NEW DELHI: Former India opener Aakash Chopra has suggested that Royal Challengers Bengaluru should make a strong bid to acquire wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.
Chopra went on to suggest that even if RCB have to splurge Rs 25 crore for Pant they should not hesitate. He also emphasised that the shorter boundaries at M Chinnaswamy Stadium would perfectly complement Pant’s playing style.
“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 Rs 25 crore,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
RCB retained just three players ahead of the auction – Virat Kohli (Rs 21 crore), Rajat Patidar (Rs 11 crore), and Yash Dayal (Rs 5 crore) – leaving them with a budget of Rs 83 crore to build the rest of the squad.
Chopra further added that if RCB feels Rishabh Pant isn’t the right fit, they could consider KL Rahul instead, given his familiarity with the local conditions as a “local boy.” Chopra also mentioned that RCB might not pursue Shreyas Iyer as aggressively, perhaps leaving him for Delhi to target instead.
“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 added.
Following their release by their respective franchises, Pant, Rahul, and Iyer are expected to be top targets for teams in the auction scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.