RCB should go all out for Bhuneshwar Kumar & Harshal Patel

RCB have retained only one bowler ahead of IPL 2025 auction and the apt options that the trophy-less team to target are Harshal Patel and Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a tall task at hand in the IPL 2025 auction as they will be on the hunt for a whole new bowling line-up. The IPL trophy-less team decided to retain Yash Dayal while making a surprising decision to release veteran Mohammed Siraj. RCB will now have to invest heavily on bowlers in the auction, and more importantly, make sensible decisions on the auction table.

RCB desperate for new bowlers in IPL 2025

So far in IPL history, RCB has had pathetic bowling units across the years and it has been one of their main woes. In the previous season, the team boasted of bowlers like Siraj, Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Akash Deep and more. The team is now only left with Dayal, who has been retained for Rs 11 crore.

RCB have a lot of options to pick from in the IPL 2025 auction, should they spend their purse money wisely. From Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Harshal Patel, RCB have a plethora of bowlers to choose from.

Harshal Patel should return to RCB

Harshal Patel has already been associated with RCB previously. He was traded from Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2021. In his very first season for RCB, he ended up bagging 32 wickets, emerging not just as the highest wicket-taker for the franchise but for the entire season. In 105 matches, he has 135 wickets to his name and averages 23.33. His performance in IPL 2024 was not bad either as he finished with 24 wickets to his name.

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Should RCB pick Bhuvneshwar Kumar?

Another veteran whom RCB can rely on will be Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The pacer has been released by Sunrisers Hyderabad after spending multiple seasons with the team. With 181 wickets to his name in IPL, he is arguably one the best Indian bowlers, barring his slump in form over the last few editions. His best season came in 2016 when he bagged 26 wickets. However, his stats from the last few editions have not been impressive.

Year	Mat	WKTS	Ave	Econ
Career	176	181	27.23	7.56
2024	16	11	48.45	9.35
2023	14	16	26.56	8.33
2022	14	12	31.92	7.34
2021	11	6	55.83	7.97
2020	4	3	33.00	6.98
2019	15	13	35.46	7.81

Bhuneshwar Kumar stats in IPL since 2019

In 8 IPL matches that he has played in M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 9 wickets which includes two four-wicket hauls. With an economy of 7.31, he is one of the Indian bowlers with a decent economy. Another bowler that RCB would love to reunite with would be Yuzvendra Chahal. The veteran spinner is by far the the best RCB bowler in Bengaluru and stood out among other bowlers who have been taken to cleaners most of the times.