IPL 2022: 3 players RCB might regret not bidding for at auction

Yuzvendra Chahal was one of RCB's biggest match-winners (Getty Images)

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have assembled a squad of 21 players at the IPL 2022 mega auction. Their major signings at the auction were Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood and Faf du Plessis.

However, RCB still haven't assembled arguably the best possible squad on paper. While their bowling looks strong, there are obvious weaknesses in the batting department. They remain heavily reliant on du Plessis, Kohli, Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik to come good with the bat in their best phases of the innings respectively.

Let's take a look at three players that they might regret not bidding for.

#3 Yash Dhull

Yash Dhull joined the elite club of Indian captains to have won the Under-19 World Cup earlier this month. He became the fifth captain to do so after Mohammad Kaif, Kohli, Unmukt Chand and Prithvi Shaw. He showcased immense composure and talent in his game, particularly in the semi-final against Australia.

RCB have signed some good domestic batters like Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror and Suyash Prabhudessai. But they have not invested in any of this year's Under-19 World Cup winning batch.

Grooming a highly skilled youngster like Dhull would have had long-term benefits. In the very first season, the franchise showed faith in an 18-year-old Virat Kohli and he certainly proved his worth over the years.

#2 David Warner

.@davidwarner31 was the last player in the Marquee Players' List. 👌 👌

... and @DelhiCapitals have him on board for INR 6.25 Crore. 👏 👏

#TATAIPLAuction @TataCompanies https://t.co/qBGqtXwmC9

Ahead of the auction, there was much speculation that RCB would sign Warner and announce him as the next captain. However, they ended up not even bidding once for him. Delhi Capitals eventually acquired him for a miserly ₹6.25 crores.

RCB acquired the former CSK star Faf du Plessis from the marquee set of the IPL auction for ₹7 crores. The franchise has made it clear that he'll bat at the top of the order and has repeatedly emphasized his leadership skills. This means there is a good chance that he'll be announced as the next captain.

Du Plessis is in great T20 form and had a magnificent IPL season last time around. However, he arguably wouldn't be Kohli's best partner at the top of the order. Both are elite pace hitters but they slow down considerably against spinners.

Warner would have allowed them to play a left-handed opener along with Kohli, making it tough for the opposition to bowl at. He is also one of the best constructors of a T20 innings. This would have given the likes of Kohli and Maxwell a lot of freedom at the other end.

He was also the Player of the Tournament at the Men's ICC T20 World Cup in November in Australia's triumphant run. This goes on to show he is in sublime form as well.

#1 Yuzvendra Chahal

They say, home is where the heart is. He’s one of our own, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲. ❤️

#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers @yuzi_chahal https://t.co/3EfZBpcZTC

One of RCB's biggest franchise legends, Yuzvendra Chahal was released by them ahead of the IPL mega auction. RCB retained Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammad Siraj. However, many fans would have expected the franchise to try buying him back at the auction.

RCB decided to go for a different strategy instead. They bought back all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga at the auction for 10.75 crores. The reasoning behind it by the management is probably the fact that he is also a handy batsman, particularly in the middle overs.

While Hasaranga is one of the best T20 spinners in the world right now, he is an untested commodity in the Indian Premier League. Chahal, on the other hand, picked up 139 wickets for Bangalore in 113 matches at an economy rate of 7.58. He was also sold for a much lesser price - ₹6.50 crores as compared to the Sri Lankan spinner.