AB de Villiers believes that Rishabh Pant, recently released by Delhi Capitals, will be too expensive for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to acquire in the upcoming mega auction. Instead, de Villiers predicts that Pant is likely to be picked up by Punjab Kings due to his strong connection with head coach Ricky Ponting. Ponting, who was previously with Delhi Capitals, has now joined Punjab Kings as their coach, further strengthening the link between Pant and the franchise.
In a statement on his YouTube channel, de Villiers expressed his doubts about RCB’s ability to secure Pant, emphasizing the need for the team to focus on strengthening their bowling department and including local players in the squad. He also mentioned the potential of bidding for KL Rahul, who he believes could eventually take over from Virat Kohli as the team’s leader.
Regarding the upcoming IPL mega auction, RCB has retained only three players and has the option of three Right-to-Match (RTM) cards. The franchise will need to consider whether to use these cards for players like Glenn Maxwell, Will Jacks, and Mohammed Siraj. With a total of 1,574 players signed up for the auction, including 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations, there will be 204 slots available for the franchises to fill their squads.
Overall, de Villiers’ insights suggest a competitive bidding war for players like Pant and Rahul in the upcoming auction, highlighting the importance of strategic decision-making for RCB and other franchises looking to strengthen their squads for the upcoming IPL season.
