Why RCB's 2025 group is their most balanced IPL team to date | Explain | Mint

The first tip that IPL 2025 could eventually be a whole other one for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came before the tournament began: At the auction table in November 2024. Let’s rewind to understand the trip that saw RCB become the first team to qualify for the IPL 2025 final. The IPL 2025 mega auction was special. It was the first time since 2008 that there were so many high-profile Indian players available: Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Kl Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ishan Kishan. In general, you do not find a clutch players of this profile at one auction, for the simple reason that franchises tend to hold on to them. But by 2024-25, Indian cricket reached a stage of such emerging wealth that almost all franchises had already filled the quota of players they could retain, while some they did not want to retain, which led to the wealth in the 2025 mega option. In previous years no ghost of auctions in the past, RCB has often gone the extra mile to get the players with big names. The ghost of the past of RCB would almost surely have received one of those who came under the hammer in 2025. But they got nothing. They bid – but only to a certain point. RCB has set price ties for players, and they will stick to it. They would not be tossed with the name under the hammer. They looked at skills. The highest bid they made for Rishabh pant was £ 11 crore. They couldn’t even enter the Bid for Shreyas Iyer, because by the time Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) finished the shipping, Shreyas crossed £ 10 crore. The highest they bid for Arshdeep Singh was £ 10.50 crore – the same as for Kl Rahul. Ishan Kishan came later, and they did not enter. In the marquee set, their highest bid for Yuzvendra Chahal was at £ 14.25. Ironically, the failure to secure Chahal is, which led to their only neighborhood tires, when they went as high as £ 23.50 for Venkatesh Iyer. They budgeted the same band for Venkatesh as the others, but after not being able to secure Chahal early at the auction, RCB knew that their second choice -Leggie – Suyash Sharma – could be purchased for about £ 2-3. This meant that the money they kept aside for Chahal was a surplus, which is why they went as high as for Venkatesh. Balance more than stars look at the most expensive players RCB finally bought: Josh Hazlewood for £ 12.50 Crore, Philip Salt for 11.50 Crore, Jitesh Sharma for £ 11 Crore, Bhuvneshwar Kumar for £ 10.75 Crore. Four high -quality players, and only £ 46.75 crore. Earlier versions of RCB would have had one of the superstars, only one of the above four, and two others of less pedigree for this amount. This is why RCB has always been in the mood. Thanks to their disciplined approach in 2025, they came out like something they had in a long time: balanced. As with each team at each auction, they also got some quality players at lower prices because they later came up when everyone’s budgets were exhausted. After building a very stable core, they were able to add Tim David, Romaria Shepherd, Krunal Pandya and others, and suddenly RCB had a group with depth, variety, different skills and players. The performance that has a good auction is very important, but it is still only half the struggle. Form is a fickle mistress. You can do a lot of things right at the table just to raise everything on the field. It is according to the whole group’s credit that it did not happen to RCB. In their breathtaking campaign so far, they have found nine different players who receive the match for the match awards. They haven’t had a small part of the players over the rest yet. Everyone contributed. After his wonderful 85* down 33 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Jitesh Sharma made it a point to thank each of the RCB group. Not just playing Xi or those on the bench, but coaches, throw -specialists, logistics people. It was the sign of the man’s character that he remembers the humblest who helped him when he could only roast in his hour of glory. It was also the mark of a united side. The RCB that took the field in IPL 2025 simply differs from any of the previous RCB edges. The difference has already taken them a step from an 18-year-old dream. Whether they can take the last step or not, the transformation is good for the future.