"Not just RCB, but the other teams would also want to go after him" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on Sikandar Raza
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma believes that all participating franchises will go all out to sign Sikandar Raza at the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction.
During a discussion on India News Sports, Sharma noted that Zimbabwe's senior all-rounder would be in great demand at the event. He suggested that teams, including the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), would be keen to rope in the swashbuckler.
"Sikandar Raza is a great prospect," Sharma remarked. "Not just RCB, but the other teams would also want to go after him. He has a lot of variations up his sleeve when it comes to his bowling. He has won Zimbabwe a lot of matches single-handedly and is a very good package. I am sure all the franchises have reserved a large amount for him."
Notably, Raza has set his base price at ₹50 lakh for the event. The 36-year-old has made a significant impact with both bat and ball for Zimbabwe in white-ball cricket in recent years. He was in terrific form in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, scoring 219 runs in eight games at a strike rate of almost 148 in addition to picking up 10 wickets.
Speaking about RCB's auction strategy, Sharma pointed out that the franchise don't have a lot of money in their purse. He opined that they would want to use the money to get a seasoned bowler who they can use in the death overs.
"RCB do not have a lot of funds," he added. "They will target one or two base players who they can get at their base price. Bowling has always been a big concern for them. They need a T20 specialist bowler in their team. They would want to use a large chunk of their money for a star bowler who can bowl at the death."
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Notably, the Bangalore-based franchise has the second-lowest purse for the mini-auction. With just ₹8.75 crore in their kitty, they will have to use their money judiciously as they look to bolster their squad for next season.
"I don't think RCB will bid for him" - Rajkumar Sharma on Adil Rashid
Rajkumar Sharma further added that England's Adil Rashid could also be in great demand at the IPL mini-auction, given his ability to chip in with miserly spells in T20 cricket.
He, however, claimed that RCB might not consider bidding for the crafty spinner as they already have an overseas wrist spinner in Wanindu Hasaranga.
"Adil Rashid is a very underrated bowler," Sharma elaborated. "He has performed admirably in white-ball cricket. I haven't seen him go for a lot of runs. A lot of teams will be tempted to go after him. However, I don't think RCB will bid for him, given that they already have Wanindu Hasaranga."
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Rashid was an integral part of England's T20 World Cup-winning squad earlier this year. While he picked up just four wickets in six games, he had a fantastic economy rate of 6.12 to his name.
He will be up for grabs from ₹2 crore onwards at the auction in Kochi on Friday, December 23.