worst Buy: Tymal Mills
Tymal Mills (Source: Twitter)
The Royal Challengers Bangalore missed the mark by an inch in 2016, as they lost their third IPL final. The only issue for the team was inconsistency in the bowling lineup. As a result, they were on the search for quality fast bowlers before the 2017 tournament. Considering his recent BBL exploits, RCB entered the bidding war for Tymal Mills.
The Englishman is well-known for his death bowling abilities and slows ball variations, and the franchise spent a whopping Rs 12 crore to secure his services. However, he failed to replicate his Big Bash League performance in IPL. He barely managed to pick up five wickets in five games and disappointed RCB.
# Best Buy: Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal (Source: Twitter)
The Ace leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal started his Indian Premier League career with Mumbai Indians. He put up some amazing performances with five-time champions. Considering his performance with the bowl, Royal Challengers Bangalore went after him. They roped in him in 2014’s mega auction and since then it’s a never looking back for Chahal.
Chahal was one of the most economical bowlers for RCB on their home ground. He always clinched wickets to control the run flow on the small ground. In the following couple of seasons, Chahal picked up 44 wickets and earned his maiden national call soon.
#2 Worst Buy: Saurabh Tiwary
Saurabh Tiwary (Source: Twitter)
The Royal Challengers Bangalore was set for a full overhaul in the first mega auction in 2011. After reaching the playoffs of the third edition of the IPL, Bangalore was attempting to form a new-look roster by releasing all of their players except Virat Kohli. They acquired several hard-hitting players, including Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Saurabh Tiwary.
Notably, Saurabh was one of the leading run scorers in the 2010 IPL for Mumbai Indians. For all of his qualities, the southpaw was paid Rs 6.4 crore, which was three times the salary of the team’s captain, Daniel Vettori. However, Saurabh failed to perform in the next three seasons, which lead to being one of the worst investments made by RCB in the history of the Indian Premier League.
#Best Buy: AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers (Source: Twitter)
Mr. 360, aka AB de Villiers, was always in commanding form and is regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. When the Delhi Daredevils released him after a couple of decent seasons, he was purchased by RCB for a whopping 1.5 million USD.
ABD grew into a monster in the following seasons as he went on to score 5056 IPL runs in 176 matches, with an incredible average of 40.77. He had an explosive strike rate of 152. His year of reckoning was 2016 when he smashed 687 runs while playing with the ideal partner to a destructive Virat Kohli.
#1 Worst Buy: Chris Woakes
Chris Woakes (Source: Twitter)
The 10th edition of the IPL was a nightmare for RCB, as the team only managed to win three matches in the league stage. The Virat Kohli-led side, as expected, was seeking a fresh start, since they retained only three players before the massive auction. They particularly created a heavy bowling unit comprised of quality pacers, especially Chris Woakes. Based on his track record and worldwide experience, the team paid a paycheck of Rs 7.4 crore for him.
He got the tournament started right with a 3-fer against KKR. However, it was Woakes’ only great night in the Bangalore dressing room, as he was battered to all areas of the ground in the following four games. He struggled to manage the run-flow in the end overs, as seen by his economy rate of 10.36. He was then benched for the rest of the season and disappeared from the IPL scene after failing to find a buyer in the 2019 auction.
#Best Buy: Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli (Source: Twitter)
When it comes to the best buy in the history of Royal Challengers Bangalore, no one stands out more than former Indian skipper Virat Kohli. His first two seasons with RCB were not as promising as we would have expected from a seasoned stroke player today. In his first two seasons, he only managed 165 and 246 runs.
However, the young man first came to public attention in 2010 when he broke the 300-run barrier with a dominant performance. He had an even stronger season the following year, hitting 557 runs. His summons to the IPL batting crown came in 2016, when he scored 973 runs, becoming the highest run-scorer. He is also the leading run-scorer in the history of the tournament.