Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has urged Royal Challengers Bengaluru to target Rishabh Pant even if they will have to spend INR 25 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. RCB retained Virat Kohli (21 crore), Rajat Patidar (11 crore), and Yash Dayal (5 crore) whereas Rishabh Pant was released by Delhi Capitals.
Thus, RCB has a remaining purse of INR 83 crore for the auction. Meanwhile, Pant has been in terrific form and top-scored in the three-Test match series against New Zealand with 261 runs at an average of 43.50. Pant returned with scores of 60 and 64 in the Mumbai Test, which India lost by 25 runs.
The left-hander is known to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting and has scored 3284 runs in 111 IPL matches at an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93.
“In the middle, Rishabh Pant. Will you go towards Rishabh Pant? In my opinion, they should go towards him. Again a small ground, it will suit him as well. Please go for him even if you have to go till ₹25 crore,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
The renowned commentator feels RCB can also target local boy KL Rahul as an alternate wicket-keeper option.
“If you feel you don’t need Rishabh Pant and need KL Rahul because he is a local boy and knows this ground as well, he will also like the small ground and flat pitch. So you can also try to bring him with you. I don’t think this team will go that aggressively for Shreyas Iyer because they will leave him for Delhi,” he observed.
Chopra believes RCB can target either Phil Salt or Jos Buttler, who have been released by Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals respectively.
“They will need an opener and a keeper. So you will have two or three options available. You can go after Phil Salt. You can bring Jos Buttler with you. Small ground – Jos Buttler and Virat Kohli – wow. That will be a good pair,” he said.
The former KKR player believes RCB needs an aggressive opening batter with Virat Kohli after releasing former skipper Faf du Plessis.
“Whoever plays with Virat Kohli at the other end needs to be an out-and-out aggressive guy. He should score runs quickly and move the scorecard very fast until he stays. So Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, those kind of players excite you more and also give you the wicketkeeping option,” Chopra observed.
IPL 2025 mega auction will take place in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.
