"RCB will go with Faf du Plessis as the captain" - Saba Karim

With Virat Kohli relinquishing his post as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain after the end of last year's Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise is in search of a new skipper.

Former India player Saba Karim feels that veteran South African batter Faf du Plessis has emerged as a prominent candidate for the crucial post, following the recently-concluded IPL 2022 mega auction.

Speaking on the YouTube channel Khelneeti, he suggested that this could very well be the reason why the franchise went hard after him at the auction. He said:

"It's a no brainer. RCB will go with Faf du Plessis as the captain and that is why they went after him so aggressively at the auction. He will be the number 1 candidate to lead them."

du Plessis, who was an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings' title-winning side last year, was bought by the Bangalore-based franchise for ₹7 crore. They won a bidding war against Delhi and Chennai to acquire the services of the seasoned campaigner.

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"RCB have a fantastic buy in Suyash Prabhudessai" - Saba Karim

Karim is Delhi Capitals' head of talent search for IPL 2022. He reckoned that while Bangalore could have invested in more youngsters, they had done a fantastic job in roping in Goa's Suyash Prabhudessai.

He revealed that scouts from many teams would have had an eye on the 24-year-old batter, but franchises could not bid for him due to budget constraints.

Karim added:

"RCB could have picked a few more youngsters. But they have a fantastic buy in Suyash Prabhudessai. Scouts from many teams would have identified him, but the franchises could not go after him as they did not have money when his name came. I am sure he will contribute if he gets a chance to play this year."

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RCB squad for IPL 2022: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Faf du Plessis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Karthik, Josh Hazlewood, Shahbaz Ahamad, Anuj Rawat, Akash Deep, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Behrendorff, Suyash Prabhudessai, Chama Milind, Aneeshwar Gautam, Karn Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Luvnith Sisodia, David Willey